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A lush, gorgeous front lawn, and a beautiful backyard for entertaining: What could be better?

While it once required careful manicuring and landscaping, today, there is more than one way to achieve this goal. And – for those who want to avoid frequent mowing and watering – the trendiest option in town is artificial turf.

Tony Carranza, owner of Always Green Synthetic Lawns based out of Helotes and serving San Antonio and surrounding areas, knows what customers want – and artificial turf has exploded in popularity over the past few years.

“We are so busy, and it’s a wonderful product,” he said. “People are tired of dealing with dead grass, muddy backyards, and just want a maintenance-free yard to utilize.”

However, it is labor-intensive to install – a typical project might take 4 to 10 days, Carranza added.

But the technology involved in creating artificial turf has evolved dramatically in recent years.

“The turf that we were installing 15 years ago does not compare to what we have now,” Carranza said. “It’s very realistic-looking, and it feels just like natural grass.”

For those seeking to achieve a particular look, artificial turf emulating different types of grass, such as zoysia and St. Augustine, is available, he added.

“The grasses are multicolored, with a mix of colors including a little bit of brown, to make it look as natural as possible,” Carranza said.

One of the biggest reasons people pursue artificial turf for their residential home is easier maintenance.

“It’s easier to upkeep, not having to mow or water up front,” he added.

And for those who own pets, a big benefit is animals won’t be tracking mud in or out of the house, making it an ideal option for pet owners.

One of the biggest trends today is installing artificial turf for backyard living spaces.

“The majority of our projects are backyards, though we do lots of front yards as well,” Carranza noted. “People want to enjoy their backyard and it’s an extension of their home, so they want to invest in their backyard and play in it and have get-togethers – not deal with an ugly-looking yard that’s all weeds and mud.”

And, with social distancing and people staying close to home in the time of COVID-19, many have looked to upgrade their lawns with the installation of artificial turf to make for a more peaceful and enjoyable living area for families, children and pets.

Although artificial turf installation can be costly upfront – prices typically range from $7 to $10 per square foot – it’s important that consumers look at it as an investment.

“With all the time you save from mowing, fertilizing, cutting, watering and all that, it pays for itself in five to 10 years – and you enjoy a maintenance-free lawn,” Carranza said.

And for those on a budget, money can be saved by limiting the amount of square footage needed by installing rocks or gravel on unused areas of grass and only installing artificial turf in high-traffic areas.

But one thing’s for certain: artificial turf makes for a beautiful backyard living area.

“People want to have very nice grass where they can play on it and play cornhole, ring toss games, bocce ball – and a lot of outdoor activities, you need to have really nice grass to play those games,” Carranza said. “We also see people building putting greens [in their backyards] and shuffleboard courts and putting synthetic grass around the shuffleboard courts.”

And when it comes to front yards, aesthetics matter just as much – and artificial turf creates a gorgeous first impression.

“It’s ‘instant grassification,’” Carranza said. “You drive up your driveway to your front door, and you have beautiful green grass year in and out, and you never have to worry about mowing your lawn.”

At Always Green Synthetic Lawns, artificial turf has incredible drainage rates that keeps water from pooling on the surface of the grass, which prevents the growth of mold or mildew.

To learn more about artificial turf installation and whether it’s right for you, contact Always Green Synthetic Lawns at 210-413-1034, visit their website at www.always-green-synthetic-lawns.business.site, or follow them on Facebook or Instagram at @aglawns.

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