Desert Turf Maintenance Blog
As anything that is permanently under the sun, artificial grass can become warm when in direct sunlight, mainly on high-temperature days.
This may lead you to be concerned about your artificial grass being burned or melted by the sun.
Actually, you got nothing to worry about in this regard. Desert Turf is designed to endure hot temperatures. So, merely the sunlight – as hot as it is- will likely not burn your artificial grass.
However, depending on the areas surrounding your artificial grass installation, there is a possibility that sun magnification or strong reflections from adjacent windows and sliding glass doors could damage your artificial grass.
Generally, any double-pane window or door has the potential to cause a magnifying effect. This is because of energy-efficient windows and doors are made from low emissivity glass. This is usually called low-E glass.
In the glazing surface of these kinds of double-pane glass windows and doors, there is a metallic oxide or metal layer. This layer controls the heat transfer, and makes the glass to be energy-efficient.
Low-E glass helps in preventing the heat from entering your home during hot days in summer. At the same time, low-E glass prevents the heat from leaving the house in cold days in winter.
To make this possible, low-E glass reflects sunlight, and this may result in a constant and intense heat on your artificial grass. The effect is similar to the one as if we were using a magnifying glass.
These types of intense reflections can melt plastic trashcans, plastic pieces on vehicles, and vinyl siding. With the artificial grass, the effect that this sunlight magnifying has may vary on the intensity of the light reflected on the grass.
As a consequence of the light reflection, the artificial grass may change to a lighter color than the rest of the area. Also, if the reflection is too intense, the artificial grass may curl as if it had been burned. Keep in mind that this would happen only in the area where the artificial grass is experiencing reflection; the rest of the areas should not be affected.
The magnified sunlight may come from your own window or door, or those of a neighbor. Any type of sunlight reflection can burn your artificial turf if left unchecked. The fastest and easiest way to prevent your artificial grass from burning by window magnification is to find ways to block the window glare. There are many ways to do this.
If the windows reflecting light on your artificial grass are in your home, you can install a protective film. This is a window protective film that comes in transparent or tinted color, and it is one of the easiest ways to prevent window magnification.
Moreover, installing awnings, shutters, or shades to minimize reflections are also cost-effective ways to prevent the magnification.
In case the sunlight reflection comes from a neighbor’s window, you may want to consider putting some plants, planting trees or bushes that will block the focused window reflections.
If your artificial grass becomes burnt or melted from window magnification, there is still a solution. You can call our office at Desert turf, and we will replace the burnt area with the same type of artificial grass.
Most importantly, if you know of windows or glass doors that could potentially damage your artificial grass through sunlight reflection, you should take measures as soon as the installation is done. There is always a solution for this problem; however, preventing it will save you time and money.