I needed artificial turf for a 25'x12' (300sq ft) area in our backyard. That area once had…read morebeautiful grass but since we adopted a pup a few years ago (he's a 80 pounder now), he has destroyed the lawn completely. Cleaning his muddy paws started to become a chore especially when it rained and the dead patches of grass and exposed dirt definitely was not a pretty sight. We decided artificial turf was our best option. I did my homework and began researching turf installations specifically for dog owners.
PET OWNER PRO TIP:
Our pup uses this lawn area for number ones and twos and proper drainage was my main focus. For everyone out there that are pet owners and have the same dilemma, here's a few things to consider (just my opinion from forums I read):
-Do not use weed barrier
-Do not use sand in the top layer of the base material, use finer crushed gravel (above the base rock and below the turf)
-Do not use sand as an in-fill, use a pet friendly in fill (we used Camofill, Hugo sells this at his shop)
*Sand will hold onto the uric acid and in time, will create unwanted odor.
-Purchase turf that is pet friendly (latex free, and has optimum flow backing)
Again, primary focus was on permeable materials!
I reached out to four distributors/contractors with my wish list above and I received quotes. I also sent a photo of the lawn area that we wanted replaced to simplify the process. What I liked about Hugo's response was he gave me the exact cost for the turf (Freedom 75 Olive) and materials, based on exactly what i was looking for. This is because Hugo is a distributor and has a storefront (off Maybury Road in San Jose) and knows turfs whereas the other contractors knew nothing about pet friendly turf because they were just installers. The only thing with Hugo is, they just sell the turf and they do not do installation...BUT Hugo told me had contacts with installers he has worked with in the past for his other customers. Hugo called his contacts and was able to get back to me the very next day.
During my research, i found that installation costs for turf ranges between $7sq ft to $14sq ft. Hugo was able to locate an installer, Leonel, who was able to do the install on the lower end of the sq ft cost. Hugo did the leg work, made the phone calls, and got back to me regarding installation and that was above and beyond his scope since sales of turf is what his store specializes in, not installation. He did me a huge solid by finding an installer- amazing!
We scheduled the install the following week. Hugo had the turf, nails and other supplies dropped off at 6AM and Leonel and two of his guys showed up by 10am. They removed and hauled away 3-4 inches of dirt (25'x12' area), brought in base rock and crushed gravel, compacted everything, and cut and installed the grass. They were completely done by 6PM, in one day! And the results are amazing. Their attention to detail showed as I have eight existing sprinklers and they installed the grass neatly wrapped around each sprinkler which I did not expect.
Im so impressed with their work and the turf Hugo recommended, that we may convert the front lawn to artificial turf next spring and i know exactly where to buy the turf and who will install it! Thank you Hugo for taking care of us! I always try and support local mom and pop shops and Hugo definitely impressed me with his customer service, extremely fast response time, and no hassle communication. Thanks Hugo, I hope to do business with you again!