Artificial grass market growing in Sonoma

For those still under the impression artificial lawns don’t look real, fans of the trend have one thing to say: Fake News. However, many homeowners are still not sold on the idea.

“The artificial turf that’s available now has improved so much,” said landscape company owner Tom Decker, who specializes in fake lawns. “It’s now a great product for the residential market. If it’s installed properly with quality material, it can blend into landscapes so that point where people are constantly confused if it’s real or not.”

A longtime Glen Ellen resident, Decker lost his house in the Nuns Canyon fire of 2017. After getting back on his feet, he decided to start Evergreens Landscape, specializing in artificial turf.

“I really saw the need for these artificial turfs with the drought and the fires,” Decker said.

He has since installed artificial turf projects for schools, hotels and private homes throughout the Bay area.

He said there are now dozens of local projects that feature artificial turf. He recently finished installing 12,000 feet of turf at the new Meritage hotel in Napa.

There are now more than 100 companies that specialize in artificial turf on the West Coast, and a half dozen in Sonoma County. The industry is expected to grow by 10 percent annually for the next 10 years, according to Wall Street analysts.

Pricing for artificial turf lawns can range from $7 a square foot to $20.

“A good solid above average lawn is in the $10 to $15 per foot range,” Decker said. The price varies based on the quality of the material, the installation method, and what base supports the grass.

The most common mistake consumers make is purchasing cheap, low quality turfs from retailers, according to Decker.

“People who buy cheap, low quality stuff off the shelf from retailers really ruin the market. It’s really poor quality and it looks fake. The stuff I have installed in Sonoma, people see it and perceive it as real.”

Sonoma real estate agent Tracy Reynes is hesitant, however, to call artificial lawns a trend.

“Personally, I’ve only seen a handful of folks converting to artificial lawns in the Sonoma area,” Reynes said. “Usually, it’s for only a portion of their yard area.”

Nicora Place resident Linda Springer lives in one of the most notable Sonoma neighborhoods that sports all fake lawns. She says she’s really happy with the artificial turf that developer Steve Ledson picked out.

“I rent here and the fake grass is wonderful,” she said. “If my dog goes poop out in the backyard I just pick it up and hose the grass off. It’s convenient and soft to walk on and we don’t have to deal with any allergies. There’s a bunch of positives to it.”

Real estate agent Daniel Casabonne thinks more homebuyers are moving towards artificial lawns because they look good and they look real.

“I used to think of turf being bright green and looking like what I saw as a child at peewee golf course,” he said. “Now that I’ve seen the product, I am impressed. I’m picky and as a real estate agent I certainly wouldn’t use a product that took away value from my home.”

Not everyone is a fan, however.

Sonoma Ecology Center Executive Director Richard Dale was quickly able to rattle off some of the negatives of fake grass.

“On hot days, they gave off an unpleasant odor,” he pointed out. “The gasses creating that odor may be an issue, or may not, but it would seem prudent to know the chemicals used to manufacture any artificial turf being considered, and to avoid materials that are less stable or known to off-gas something toxic.”

He also warned that toxic materials could run off of the turf in the rain and into the environment.

City of Sonoma Water Conservation Coordinator Mike Brett says although artificial turfs conserve some utility costs, there are other factors that should deter homeowners from buying them. “It’s much better to be working with natural material,” Brett said. “For one, artificial turf pretty much acts like a carpet. When you have animal waste and other contaminants on these products, it results in unnecessary runoff of that waste. Furthermore you have to clean a carpet and use chemical based solutions to sanitize the turf, resulting in more potentially hazardous runoff.”

He also stressed that there are more effective ways to conserve water.

“These homeowners could invest in a desert landscape for their lawn,” Brett said. “Or you could prepare a combination of mulch and rock for a more conservative approach.” He also pointed out that during the hot summer months, the products can reach an unsafe temperature for children and animals.

Both advocates and opponents stress doing your research – take the time to explore the pros and cons of both options.

The jury is still out on whether grass is greener on the other (artificial) side.