After a long season of rain, snow and sleet our gardens can be left looking messy, muddy and boggy with the grass either growing wild or trodden down into the mud.

Looking out the window at natural grass during this season you may think, ‘why don’t we just get artificial grass laid’ but is it really the best option for your home?

Artificial grass has become very popular with many people opting for this when having their gardens done, there are lots of different types of artificial grass all with varying prices depending on quality. Its also something that can be laid yourself if you are willing to follow online tutorial videos.

But artificial grass does have some downsides that are important to consider. If you have a dog at home that is going to have access to the grass then you have to be prepared that the level of maintenance for the grass will increase. If the dog uses the grass for the toilet you will need to regularly wash and sanitise the area to avoid lingering smells. There are specific disinfectant products on the market that can help with this so it’s worth doing your research. The other important thing to remember is that in the sun artificial grass gets to much higher temperatures than natural grass and can actually cause burns particularly to dogs paws that are very sensitive. So if you have a dog artificial grass may not be for you.