Last Updated on February 17, 2022 by ReTurf

One of our customers made this great-looking dog play area with a piece of used artificial turf, and we thought we would share it and talk about some of the details.

Putting It Together

In this situation, a large square piece of used artificial turf was laid over a level area of the lawn with a simple base. The customer then added simple white garden fence panels to enclose it for their two small dogs.

Why This Works

Sports grade artificial turf is superior to the “thin stuff” found at your local home center. It is designed to perform a few duties, each of which is also beneficial for dog play areas.

These include:

1. Natural, Soft Feel

Professional sports-grade artificial turf is made up of various materials and layers to create the feel of natural grass while being able to stand up to abuse. Recovered artificial turf holds these same values, but also contains fibrillated fibers. This means that the individual artificial grass blades have split and curled. The end result of this is more softness underfoot and more of a natural appearance. This is one of the reasons why used turf is so popular.

2. Durability

This product was built to take abuse and can handle playtime with your pet with ease.

3. Easy Cleanup

Another component of sports-grade artificial turf is that it is designed to drain by the manufacturer. What this means for you is that, aside from picking up solid waste, you can simply hose down soiled areas. In fall when the leaves drop, or in any scenario where natural debris can cover the turf, a leaf blower will do the trick to clean it right off. Lastly, if over time you find that the artificial turf requires a deep cleaning, a simple mix of environmentally friendly liquid soap, a hose, and a scrubber (an old broom works) will do the trick.

Other Benefits

Much like in the picture above, you can give your natural lawn a break from pet wear and tear. These play areas offer a way to let you doggo play outside while not messing up any of your other landscaping.

Insects, biting bugs, do not find artificial turf attractive to live in. In this, you can see a reduction in these kinds of pests, when compared to the rest of the yard, in your artificial turf dog play area.

Considerations

If you live in a hot, sunny area do look for shade when setting this up. While direct sunlight will not harm the artificial turf, it can retain heat. So, on hot scorching days, this can transfer to your dog’s delicate paws. Setting this up under some natural shade, or setting up your own shade (like a sun sail) can help resolve this problem.

Start Your Dog Play Area Project

To get started with your own play area, take a look around for where the best location is to set it up, measure the area, and do a survey of the ground to make sure it is not an area where water pools. Also, make sure that the turf itself will not direct the water where you do not want it (low side lined up to the porch for example). If you do find this may be an issue, especially if the area is small, you can hand grade the area yourself. A base layer of something that drains water away can also be beneficial in areas prone to collecting water. This process varies case by case. If you’re not sure where to start, you can talk with us.

With your measurements and base layer needs in mind, you can now start shopping.