Why we install the best artificial grass for dogs

artificial grass for dogs

Why we install the best artificial grass for dogs

The odious truth about artificial grass for dogs

 

Why artificial grass for dogs, may really p** you off…. 

If you’re a dog owner, and planning to invest thousands of pounds on the mud free, mess free option of artificial grass for your dogs, beware, you may end up seriously p***ed off.

Artificial grass is growing fast in the UK. Sold as the perfect solution for dog owners, who are fed up with dirty paws and mopping floors.

Well yes, it’ll solve the paws on the floors issue, but in the spring you’re going to have a whole new problem. The stink of dog pee.

Sarah Clarke from Bedford had an artificial grass installation for her French Bulldog Mr George in 2015

‘ ….. 16 months on, it smells of actual sewers…. The stench is a shocker…. Mr George struggles to sniff out a suitable spot to do his business because the old pee stinks and he hates it… No amount of scrubbing or washing will get rid of the smell…. We need to arrange a quote for some Top Dog Turf!’

Gayle, the owner of 2 stunning French Bulldogs (it’s not just a Frenchie thing!) in Surrey, had her grass installed by a local company in May 2015, and despite repeated complaints to her installer, Top Dog Turf have been asked to step in with a deep enzyme clean, and refurb to help reduce the urine odours that are ruining her life.

”…It’s the smell of urine.  In the summer it can get really stinky! I have 2 Frenchies that don’t stick to one spot and go anywhere! I’ve tried vinegar, bi carbon soda, bubblegum kennel wash! I’m starting to regret the whole artificial grass thing all together! Please help…’


Why The Whiff?

Think about it…

Artificial grass is just a plastic carpet with drainage holes, made and installed in a similar way to a carpet inside your home.

Imagine the carpet in your front room, being peed and pooped on several times a day for months, and all the nasties sitting in the fibres. No wonder it smells!

The urine has to find its way to the drainage holes, which are widely spaced, and so, the wee just stays in the base of the grass.

Why we install the best artificial grass for dogs

The nasty niff comes from naturally occurring bacteria and uric acid crystals (crystalized urine residue).

Uric acid crystals remain trapped in your grass, or under your grass carpet and release a strong ammonia-like odour as bacteria feeds on the urine, and the sand that most installers lay directly under the grass, is a bugger for holding onto uric acid.

Rain, washing or hosing the grass, rather than washing uric acid and bacteria away, can actually reactivate the odour, and during warm weather it can become impossible to enjoy sitting out in your garden if you have dogs.

Water, bleach and household detergents do not dissolve uric acid crystals, so won’t remove the smell, and grass deodorisers just mask it temporarily.

Even if you scoop that poop, as there is no soil, insects or beetles support the decomposition of solid waste, any small residual bits will just sit on or in your grass, growing bacteria

Poop which is the result of a preservative rich, cheap diet can hold its consistency and smell for months before it finally begins to break down. That’s the point of preservatives, to preserve things!


The Top Dog Turf Solution – Great artificial grass for dogs!

That’s not to be sniffed at!

 

At Top Dog Turf, we do not install cheap latex backed grass.  It’s not the best artificial grass for you or your dog.

We fit a quality synthetic turf that has been designed for dogs, over a specialist filtration base that will remove the urine odour from your lawn.

Best artificial grass for dogs

 Our fast draining grass allows urine and solid waste to be washed directly and quickly down through the artificial turf and into the odour reducing base, in a very similar way to real grass.

ZeoStop, a non toxic, volcanic mineral, that adsorbs ammonia gas, sits between the grass blades, and in the base of your Top Dog Turf lawn, thus removing most of the urine odour as it’s quickly rinsed by the rain or hose through your grass

 


Engineered to reduce odour and damage by dogs

The best artificial grass for dogs

1) The base

At Top Dog Turf, we never use sharp sand, we use very specific stone dusts and volcanic rocks, which do not hold odour.

The base for artificial grass is like that of a patio, or block paving, requiring tonnes and tonnes of aggregate, to provide a solid foundation. This is then usually topped with sharp sand and a weed membrane to create a level surface on which to lay the grass.

Sharp sand absorbs and holds urine odours. We never use sand in our installations.

2) No weed membrane!

That’s right! No weed membrane!

It’s standard practice to lay a geotextile weed membrane under the grass carpet, but these membranes really magnify the nasty niffs, by trapping the uric acid crystals and making it even more difficult to break them down.

3) The magical mineral underlay – ZeoStop Lite

At Top Dog Turf, when we create our artificial grass for dogs,  we apply a layer of pure ZeoStop Lite dust over the specialist limestone dust before we lay the grass carpet.

ZeoStop is made from pure Zeolite, a natural, safe, odour reducing volcanic rock dust that absorbs ammonia, and removes the bacteria from urine.

4) The Grass – Time for the Top Dog Turf

We install a great artificial grass for dogs!  Great quality, lead free grass, that’s guaranteed against digging, fading and urine staining for 10 years.

100% Polyethylene, rather than nylon, that will absorb moisture, and pong producing pet pee.

Top Dog Turf is amazingly realistic looking compact grass, that makes picking up solid waste easy, and soft enough to be played on by dogs and kids.

The grass has a pile of 32mm, so is long enough to add plenty of ZeoStop crystals, as an additional protection against odour and bacteria

5) ZeoStop infill

ZeoStop is a magical mineral that we add to the grass after installation, and work down into the base of the fibres with power brushes. It absorbs liquid, and it’s negatively charged ions stop ammonia being released as a gas and causing unpleasant smells

 

 

6 Comments
  • Bruce
    Posted at 19:37h, 22 August Reply

    Hi can you tell me price difference between the sharp sand and membrain to what you use pls

    • topdogturf
      Posted at 23:25h, 23 August Reply

      Hi Bruce,
      We never use sharp sand in our installations as it holds the dog urine smell. We only use a stabilising membrane between the soil and the sub base. Could you drop Lesley in customer support an email and explain what prices you’d like, and she can help you out.
      support@topdogturf.co.uk
      Thanks!

  • Sandra Walker
    Posted at 22:06h, 17 June Reply

    Hello my name is Sandra Walker I am a Pensioner. I live in the North East ( Middlesbrough Cleveland. I’m hoping to get estamates for False Grass to be Professionally Played I do have a dog but never realized There was grass especially for dogs. ( I am so pleased I found your page). I was wondering if you had a firm in my area or could recommend a firm that would come and give me an estimate.. I really need a trustworthy and qualified firm for this job. I have been conned in the past. I would very much appreciate a response from you ASAP as I am looking into different forms at the moment. Thank You in advance.

    • topdogturfsupport
      Posted at 15:07h, 18 June Reply

      Hi Sandra, thank you for your comment. I’ve removed your email address and postcode, I hope that’s OK.
      I’ll ask one of the ladies in the office to send you some information and help you find the right installer.
      Even if you do get a doggy specific installation you’ll have to clean the lawn every few weeks with an enzyme cleaner like our WEE FREE Sub Base Soaker

      You may find this blog post helpful to read. It tells you the most important questions to ask your installer before you give them any money!
      https://www.topdogturf.co.uk/5-vital-questions-dog-owners-must-ask-artificial-grass-installers/

      Emma 🙂

  • Claire
    Posted at 11:12h, 22 July Reply

    I have 2 dogs and therefore wanting to limit the smell of urine. Is it best to lay MOT type one then the granite dust or is it better to lay limestone chipping 20mm then the granite dust on top?
    I was also unsure of how much I’ll need for depth.
    I saw it was recommended to use 50 mm subbase but trying to keep cost down do you think it would be a strong enough base if I used 25 mm (either mot type one or the limestone chipping and then 25 mm of the granite dust so in total will be a subbase of 50mm with the two combined materials?
    Also does it have to be a special weed membrane or can i use anyone as again to keep costs down was looking at using a heavy duty one that covers the roads? Will the dog urine still be able to drain away if i use this product. I heard to lay it at the very bottom under the sub base.
    And lastly again with the dogs do you recommend an infill or not for the finally stage to be brushed in. If i get one my budget only covers the kiln dried sand but again was worried it might smell after use from dogs?
    Thankyou for your help

    • topdogturfsupport
      Posted at 15:11h, 22 July Reply

      Hi Claire,
      Thanks for asking some great questions.

      A 20mm limestone chipping will drain far faster then MOT Type 1 which isn’t designed to drain, but create a stable surface.
      You would be better to use 40mm chipping and then 10mm granite dust for the best drainage.
      Please do not use any weed membrane as it will stink of dog wee.
      You need a geo textile membrane between the soil and the 20mm chipping but nothing under the grass.
      Have a read of this blog. It has a video where I demonstrate what happens with dog wee if you use weed membrane.
      https://www.topdogturf.co.uk/installing-artificial-grass-for-dogs-the-2-vital-things-to-avoid/

      Do NOT use kiln dried sand as an infill or it will stink. If you can’t afford ZeoStop at the moment, the just have NO infill.

      Let us know if you need more help.

      Emma

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