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Are Artificial Lawns the Answer to the Pain in Your Grass?

24January

By: Jordan Rimmer

This year we’ve had the good fortune of experiencing the hottest summer in ages, with dry spells, roasting temperatures and humid heatwaves. A memorable Summer indulging in bucket loads of ice cream, being layered in sunscreen and rocking cool sunglasses. As nostalgia sets in we’re quickly reminded of the unpleasant after effects, the scorching summer has been detrimental to our cherished gardens. With weeks of baking heat, little rain and an essential hosepipe ban, many have been left with brown and lifeless lawns affecting the overall appearance of their homes.

As a result, there’s been a noteworthy rise in the number of people opting for prominent, lively-green, natural-looking artificial lawns. Eradicating the need for the mower, these require minimal care and look beautiful all-year-round. CAG has seen a significant surge in enquiries and sales in contrast to previous years. We put this down to two key reasons; 2017’s dreadful winter weather had injured lawns; the ground had been left with poor drainage and muddy spots instead of natural grass. Having experienced a terrible winter this was followed by a sweltering summer, leaving the ground parched with cracked mud, over-cooked grass and bare patches. As the grasses required TLC, heaps of time, expensive grass seed and fertiliser with slow results, CAG were flooded with as many as 34 enquiries in a day!

There’s a common misconception among the public that artificial grass lawns are for youngsters with little time to tend to gardens, and adults with minimal knowledge and interest in gardening. This is a myth, we have installed and transformed many gardens for the older generation too. These people have previously devoted precious time to weeding, mowing and feeding their lawns, and had been left disheartened by the effort that they had put into their gardens yet, when the weather struck all their hard work was undone.

In comparison, artificial lawns deliver impeccably groomed grass that looks freshly cut and well-looked after day after day. Ideal for keen children to indulge in football games outside, in rain or shine, without the worry of damage to the grass and associated muddy chaos. Energetic dogs can explore outside, short of the owners having to fear their safety due to our pet-friendly grass option and the odour of dog urine affecting the lawns.

At CAG we believe artificial grass lawns are the future. As climate changes are inevitable, we can expect many more roasting and dry days in the summer, flooding and colder days in the winter vastly affecting our gardens. Statistics show that well-kept gardens add as much as a 20% value to house prices. Affordable and hard-wearing artificial lawns are the answer; with gardens looking immaculate and groomed every day. The artificial grass laid is so luxurious and natural looking it would be difficult to tell the difference from real grass. The top choice for nurseries and schools, artificial grass offers better drainage and less muddy-mess, allowing children to spend more time actively playing outdoors.

The Daily Mile Track

7January

By: Jordan Rimmer

What is a Daily Mile Track?

The childhood obesity epidemic has developed into a serious public health concern, with one in ten children thought to be obese and a third of children who leave school believed to be overweight.

The daily mile track delivers an elected outdoor trail for all children to jog, run or walk the length of a mile, which takes roughly 15 minutes. Different from cross-country racing, the daily mile track isn’t intended to be competitive. It is there to motivate children of all abilities to move at their own pace and enjoy physical activity. As an alternative to concentrating on winning the race, the emphasis is on being fit for life. The daily mile track offers a specific zone for children to get active and healthy, at the same time as contributing to their mental and emotional wellbeing too.

The daily mile track is a mood enhancer for school children and can be used before, during and after school. It is recognised as improving attentiveness and behaviour in class. Once installed, the daily mile track requires no additional training for staff, or supplementary equipment and can be used frequently in all- weather, all-year-round.

Benefits of an Artificial Grass Daily Mile Track

There are several great reasons to incorporate an artificial grass, daily mile track into your school outdoor play area. It can be a welcome addition to the school field, blending well with its neighbouring grass. or idle outside space can be transformed into a pathway.

The daily mile track inspires children to exercise daily, whilst boosting their Vitamin D levels from being outside. However, if the chosen route is made of concrete or tarmac, this runs the risk of scrapes, grazes and falls on a hard surface.

If natural grass were to be used, this would not be able to endure the rigours of daily use and would result in damage to natural grass, muddy chaos, expensive maintenance and dirty uniforms. Simply put, the daily mile track would be out-of-use most of the time due to the common and predictable British rainy weather.

An attractive and visually-inspiring daily mile track made from high quality, durable artificial grass provides a fun and safe allocated pathway for children to complete their daily mile initiative, regardless of the weather. With the look and feel of natural grass, children can benefit from a softer surface landing, should they suffer from an unlucky tumble. It’s strong quality means that it can survive recurrent use, short of the risk of flooding and muddy-mess. A low maintenance, artificial grass, daily mile track offers a simple yet effective, striking addition to otherwise vacant school outdoor play areas.

CAG aim to deliver excellent, tailor-made artificial grass, daily mile tracks to suit school budgets and space. All our daily mile tracks are installed with the intention to advance physical fitness and emotional in wellbeing in children, by offering an elected and safe pathway which can be accessed all-year-round.

If you are looking to include a daily mile track into your school outdoor area, please get in touch with us for free expert advice and consultation.

RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre Donation

3January

By: Jordan Rimmer

Founded in 1994, RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre is a large charitable establishment which offers a home to 6500 wild, domestic and exotic wounded animals annually. They also place an additional 250 abandoned cats into the cattery.

The Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre delivers exceptional attention and care to animals so that they can live free from pain and suffering. They aim to release its wildlife back to the wild and find new homes for all its domestic and exotic admissions.

Cheshire Artificial Grass previously supported the RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in 2015. Lee Stewart, the Centre Manager contacted us again a few months ago and we were thrilled to help them in any way we could, to continue their extraordinary work.

Cheshire Artificial Grass donated artificial grass that is imperative to the well-being of; goslings, ducks, seals, geese and swans, as it helps to prevent bumblefoot injuries. The artificial grass has been used in duckling housing, around a large duck pond and on bird of prey perches. Our donated grass has a short pile to make it easier for staff to clean it on a daily-basis. Rode Artificial Grass.

We hope the animals enjoy their soft and safe surroundings which closely resemble and feel like real grass, short of the danger of infections and wounds.

Written by Kay Hamid.

Bee In The City

31August

By: Jordan Rimmer

Due to its industrial past, the representation of Manchester is the working bee. As part of the Bee in the City programme, through the span of nine weeks, a collection of over 100 exclusively designed large bee-sculptures and more than 130 similarly attractive, and enchanting little bee statues have taken habitat in public attractions in Manchester. These artistic figures are positioned in; hospitals, shopping centres, galleries, libraries and parks along a Manchester wide, free art trail. The programme offers a hive of activities. It encourages individuals to navigate their way through the trail and spot the working bees, whilst absorbing the historic and architectural surroundings in Manchester.

At CAG we take a sense of pride in bee-ing instrumental to the buzz created by a remarkable public art event, in the humming City of Manchester. The Bee in the City programme offers the prospect for budding artists, schools, businesses and the local community to be involved. When we were asked by Sara Armstrong (GAP Local Partnerships Coordinator for the National Trust) to contribute to the programme, we were delighted to be part of a historic and significant event.

A total of 14 businesses connected to Wythenshawe worked collaboratively to sponsor a large bee sculpture for the Wythenshawe Forum, as part of a larger trail. Additionally, a swarm of 5 small arty bees were designed by talented local school children and have taken habitat at the forum. Of these honey-sweet bees that winged their way through Wythenshawe, a prominent blue bee can be seen nested on deluxe artificial grass sponsored by CAG to imitate its natural surroundings. These enjoyable and entertaining bees were presented on the 27th June 2018 and will remain there over the course of the Summer. The large striking bee sculpture was showcased on the 23rd July 2018.

Bee in the City, Bee involved and follow the buzzing trail!

The Evolution of Artificial Grass: 4G non-infill Sports Pitches

2August

By: Jordan Rimmer

The Evolution of Artificial Grass: 4G non-infill Sports Pitches

By Kay

3G artificial turf

3G sport pitches are currently infilled with rubber crumb, spread all over to improve the surface. It is fitted with an underlying drainage system. These sport pitches are approved and recognised by accredited and governing bodies in the UK such as; FIFA and FA.

The rubber pellets/crumbs are supplementary to the synthetic turf, providing better grip and a smoother playing surface for players. Though, the rubber crumbs need to be added frequently to the turf, they are messy and are likely to get everywhere, even after the game. This can prove to be disadvantageous when trying to keep costs down, cleaning and maintenance expenses would need to be considered when opting for 3G pitches.

The origin of the rubber crumb has been under investigation for several years due to health concerns, with many claiming that they are widespread with carcinogens. Rubber crumbs used for 3G sport pitches are often reclaimed from old recycled tyres. Several studies have explored the above claims, but then again have all lead to inconclusive results, suggesting that further investigation is required into the relationship between rubber pellets and overall health. These studies are principally important when exploring options for play areas and sport pitches aimed at children.

What is 4G Artificial Grass?

4G known as ‘fourth generation’ artificial turf refers to an improvement and innovation in technology on 3G (‘third generation’) artificial grass. The technological advancement refers to how closely the pitch replicates playing sports such as; football and rugby on real grass. The non- infill feature means that the synthetic turf can be laid without the addition of rubber crumb.

Why is 4G non-infill Artificial Grass preferable?

4G non-infill Artificial Grass is an evolution in technology, it delivers the most accurate playing experience to traditional turf. It has great weather proof qualities, water can drain speedily owing to their several porous layers. Delays are kept to a minimum because there is little need to cancel matches due to the weather. Training on 4G pitches gives players the chance to better equip themselves for the same playing conditions they’re probable to experience on match day – irrespective of the weather.

As no rubber crumb is required there is an obvious financial and time advantage. Once installed, it requires little care and will not cause additional mess or dust as a by-product.

As it is a new product although it meets the criteria of synthetic sports pitches, 4G non-infill grass isn’t currently accredited by regulatory bodies in the UK. 4G Artificial Grass

There are several factors to consider when choosing the correct artificial turf for sports pitches. Time, maintenance, overall cost and the players experience all need to be carefully measured before purchasing the most appropriate turf for you. At CAG with our years of expertise we can help you decide which pitches are the most suitable to meet your requirements. Please contact us for guidance and a free consultation.