When we adopted our dog at the SPCA of Texas in McKinney in May 2012, I noticed they had "play areas" with artificial turf. But, they would not allow the dogs to use it in the late spring or summer because the temperature gets to about 160 degrees which would burn dogs paws. And, they even had a shade structure over part of the area, but it just didn't cover it enough. It is a shame that the person donating the money to have this installed there didn't also think about how hot this stuff gets underfoot to provide enough money for a shade structure big enough to cover the entire area. It may be durable, but in Texas, it would get too hot to be enjoyed like a regular lawn.

First, congrats on creating a really nice looking space for your customer. It's a great read. As to whether synthetic turf is becoming the lawn of choice: Fifteen years ago it seemed like a laughable idea that synthetic turf would be replacing lawn in any capacity whatsoever. It looked like a red-head in a family of brunettes. My mistaken biopic pigeon-holed the product as limited to the occasional putting green as you mentioned. Like all technologies there have been substantial improvements over time and synthetic turf looks much better today than what I saw in the past. It has picked up some popularity in the Chicago market, most notably on smaller lots in the city as well as roof-top gardens. While I'm not sure it will be replacing half an acre of blue grass in the suburbs, I think synthetic lawns can be the right component when the situation works for the client and the site. Again, wonderful looking project by you!

Your installer is correct. We installed an artificial turf and putting green in our back yard 4 years ago. We have three dogs. You should be ready to pick up poop every day and hose any messy spots. During the summer it gets very hot (100+) where we live. The urine smell can become noticeable if the turf isn’t hosed regularly. BTW, the largest pet boarding and daycare facility in our city has artificial turf in all its play yards.

My father has a concrete double driveway that he installed in 1966 and it has no cracks. Niagara Peninsula so it has all 4 seasons. A hard surface as a play area has its advantages, depending on your climate. You can ride a bicycle/tricycle/rollerblades on it. It doesn't get muddy after a rain. But I wouldn't set up a swing set on it. And it can be very hot, unless it's well shaded by trees. It also depends on how you are landscaping the rest of the yard. If there is attractive landscaping and grass to play on elsewhere, and the concrete is attractively coloured then it would just be a large patio for play. If you give us the rest of the plan you'll get more useful advice.