Artificial Grass Girl

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.