Artificial Turf - A Brief History

 
The problem of covered grass pitches in stadiums was first addressed in the Houston Astrodome in the United States back in 1965. The stadium had a natural grass field for its incumbent baseball team. Natural grass needs sunlight to thrive which is why the Astrodome was built with a transparent roof. However the glinting of the sun on the roof impeded the players when catching high balls so the roof was painted to solve this problem but then the grass failed to grow as it should. Another solution had to be found………………
 
 
Engineers laid the first artificial playing surface of its kind in the summer of 1966 made from nylon fibres.
 
 
First generation synthetic grass carpet was introduced to Europe in 1970. This carpet was not made of nylon fibres but from a different synthetic fibre called polypropylene. Not only was it cheaper but it was softer than the nylon version so players were at less risk of injury.
 
 
Second generation synthetic grass was developed in the late 1970’s and it had longer tufts that were spaced more widely apart. Sand was spread between the fibres to create sufficient firmness and stability for the players. This generation of turf provided a flatter and more controlled playing surface and was ideal for sports such as hockey. However, as with many new concepts, it took time to become the norm and it was to take ten years before the adoption of artificial pitches really got going. Today there are few hockey clubs that do not have an artificial playing surface. Although some football clubs in the 80’s did try and use this turf it was not suitable and anyone who played on one of these surfaces knows how painful the abrasions were when you slid on it! It was to take until 1996 before a third generation of turf was developed suitable for football.
 
 
Third generation synthetic turf has come an awful long way from the original pitch laid at the Astrodome. The grass has longer fibres which are spaced further apart in the carpet and are now made of polyethylene which is soft and kind to the skin. Spread with rubber granule infill and sand they now produce the perfect playing surface for all sports including football and many top clubs now have a version of this pitch installed at their training grounds for all weather purposes.
 
 
 
Residential Use.
 
Throughout the years of developing these products they have come to the attention of the general public for various reasons ( please see our page on why our customers install an artificial lawn ).
However first and second generation products were never intended for use in domestic environments and those that were installed looked false and unappealing and were often installed by misinformed DIY enthusiasts. Only after the development of the third generation of turf did interest grow as the turf looked just like real grass.
 
Today the public are becoming far more aware of the massive benefit’s a quality artificial lawn can bring them and what a great value for money home improvement they are. In future years they will be seen as just a valuable addition to the home as the conservatory has been.