When pioneering no-infill artificial grass to the Australian market back in 2013, we received a lot of push back from a range of grass manufacturers as well as artificial grass installers who argued that sand infill was required to protect the grass fibres, help keep the yarn standing up straight and protect the SBR Latex backing from UV damage. These points are probably true if you buy fake grass that was manufactured using the same methods used in the sixties with the same low quality yarns and rubber backing.
Fortunately today, most people know adding sand achieves none of these objectives – Just visit any childcare centre with sand infill grass installed to see how flat and lifeless a sand infilled grass looks, not to mention the serious health risks associated with breathing in dust particles from silica sand. Just ask yourself when was the last time you added sand infill to your new carpet!
Today we hear from our customers that other suppliers and installers are finally now offering no-infill synthetic grass. Although we encourage this in the industry, be careful that this is not just their sales team making ambit claims and that there is a genuine manufacturer backed warranty available if no sand is used with their products.
KomboGrass have only been installing no-infill grass since we started back in 2013. We have thousands of happy customers who now enjoy the benefits of no-sand infill artificial grass. So let’s quickly recap on what the benefits of no-infill will be for your next project.
SBR-Latex shrinks and cracks over time
SBR-Latex backing on synthetic grasses holds moisture and will crack over time, releasing the fibres and exposing gaps even if sand has been installed over the grass surface. PU and our latest innovation, RX backing won’t crack or break down ensuring a true 8+ years of hassle free lawn.
Sand temporarily covers poor workmanship
Poorly joined grass sections and badly cut edges are easily hidden with sand or rubber. The problem is that the sand or rubber pellets wash away over time, and that poor workmanship cannot be fixed. Synthetic grass cut short won’t ever grow back !
Professionally installing no-infill grass takes more time and requires greater expertise, that’s why we have spent 10+ years developing our proprietary installation methods. It also costs more to install no infill grass so installers prefer to use sand infill.
Silica Sand used for infill contains crytalline silica dust that can cause cancer and silicosis
Silica sand and rubber infill have been linked to various health risks, including cancer and silicosis. Today’s next generation of 4G and 5G artificial grasses sold by KomboGrass do not need any infill, so why risk your health when buying your artificial grass?
Silica dust found in sand infill is a carcinogen, and there are known links between exposure of crystalline silica dust to cancer and silicosis – this is also a major risk to the home owners as well as the artificial grass installers who have repeated exposure to the silica – let’s hope we don’t have a repeat of what happened when asbestos was used ubiquitously.
Repairing sand-infill grass is almost impossible
Sand infilled grass can weigh up to 100kg per square metre, making it impossible to repair any sub-base subsidence. For new swimming pool areas where we often install our artificial grass it is not uncommon for a pool builder to not properly backfill around the pool. When the area sinks over time, it is very expensive to lift sand infilled grass to repair the sub-base area that has sunk – unless of cause you have installed our no-infill KomboGrass.
If you want to be eco-friendly, think again if using sand infill
End-of life sand-infilled grass goes to land fill. It is not commercially viable to remove the embedded sand – which is also a carcinogin that no one wants exposure to. Both PU and our latest RX-backing are 100% recyclable and it is cost effective to remove and process at end of life.
Pool areas are best sand free
Having sand installed around a pool area really makes no sense. The sand will ultimately get into your pool and then your pool maintenance costs will escalate. Wind will blow the sand into the pool and normal foot traffic also will walk the sand into any pool area adding cost and maintenance you can avoid by using KomboGrass.
Pets add things to sand infill you get to keep forever
For those that love their pets, well you can guess what pets do on a lawn and this is where the backing on the synthetic grass is critically important. Unlike Polyurethane and our RX backings, SBR or Latex backings absorb moisture. Add sand or rubber pellets to the mixture along with your pet dog or cat and you get the picture, some things just don’t mix well, and imagine if you have little children crawling over that same area knowing the sand is keeping a few souvenirs shall we say. KomboGrass also offer a 5G-Series that includes anti-bacterial fibres for your peace of mind.
