Like interlock, artificial turf lives or dies by its base: excavation, compacted granular, and drainage that Ottawa’s freeze-thaw cannot heave. Rolled over bare dirt it wrinkles and puddles in a season – installed on a real base, it stays drum-tight for 15+ years. Guess which install the cut-rate quote describes.
Small urban front yards and back lawns that stay perfect with zero watering or mowing.
Durable, draining turf that stands up to dogs and rinses clean – no mud, no brown spots.
The fix for yards where mature trees make real grass impossible.
Soft, clean surfaces under swing sets and trampolines.
Backyard greens with proper contours and true roll.
We install a lot of real lawns, so take it from us: there are yards where natural grass is a losing fight. Deep shade under mature trees, dog runs, tiny urban front yards where a mower is absurd, and owners who travel half the summer – for these, quality artificial turf is not a compromise, it is the correct tool. Everywhere else, honest advice: sod is cheaper and real. We will tell you which side of that line your yard is on.
Our turf installs are built like our hardscape: old surface excavated, geotextile down, granular base compacted in lifts, then the turf stretched drum-tight, seamed invisibly, edged clean, and dressed with the right infill for its job. That base is what keeps it flat through ten freeze-thaw cycles – and it is the line item the too-cheap quote quietly omits.
"Zero maintenance" oversells it: leaves still need blowing off, dog areas want a rinse, and high-traffic spots like a brush-up once a year. Call it fifteen minutes a month against the hours a real lawn demands – a trade most of our turf clients would make twice.
Installed artificial grass typically runs $12-$20+ per square foot depending on the product and the base work required. It is a real investment up front – the payback is 15+ years with no mowing, watering, fertilizing, or spring repairs.
Quality turf on a proper base, yes – freeze-thaw is exactly why the excavated, compacted granular base matters. Snow sits on it and melts through; you can even clear it with a plastic shovel.
It is the single most popular reason we install it. Pet-rated turf drains urine through the backing, rinses clean, and ends the mud-paws era. We add an antimicrobial infill for dog runs.
The good products do not read as fake from a metre away – varied blade heights, multi-tone greens, and a brown thatch layer. We bring samples to the quote so you judge with your own eyes.