Contrary to popular belief, you should not judge a backing by its colour.
There is a myth within the synthetic turf industry that the darker the colour of the backing, the better quality it is. This is due to the belief that the higher the quantity of latex present, the darker the colour will be.
However, this is simply not true – dark coloured backings do not indicate quality.
Despite this, the myth persists, and some manufacturers have begun adding a dark black dye to their backing material, to falsely create the impression of the presence of high quantities of latex.
The best way to tell just how good a backing is, is to firstly get your hands on free samples of any products that you are considering purchasing, by requesting them directly from the manufacturers.
Once you have the samples in hand, take the corner of the piece of turf and, using your thumbs, try to separate the primary backing from the secondary backing.
You should not be able to pull apart the two layers of backing. If you can, avoid that particular product, as there is a good chance that your lawn may suffer from excessive yarn loss, or – worst case scenario – the two layers will separate entirely.
When comparing backing materials, you should also check the datasheets from your chosen manufacturer. You should be looking for the quantities of latex used.
As mentioned above, good quality artificial turf will have a minimum of 900 grams of latex per square metre.
We chat