Synthetic Turf Keeps Growing

Tru-Turf president David Schy said the most common type of artificial turf he sells used to cost $8 a square foot. Now it only costs $3.

"Installation practices have changed and turf has changed," said Schy. "So we have better looking turf at a less expensive cost. And so it's really lowered the price."

The lower prices are certainly grabbing the attention of commercial businesses. A apartment manager in California had Tru-Turf installed at one of his luxury complexes, and is impressed with the results; the manager expects long-term savings by avoiding watering and maintenance costs.

"We've experimented on some other properties as well and I've taken the community managers over and after I tell them to get out and take a look at it because you can't tell," the manager said. "Half the time it looks better than the normal grass."

With synthetic grass becoming increasingly affordable, more and more businesses are opting to replace old grass with artificial grass. But not everybody is convinced it's a smart investment.

Fresno, California public works director Patrick Wiemiller installed a small patch of grass eight years ago as a testing site. He contends that synthetic grass is not maintenance free.

"They still need to be weeded. At times need to be washed because they accumulate dirt and dust," said Wiemiller. "But they do use less irrigation than natural turf does, and obviously you don't have to mow it."

Schy admits there is some maintenance needed on even the most sophisticated synthetic turf. "With our new pricing it's less than a year of payback for their return on investment."