Green Roofs with a Purpose
When the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami needed to transform their 5th level pool and amenity deck, they turned to Southwest Greens of Florida. We installed over 36,000 sq. ft. of beautiful synthetic grass on the roof deck above their parking garage that blended in with their pool deck and outdoor bar. The multi-function lawn is perfect for hosting weddings or corporate events, yoga sessions or various recreational games for guests of the hotel. Another attractive option is converting an unsightly roof deck into a pleasant green space to look out at. We have installed rooftop turf projects for many luxury condominiums along the beach.
Bolt Fiber
Handles the demand of a high-traffic sports surface with greater resiliency and increased durability.
HydroChill Cooling System
The only turf cooling system that reduces turf surface temperatures by up to 50° for sustained periods of time.
Drainage
Synthetic grass on roof decks drains well when combined with our drain mat underlayment options. We have different height profiles to suit various transitions needed on balconies or roof decks
FAQ
How long does artificial grass last?
Expected life of synthetic landscape, lawn turf is 15 years with manufacturer’s warranties to back it up. These polyethylene turf fibers are the most UV resistant. Certain turf styles made using polypropylene or nylon turf fibers have an expected life of 7-10 years before they start to experience fading, depending on UV exposure. Typical warranty on these turf styles is 5 years from the manufacturer.
What is your installation warranty, turf warranty?
Southwest Greens of Florida offers a 2-year installation warranty covering any defects due to poor installation or craftsmanship. Turf warranties vary from 5 to 15 years depending on the turf style.
What maintenance is required for synthetic turf?
This depends on the type of installation. Putting greens typically require regular maintenance to brush out debris that settles into the turf fibers affecting ball roll. Lawns typically require little to no maintenance other than blowing debris off with a leaf blower. High traffic areas may require periodic brushing with a power broom to fluff up the nap of the turf. Southwest Greens of Florida offers various maintenance service options for its customers.
Does all turf “matt down” or is there a turf that never matts?
This depends on the amount of traffic over the turf and the type of turf selected by the customer. Turf manufacturers have dramatically improved the resiliency of turf fibers so they have better “spring back”. However, with enough traffic over the turf by either people, vehicles or service contactors, artificial turf will matt down eventually. Choosing a turf product that isn’t too soft and has fibers shaped to resist matting helps significantly. Not all turf types are equal in this regard. Preventing matting can be improved with maintenance – powerbroom service and adding infill material.
How can I tell the difference between a good turf installation company versus a bad one?
The good one has been around for a long time and can actually show you 10 plus year old installations that still look good with a happy customer. They have an excellent reputation and have worked for years for high-end builders, GC’s and landscape architects. They don’t cut corners and leave out key ingredients to doing a quality job that lasts the test of time. Consequently, good ones tend to cost more than the cheap guy who has to leave stuff out to be low price. A telltale sign is the Turf Installation contractor who says “I can bang this out in a couple of days”. Ask…how much time it will take to complete the job? The good one will have more time in on the job. Attention to detail is important to delivering a quality finished turf job.
Does all synthetic grass get hot?
Direct, radiant sunlight is what heats up artificial turf. If your turf is in the shade and it’s 95 degrees outside, the turf will be near the ambient temperature. Direct UV can heat turf up to temps above 160 degrees. Thankfully, there is a solution to cooling turf down using HydroChill coated infill sand which retains moisture in the turf system. This polymer coated sand absorbs and retains the moisture, slowly letting it evaporate out, thereby creating an evaporative cooling effect. Southwest Greens of Florida stock and regularly installs HydroChill for clients who need 40 to 50 degree cooler turf.
What about turf for pets, dogs or cats? Does urine stain the turf grass?
Southwest Greens has specially design turf for pets, but most synthetic turf will not be adversely affected by pet urine. Turf designed specifically for pet applications has a higher, flow-through rate than traditional synthetic turf backings. Pet urine will not stain landscape lawn turf made with polyethylene turf fibers.
Does synthetic turf drain? Is artificial turf impervious?
One of the biggest myths and misnomers about synthetic turf is that it does not drain and treated as impervious by backward, closed-minded municipal governments, city councils or HOA’s. Typically, these folks already made up their minds that they don’t want synthetic turf in their communities and are going to deny their constituents from having it based on false claims. Synthetic turf drains at a much higher rate than natural sod and has been tested by geotechnical engineers to prove it. Moreover, standardized ASTM testing on the turf material itself shows it drains at a rate above 100 inches per square yard per hour using even the traditional, hole punched polyurethane backing. High-flow through backings designed for pets drains at even higher rates. Porous base materials like 57 stone topped with 89 stone ensure a high flow through rate as well. Ironically, these same naysayers are all for the product when it comes to their parks, playgrounds and athletic fields which all seem to drain fine…no problem.
