You can't deny a great idea when you hear one. Check out this website:
http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php
Farm-fresh organic fruits and vegetables from local farms delivered to your home or office.
Description | LEED Point Value |
Water Efficient Landscaping: Reduce by 50% | 1 Point |
Water Efficient Landscaping: No Potable Use or No Irrigation | 1 Point in addition to point from above. |
Water Use Reduction: 20% | 1 Point |
Water use Reduction: 30% | 1 Point in addition to point from above. |
Description | LEED Point Value |
Recycled Content: Total project must contain 10% (based on cost) recycled content, in a ratio of 2:1 post consumer to post-industrial recycled content. | 1 Point |
Recycled Content: Total project to contain 20% (based on cost) recycled content in a 2:1 ratio of post consumer to post-industrial recycled material. | 1 Point in addition to point from above. |
Regional Materials: 10% of the total materials needed for project must be extracted, harvested or recovered and manufactured with a 500-mile radius. If only a fraction of the material is from the region, that amount by weight contributes to the regional credit value. | 1 Point |
1 additional point available if 20% of project’s total materials meets criteria outlined in above description. | 1 Point |
Rapidly Renewable Materials: 2.5% of the total value of all building materials and products used in the project (based on cost) must come from materials made from plants typically harvested with a 10-year (or shorter ) cycle. | 1 Point |
Description | LEED Point Value |
Low Emitting Materials: All carpet installed in building interior must meet Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label Plus program testing and requirements. All cushion must also qualify for CRI’s Green Label program, and all adhesives must meet EQ prerequisite standards. | 1 Point |
Yesterday, we made it a family outing to go and see what was going on at the Go Green Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center. They offered a variety of of the latest trends in green products and services. The booths were grouped by categories; green clothing, green pet products, green home services, etc.
Be sure to check out our first Puppy Potty Pad blog review at www.thenursemommy.com .
A couple of years ago when the economy was in better shape, many local municipalities, and counties were offering generous rebates for installing artificial grass in residential and commercial settings. About a year ago, these funds dried up along with most other government rebate programs. The programs began as a way of encouraging people to install synthetic lawns to save water during times of drought. Since Southern California, where I live, is in perpetual drought conditions, the rebates were plentiful.
Currently, rebates are now available only in certain water agency service areas and only for commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family facility water customer. Therefore, RESIDENTIAL rebates are not currently available in Southern California. Below is a list of municipalities in Southern California that are still currently offering rebates:
We basically fell into the pet potty pad business. We were receiving frequent requests for tiny patches of turf. We finally figured out that most of these requests were coming from pet owners living in apartments or condominiums, or they had a situation in which they needed to leave their pet inside their homes for an extended period of time. One of our partners also lives in a condo and owns 2 small chihuahuas. So he decided to take a remnant piece of artificial grass home and try it out. He had been using the disposable pet pads on his balcony, but was tiring of looking at their mess. Also, there were not completely potty trained yet and was hoping the turf would somehow help.
He placed the artificial grass on top of the disposable pad. And to our amazement, the two dogs took right to the turf! It's as if they have some instinct to do their thing on grass, even if its synthetic grass. Who knew? What is it about grass that draws the dogs to it? I don't have the answer, but we have had several customers send us glowing reviews of our pet potty pads say that as soon as they put the pad in front of the dog, it did its deed immediately. Go figure.
From there we did some research and found out that we were not the only ones who have figured this out. There are several varieties of artificial grass pet potties. Some come with trays and other contraptions. We are probably the simplest, and therefore, the cheapest option out there. We found the most common sizes of disposable pet pads and cut the artificial grass to fit on top of them.
Another benefit of our potty pad is that the disposable pet pad beneath the turf lasts for up to 2 weeks. This can probably be attributed to the fact that we sell high end artificial turf, not the stuff that you can buy at the big box stores. Our ultra-dense artificial grass has drainage holes in the backing, is treated with an anti-bacterial solution, and easily cleaned off with a hose.
Sustainability....it's the new buzz word in "green" terminology. I'm hearing it everywhere....from restaurants, grocery stores, to economic reports, and politicians. To be sustainable means to be able to use the resources available to us without harming our current environment or the environment of future generations. A sustainable world, says World Bank economist Herman Daly, would not use renewable resources (forests, soils, waters, fish and game) faster than they are replenished. It wouldn't use nonrenewable resources (fossil fuels, mineral ores) faster than renewable substitutes can be found for them. Green households aim to be self-sustained; to keep a low carbon footprint. This can be accomplished by growing your own fruit and vegetables, driving low-emission vehicles, composting, recycling, etc. We can also increase our sustainability by installing artificial grass in our yards.
So how are artificial grass lawns sustainable?
1. To begin with, artificial grass is made from recycled products. Polypropylene, Polyethylene and Nylon are the major polymers used to produce synthetic turf. These can be recycled from a variety of plastic products. And 20 years later, when it is time to replace the lawn, the artificial grass can be recycled again into another polymer product.
2. Water Conservation - it is estimated that most artificial grass lawns will pay for themselves within 3 years via water conservation. Continued drought conditions in large parts of the country make artificial grass lawns an environmentally important option for homeowners and municipalities. Artificial grass lawns save millions of gallons of water each year. Sustainability begins my eliminating waste.
3. Poison - Also, the water supply is not polluted by the fertilizers and pesticides we add to a natural grass lawn to keep it "healthy". On top of that, the emissions and pollution created from lawnmowers and weed-wackers are eliminated from synthetic turf lawns.
Sustainability is a goal we should all aim for. Installing artificial grass will not save the planet but it is one way of decreasing our impact on future generations.
I once heard a joke about dermatologists.....a million different skin conditions but only seven skin creams to treat all of them. I mean no offense to the dermatology profession, because we face a similar issue in the artificial grass industry. There are so many different artificial grasses....but really there are only so many places to install them. I think that is why customers can be overwhelmed by the process. Go to any customer who has already had a couple of installation quotes and you will see a pile of different samples that every installer shows up with. A lot of it comes down to the customer's personal taste, where they live and what the application of the artificial grass will be.
Personally, I like the more realistic looking turfs. I lean torward the olive bi-color grasses; they don't stand out as much during the winter when real grass is dormant. The bright, Kelly green artificial grasses just look fake to me, and living in the chaparral conditions of Southern California, grass just doesn't exist in that color. I also prefer longer, thin blades of grass. It gives the effect of a lush lawn that is ready to be mowed. Softer to the touch, it makes a nice residential installation. Finally, I also prefer some brown thatch to put the finishing touch on the realistic look.
So how do you get your customers to choose your grass? It is imperative for the installer to be knowledgeable about the grasses...do your homework! Be prepared to educate your customers about your particular grasses. Explain the pile height, stitch rate, row gauge and face weight.
Pile Height - is the length of the blades/fibers. The longer the blades the greater the cost. It also adds to the face weight and gives a lush appearance. Turfs with shorter pile heights are less expensive and create a neat appearance. Putting greens have the shortest pile heights.
Stitch Rate is the number of stitches per row. The greater the stitch rate the greater the value. More stitches create a fuller look.
Row Gauge is the distance between the stitch rows. The shorter the distance between the rows the more valuable the turf. It also gives the artificial grass a more natural look; if the rows are too far apart you can see distinct row of fibers - not a natural look.
Face Weight is the weight of the yarn that makes up the pile. It is considered a measure of durability. The greater the weight of the yarn used, the greater the value of the turf.
So here is my advice....don't overwhelm your installation customers with every sample of grass that you have. Be prepared to go to your customer and say this is this the grass that I would use for this particular installation. Educate them about the different styles and qualities of artificial grasses.
That is the question! And if so, what kind? There are several schools of thought on this. Originally, playground sand was used to infill artificial grass but eventually, the sand compacts down so much that it becomes rock-like, constricting drainage holes and damaging blades. Then there is the whole crumb-rubber debacle... Does it contain heavy metals and poisonous chemicals? And darn, does it get hot! To increase impact attenuation ratings, sports field installers were infilling to the top of the blades.....have you seen the black stuff go flying during an NFL game? The ASGi has recently added an article to their news feed (see far left column) about how it has been deemed safe for sports fields. But public schools are pulling everything from tire swings to crumb rubber out of their playgrounds.
Then, there are the newer generations of infill-free artificial grasses that have blades that have "splines". Splines are a ribbing added along the center of the blade to give the blades an even more authentic look and the best part is they actually help keep the blades up. In warm weather, the heating of the splines in the artificial grass blades makes them stand up, thus decreasing or eliminating the need for infill.
I am a fan of the newer types of infill. In my opinion, infill is necessary, even in splined grasses. It adds mass to the backings (that means not as many nails, staples, glues and seaming tape are required), props up the blades and adds a cushion to the grass. I like the acrylic and polymer coated sands. These are recycled materials that are free of any harmful chemicals, they come in every color imaginable, and they do their job!
Now that sports field installers are moving away from crumb rubber, they are using under-paddings (for example, Brock) for shock absorption. In combination with the acrylic/polymer coated sands, this creates the safest, most aesthetically pleasing installation.
I would suspect that 85% of artificial grass installers do not use Bend-a-Board in their installations. I would even take it a step further to say that most have not even heard of it. Bend-a-Board is a unique framing material that can be used to simplify the installation process and add longevity to any artificial grass and artificial putting green installation.
As a newbie to the artificial grass industry, 2009 has been a year of learning for me. Being thrown into the industry has required that I learn everything there is to know about artificial grass quickly; the manufacturing, technology, marketing, shipping/import, installation techniques, and of course, the good ole boy construction industry.
Our first major client was by far our most interesting. A New York marketing firm asked us if we could provide four hundred 3x30 inch strips of artificial grass. Now keep in mind that we had originally opted to only sell artificial grass by the full roll. Beginning a business is a learning process and we are now willing to sell any size piece of any artificial grass to anyone who is willing to pay for it (i.e. puppy potty pads). But back to my story....This marketing firm wanted to use the strips of turf on top of New York taxi cabs as part of an advertisement campaign in which a gravestone advertising an entertainment event would set atop of our artificial grass to create the look of a graveyard. This required us to cut the strips and have them shipped to NYC within a week. Needless to say it was a daunting task in which we eventually had several people, including our children on the warehouse floor cutting and packing these strips. It was a profitable sale and a great learning experience.....make your customers happy!
Sales have grown and we are learning everyday. So here is to 2010....
Sod staples should NOT be used when installing grass in prison facilities....seriously...
