NewGrass Landscape

NewGrass Helps Meet Newly Imposed Green Building Standards

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 06:23:27 +0000

NewGrass Landscape & Design and NewGrass synthetic lawn can help developers, homeowners and builders meet California’s mandatory green-building regulations that took effect on January 1.

California’s comprehensive Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) is considered the most far-reaching legislation of its kind in the country. The standards promise to “achieve major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and water use to create a greener California,” according to a statement last fall from the office of former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who championed the guidelines.

NewGrass artificial lawn and NewGrass Landscape & Design were founded on a mission of offering an alternative to natural grass turf for homeowners and others who believe being eco-wise and environmentally conscious are as important as having more green grass to enjoy year-round. Installing NewGrass can help new construction comply with CALGreen.

In addition to many other areas of site planning and construction, the new California regulations address water efficiency and conservation; material conservation and resource efficiency including water resistance and moisture management and pollutant control. The new mandatory measures set minimum standards for all new construction in California. But local jurisdictions have the authority to exceed the CALGreen standards.

“We have always believed we provided a product that is a lifestyle choice in addition to being a common-sense landscaping alternative,” said Greg Goehner, president of NewGrass and NewGrass Landscape & Design.

CALGREEN requires in part that every new building constructed in California reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills and install low pollutant-emitting materials.

Traditional turf lawns such as Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and Bermuda grass drink up as much as 70% of a California homeowner’s water consumption. Synthetic lawns like NewGrass not only don’t require water (except an occasional spray to clean them), they also keep the groundwater safe and reduce maintenance expenses because they don’t require pesticides or fertilizers.

In fact, a NewGrass synthetic lawn installed in Southern California can be expected to show a return on investment in less that 4½ years, based with data from actual customers, Goehner said.

For more information about CALGREEN, click here.

NewGrass for Schools: From Playgrounds to Sports Fields

admin — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:17:14 +0000

The days are gone when artificial grass was available only to large private schools for their fancy football fields. Because NewGrass Landscape & Design has access to the newest synthetic lawn technology, offers highly competitive product pricing and availability, and ensures consistently professional installation, schools are finding that fake grass makes sense for uses ranging from toddler play areas to athletic fields.

The primary benefits of a synthetic lawn for schools are its safety value compared with sod grass or dirt play areas, lower installation and maintenance costs over time compared with sod grass, virtually no maintenance, no need for potentially hazardous or environmentally dangerous fertilizers or herbicides, and no watering.

Regardless of whether the installation is for a play area or a football field, NewGrass from NewGrass Landscape & Design just makes sense. But we know school administrators have questions. We answer several of the most common questions below.

How safe is synthetic grass when it comes to falls?
Simply put, artificial grass is generally safer than sod grass or the typical dirt, wood ship or hard-sand playground when it comes to falls and hard knocks. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says 60 percent of playground injuries result from falls to the ground. NewGrass is made from soft, forgiving polyethylene and installed with an environmentally safe infill (not crumb rubber).

Does fake grass get hot in the sun?
Studies have shown that artificial grass can get about 20 degrees warmer than natural grass in direct sun in the height of summer and when the temperature is over 100 degrees. Also, studies show that synthetic grass cools off immediately when it’s watered down or shaded.

Will the color fade?
NewGrass is guaranteed not to fade noticeably under normal use for 10 years, thanks to UV additives in the yarn.

What’s the life expectancy for a playground or play area?
NewGrass has a manufacturer-issued 10-year guarantee.

What about issues like kids getting fungus from synthetic lawns on athletic fields?
Early concerns about the safety of artificial grass have been disproved. Numerous studies have shown that artificial grass is safe and hazard-free. NewGrass Landscape & Design furthers this with its decision against using rubber infill or lead-based materials in its grass blades.

Please contact us today if you have other concerns or questions about NewGrass or fake grass for your school application, or to learn more NewGrass or NewGrass Landscape & Design.

Calif. Bill Encourages Use of Artificial Grass

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 04:47:58 +0000

A bill currently on the desk of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger would make it nearly impossible for planned communities and condominium developments to prohibit the use of artificial grass.

“We applaud this legislation and hope the governor signs it soon,” said Larry Reno, district manager for NewGrass Landscape & Design, the major California distributor of NewGrass®, the artificial grass of choice when being water-wise and eco-friendly are as important as having more green lawn to enjoy year-round.

AB 1793, sent to Schwarzenegger on August 26, says that any governing document of a common interest development (CID) would be “void and unenforceable if it prohibits, or includes conditions that have the effect of prohibiting, the use of artificial turf or any other synthetic surface that resembles grass.”

A common interest development has private ownership of buildings or residential units, but has common ownership of land and communal properties. They are usually governed by a community association, such as a homeowner association (HOA) or property owner association (POA).

The legislation is intended to help California homeowners meet existing law aimed at helping the state reduce water consumption by requiring water-efficient landscapes.

The law, authored by San Diego Assemblywoman Lori Saldaña, would still allow a HOA or other CID governing body to establish design and quality standards for the installation of artificial turf.
“We certainly also endorse the provision that allows an HOA to set quality standards,” Reno said. “We in fact encourage that and have worked with many communities to make sure our grass and our installation methods meet their standards.”

School District Chooses NewGrass for Children’s Play Area

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:15:27 +0000

When officials for a Northern California elementary school wanted more outdoor play area for their youngest students, first they decided to go with synthetic grass. Then they chose NewGrass, the artificial grass of choice when water conservation and environmental awareness are as important as having more green lawn to enjoy year-round.

NewGrass Landscape & Design recently installed 635 square feet of hefty 90-ounce NewGrass at Northmead Elementary School in Patterson to turn a patch of asphalt-paved parking lot into an extension of an adjacent playground.

The newly landscaped area, about the size of the average residential front yard, is now a play area for kindergarteners, said Larry Reno, district manger for NewGrass Landscape & Design, the nation’s leading NewGrass distributor.

Northmead is part of the Patterson Joint Unified School District and falls under the jurisdiction of the Stanislaus County Board of Education, which approved the installation by NewGrass Landscape & Design.

“We had the final go-ahead for the project and the purchase order in hand on a Monday, and the play area was installed that weekend,” Reno said. “What was paved asphalt is now a play area.
They’re going to add a couple of pieces of all-weather play equipment there, like small houses.”

Because NewGrass blades are made of 100% polyethylene, NewGrass has none of the potential hazardous impacts associated with artificial grasses made with nylon blades. Also, NewGrass backings are made from an ultra-soft composite of non-woven eco-friendly material and are completely recyclable.

Equally important, because NewGrass distributors don’t use crumb-rubber infill, their installations avoid any of the debates surrounding the use of crumb rubber. Some studies have shown potentially dangerous levels of toxins released by crumb rubber infill.

“The jury remains out on the level of risk associated with crumb-rubber infill, but we choose to opt on the side of caution,” Reno said.

CALGREEN and NewGrass Landscape Stand on Common Ground

admin — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:09:24 +0000

The leadership of NewGrass Landscape & Design and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger haven’t met, but they have something very much in common: They share a deep desire to reduce the state’s thirst for water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The governor earlier this year signed into law the nation’s first mandatory green-building standard code, which requires all new buildings in the state to be more energy efficient and environmentally responsible. The comprehensive Green Building Standards Code (CALGREEN) take effect Jan. 1, 2011, and “will achieve major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and water use to create a greener California,” the governor’s office said.

For its part, NewGrass Landscape & Design was founded on a mission of offering an alternative to natural grass turf for homeowners and others who believe being eco-wise and environmentally conscious are as important as having more green grass to enjoy year-round.

“We have always believed we provided a product that is a lifestyle choice in addition to being a common-sense landscaping alternative,” said Larry Reno, district manager of NewGrass Landscape & Design.

CALGREEN will require in part that every new building constructed in California reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent of construction waste from landfills and install low pollutant-emitting materials.

Traditional turf lawns such as Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and Bermuda grass drink up as much as 70% of a California homeowner’s water consumption. Synthetic lawns like NewGrass not only don’t require water (except an occasional spray to clean them), they also keep the groundwater safe and reduce maintenance expenses because they don’t require pesticides or fertilizers.
In fact, a NewGrass synthetic lawn installed in Southern California can be expected to show a return on investment in less that 4½ years, based with data from actual customers, Reno said.

For more information about CALGREEN, click here.

Long Beach Water Department offering you money to get rid of your lawn

admin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:24:24 +0000

Residents and businesses can apply for rebates up to $2,500 to replace water-intensive grass lawns with drought-tolerant landscapes under a new program sponsored by the City’s water department.

Full Story: Long Beach Press Telegram

A Unique California Beach House Sports a Raised Deck of NewGrass

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:19:54 +0000

NewGrass Landscape & Design has helped bring 1,300 square feet of grassy outdoor entertainment area to an expansive deck that’s four stories above the ground in a custom California beach home designed in the shape of an East Coast lifeguard tower.

“This really has been one of the most interesting projects we’ve been involved in,” says district manager for NewGrass Landscape & Design District, the largest distributor of NewGrass artificial grass.

Designer Steve Lazar conceived his unique home based on images of lifeguard towers he recalled from childhood on the New Jersey coast, according to an article in the online version of The Los Angeles Times.

The front of the home resembles the bow of a double-deck ship, and above that is the fourth-floor tower made from slanted glass walls that are connected by heavy-gauge stainless-steel supports. The tower has sitting and sleeping areas, like a ship’s berth, as the Times described it.

It’s off of that glass-walled tower that Lazar designed a 1,300 entertainment deck that looks out over Hermosa Beach, Reno said.

“Mr. Lazar had several criteria for the material to surface the outdoor fourth-level deck,” Reno said. “It had to be lightweight, obviously. And in keeping with the other materials used in the home’s design, it had to be environmentally friendly. And of course, cost-effectiveness was an issue.”

Lazar had considered stone or tile for the deck before considering synthetic lawn. “NewGrass was a lightweight, cost-effective, recycled alternative to stone or tile that even better, gives Mr. Lazar an outdoor yard where there he doesn’t have any otherwise,” Reno said.

The use of NewGrass in the unique home again shows how NewGrass can meet challenging design and landscaping needs, while being an eco-friendly, environmentally conscious and water-wise alternative to natural turf grass. Please visit our gallery to see pictures of this project.

NewGrass Goes to the Grammys

admin — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:35:28 +0000

SANTA MONICA, Calif. - NewGrass® synthetic lawn will be underfoot for one of the major events associated with the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, being held this Sunday in Los Angeles.

NewGrass Landscape & Design has installed more than 1,200 square feet of NewGrass artificial grass in the expansive lounge area of the seventh annual Grammy Style Studio, said Larry Reno, district manager for NewGrass Landscape & Design, based in Southern California.

The Grammy Style Studio is the Recording Academy’s official styling suite. Grammy Nominees, performers and presenters are invited to the studio for three days before the awards to select one-of-a-kind fashions from leading international red-carpet and lifestyle brands to wear to the Grammy Awards.

NewGrass has been installed in the Grammy Style Studio area where invited guests can relax and socialize in an outdoor-like setting as part of their fashion and design tour, Reno said.

“Some of the most celebrated people in the music industry are going to be enjoying NewGrass as part of their Grammy experience this year,” Reno said. “It’s wonderful that the people at the Style Studio think highly enough of NewGrass and NewGrass Landscape & Design to invite us to be an important part of the environment for their event.”

Held at Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood, the Grammy Style Studio also offers private styling appointments for invited guests. Confirmed designers this year include Halston, Theia, Moods of Norway , Toni Maticevski, AILA, Marlies Dekkers, Samantha Wills, Nemer Saade, Grammy Label™, Melissa’s Shoes, Jil Sander Eyewear, Pennyroyal Silver, K-Swiss, MEK Denim and Melamed, according to Smashbox.

Nominated artists invited to attend include Beyoncé, Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Kings of Leon, Black Eyed Peas, Metallica, T-Pain and many more, along with their guests.

“As a styling haven where top international designers and lifestyle brands showcase their expertise for achieving the most unique look at the Grammy Awards — one of the most daring red carpets in entertainment — Grammy Style Studio represents the intrinsic connection between music and fashion,” Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy, said in a media release on the Smashbox website.

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admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:31:31 +0000

Reverse Look Up Phone:Phone Reverse Look Up

In drought, California learns importance of going green

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:42:35 +0000

After three years of drought, Southern California is learning to go green, and a big reason is that homeowners are switching to NewGrass artificial lawns, according to city figures and news reports.

City figures show that the biggest reason for water conservation has been the efforts of residential customers, not business or industry, according to USA Today.

For many homeowners, that has meant brown, dormant or dying turf grass lawns because of less watering. For many others, however, conservation has created greener, more attractive lawns year-round because they have switched to artificial grass, such as NewGrass.

“We’ve said since our inception that installing an artificial grass lawn is a lifestyle choice and a choice to conserve water and be eco-friendly,” said Larry Reno, district manager for NewGrass Landscape & Design, based in Southern California and the largest distributor of NewGrass synthetic lawns. “We’re pleased that people are turning to synthetic grass as an environmental choice.”

Reno has been installing proprietary NewGrass throughout California at properties ranging from small townhomes to multimillion-dollar residences. He said that in addition to wanting to retain a green lawn during a drought, an increasing number of NewGrass customers are appreciating the return on investment of a fake grass compared with the expense of installing and maintaining turf grass.

Traditional turf lawns such as Kentucky bluegrass, fescue and Bermuda grass drink up as much as 60% of a homeowner’s water consumption. Synthetic lawns not only don’t require water (except an occasional spray to clean them), they also keep the groundwater safe and reduce maintenance expenses because they don’t require pesticides or fertilizers.

A NewGrass artificial grass lawn installed in Southern California can be expected to show a return on investment in less that 4½ years, based with data from actual customers, Reno said.

Restrictions on water use in Los Angeles-area homes and businesses imposed in 2009 have produced a 15% savings, according to USA Today. Los Angeles leads the way with a more than 18% reduction, which means the city used less water in 2009 than it did 25 years ago, despite adding 1 million residents during that time, according to the city’s Department of Water and Power.

“The region has really responded,” Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, USA Today.

David Freeman, general manager of the L.A. Department of Water and Power, told USA Today that restricted lawn watering was “the main saving measure.”

Since June, Los Angeles has permitted lawn sprinklers to run only on Mondays and Thursdays, for no more than 15 minutes a day, and never between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., when evaporation is greatest. The restrictions are enforced by more than a dozen “water police” who patrol for sprinkler scofflaws and follow tips by residents tattling on water-wasteful neighbors.

Those water cops have investigated 17,000 cases since June and issued more than 6,000 citations, and repeat offenders face fines of $100 to $600 and potentially having their water shut off, L.A. water department spokeswoman Jane Galbraith says. The city raised fees for customers whose monthly usage exceeds a fixed allotment based on historical use and family size.

In areas served by the City of San Diego, watering was meanwhile reduced on Nov. 1 to seven minutes per watering station per assigned day, down from the 10 minutes that had been allowed since June 1, in response to an unprecedented water crisis, according to the city’s Water Emergency Information and Resources web page. (The restrictions do not apply to drip, micro-irrigation, stream rotor, rotary heads, hose end sprinklers with timers or valves operated by a weather-based irrigation controller.)

Local rebates for synthetic grass installation have also spurred awareness and action. On September 21, a limited number of rebates became available through the SoCal Water$mart program for Southern California residential water customers. Since September 18, rebate reservations are no longer required.

Los Angeles soon may start paying some of the cost of replacing grass lawns. The water department has proposed a “cash for grass” program that would provide cash or rebates to residents who replace their turf grass for drought-friendly synthetic lawn. The incentive could be over $1 per square foot of grass removed.