The secret to natural-looking artificial turf is infill. Without this must-have element, your grass can look lifeless and bent. Choosing a suitable infill is vital to improving artificial turf’s appearance, quality, and longevity.
Infill can be made from a variety of materials, including rubber, sand, and zeolites. Your choice of infill depends on many factors, including your preferences, the turf’s application, and your budget.
New Infill vs. Free Infill
The first decision you’ll need to make is whether to purchase new infill or use the free infill that’s already embedded in used artificial turf. There’s also the option of going with new infill and new artificial grass.
Used artificial grass can be purchased with infill (infilled turf) or without infill (extracted turf). New artificial grass always requires new infill.
What are the different types of artificial turf infill?
All types of artificial turf infill have their pros and cons.
ZeoFill
If you have a dog, ZeoFill is an excellent choice for grass infill. This permeable turf infill is made from 100% natural materials (organic volcanic ash minerals called zeolites). The key benefits of ZeoFill include:
- Odor control – ZeoFill’s negatively charged molecular structure prevents ammonium in pet urine from forming into foul-smelling gas. After you rinse the grass, ZeoFIll absorbs the water and dilutes the ammonia to release it gradually as the water evaporates. This gets rid of pet odors before they become a problem.
- Better drainage – ZeoFill is a porous material. When it comes into contact with water, it absorbs the moisture and allows it to drain away gradually. This type of moisture control prevents bacteria and microbes from growing in your grass
- Microban® antimicrobial protection – Besides controlling bacterial growth through drainage, ZeoFill directly targets potentially harmful mold and bacteria.
- Cools Turf – Zerofill brings down the temperature of artificial turf by up to 19 degrees. This is especially important on hot summer days.
However, due to its light weight, ZeoFill can’t always be used as a primary infill. You would need to mix it with another infill type to achieve better results.
