Synthetic grass has come a long way from old school faux lawns so shiny they’re a dead giveaway for being fake.

Companies now make products that force people to do a double take. These grasses blend realistic colors and feature softer, duller bristles and even antimicrobial materials. Local homeowners are increasingly installing the turf to conserve water and reduce yard maintenance.

“It fits into water conservation, is pet friendly, and in today’s society everybody is so busy the nonmaintenance frees up their time,” says Thomas Nanez, manager of ForeverLawn in Albuquerque. “It’s almost selling the convenience of freedom.”

ForeverLawn carries various synthetic grasses for landscapes, pets, recreational uses and high-traffic areas. They are a blend of polyethylene blades and monofilament. Some products have tan dead-looking grass woven into the design. All have drainage holes to allow water and pet waste to reach the soil below. One pet product, K9 Grass, is made with anti-microbial materials and a permeable backing.

Glenna Hickman installed a synthetic lawn at her Northeast Heights home about a year and a half ago. Large shade trees in the backyard made it impossible to grow real turf, and she was looking to reduce the amount of yard work her 71-year-old husband was doing each week, she says.

“After installing it we thought, ‘Oh, man, we should have done this a long time ago,’ ” says Hickman. “I think people have a mind-set of what artificial turf looks like,” she says, adding that the products have improved over the years.

ForeverLawn installed turf around flagstone. The grass has worked well for her two dogs, and she says it has been great for entertaining people in the backyard. The only maintenance is blowing off leaves and having the company clean the turf every once in a while to get rid of extra debris. ForeverLawn charges $79 per hour, and Nanez says most lawns can be cleaned in one hour.

“It was worth the investment but not cheap,” says Hickman.

Just nail it in place

Installing ForeverLawn’s products involves removing the existing landscape, installing crusher fine — a dirt and gravel mixture — 3 to 4 inches deep, leveling and compacting the crusher fine, laying the synthetic grass and cutting it to fit. The turf is then secured with 6-inch galvanized steel nails every 6 inches. Velcro and extra galvanized nails are used at the seams.

After the grass is put down, the company spreads rubber or anti-microbial sand between the grass blades to help them stand erect.

ForeverLawn’s products run from $8 to $10.50 per square foot installed. The K9 Grass is the most expensive because it is more complicated to install. Nanez says the company can install up to 500 square feet in one day. Jobs that are more than 500 square feet typically require a second day, he says.

New Mexico Synthetic Turf Systems and SYNLawn are a few other local synthetic grass companies. Prices vary among companies.

When Loree McComb moved to her home in Corrales, her two dogs had no place to go potty because most areas were covered in sticker bushes, and a landscaper told her the yard wasn’t well-suited for grass. She installed a small area of synthetic grass for the dogs, but she says she liked it so much she did the whole backyard and entryway.

“It looks fabulous,” says McComb. “It’s more enjoyable to go outside. It just makes all the difference.”

She says the animals have dug into the turf without damaging it. Maintenance requires little more than using a shop vacuum. And the neighbors have commented they think it’s great, says McComb. The only drawback is the turf gets very hot in direct sunlight, to the point where it’s hard to walk on with bare feet, she says.

It’s true that synthetic grass heats up in direct sunlight, Nanez says. But it doesn’t retain heat like asphalt or concrete and cools down quickly. Some homeowners install a sprinkler to cool things down, since water drains through holes in the weed barrier.

Grass is greener

Dave and Deanna Rider had 1,200 square feet of artificial grass installed at their Southeast Heights home in 2001. “We keep thinking, ‘Gee, how long is this good stuff going to last,’ ” says Dave Rider.

He says the turf gets pounded every day by two 50-pound-plus dogs, and the color has faded a little. The dogs’ droppings also haven’t deteriorated the product. Rider recommends watering down the turf once or twice a month to wash off dust and debris and keep the color looking good.

ForeverLawn’s products fade at a rate of 1.5 percent per year, the life expectancy is 15 to 20 years, and there is an eight-year warranty on installation and craftsmanship, Nanez says. Check with each synthetic grass company in Albuquerque to find out about warranties, life expectancy and fading.

Tom Chavez, owner of Old Town and Downtown Tire and Automotive centers, had 800 square feet of artificial turf installed four years ago. He says he wanted a soft recreation area for his then-2-year-old son, and a yard untreated by chemicals and fertilizers.

“It’s still nice and colorful,” says Chavez. “You can look at it in the middle of winter and it’s nice, green and clean. The only thing I’ve had to do is some manual labor to brush it up.”

He says his son still loves to play outside on the turf. Chavez also appreciates its low maintenance and low water use. His father-inlaw is planning to install synthetic grass this year, he says.

Homeowners interested in conservation rebates should check with the city before installing artificial grass.

The city wouldn’t give Hickman a conservation rebate. She says the city told her she wasn’t eligible because she took out her sprinklers and didn’t mix in natural xeriscape foliage.

Katherine Yuhas, water conservation officer for the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, says the rebate program is designed to encourage the use of lowwater-use plants that are adapted to Albuquerque’s environment.

“The reason is that live xeric plants have a cooling effect on the environment, generate oxygen, and provide habitat for animals,” says Yuhas, adding the city has a list of xeric plants, and homeowners who don’t incorporate xeriscaping aren’t eligible for the rebate.

To qualify for the rebate, homeowners are required to remove a minimum of 500 square feet of grass. If they replace 50 percent or more of the space with xeric plants and a drip irrigation system, the Water Utility Authority will provide a rebate of 60 cents per square foot for the new landscaping. A $1.20 per square foot rebate is available to homeowners who install plants that can survive solely on rainwater. An adjusted rebate is available to those who replace less than 50 percent of the space with xeric plants, Yuhas says.

Nanez encourages customers to check homeowner’s association covenants before installing the grass.

“That’s a huge factor when approaching homeowners associations … don’t just say ‘I want to install synthetic grass,’ ” says Nanez, “Take them a sample.”

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Reprinted with permission.