What Is the Best Grass Alternative Around a Pool in Arizona?

Does your grass around the pool keep dying no matter what you do? Grass planted next to an Arizona pool is fighting a losing battle. Pool water splashing throws off the soil's chemistry and chlorine burns the blades. Many homeowners finally start looking for the best alternative to grass.

Turf is the most common answer. It's what Shasta's landscape team installs most around Arizona pools. now. Whether it's the right call for your yard, depends on a few things. Questions to ask yourself are how much direct sun the turf gets and whether you've got dogs.

We've been building Arizona backyards since 1966. This article highlights why artificial turf has become the top pick for replacing grass around a pool. We share what affects the cost and if the heat is a tradeoff. Now, you'll understand if turf is right for your specific pool.

Table of Contents

• Why is artificial turf the best grass alternative for Arizona pools?
• What are your options besides real grass around an Arizona pool?
• Does turf get too hot to walk on around a pool in Arizona?
• What's the most pet-friendly grass alternative near a pool?
• Is artificial turf bad for pool chemicals or chlorine?
• Artificial turf is the right call for most AZ backyards
  

Why is artificial turf the best grass alternative for Arizona pools?

Turf wins because it doesn't care about water splashing out and chlorine. Artificial turf can handle the sun beating on it twelve hours a day. No dead patches. No reseeding every spring. You can run it right up against the coping.

• No sprinkler system means no overspray damaging your pool decking

• Handles chlorine and saltwater splashes without fading or breaking down

• Stays green year-round instead

• Installs right up to the coping with no setback rules that grass requires

• Cuts out the grass clippings and dirt that end up skimmed out of the pool

Edge Rules That Don't Exist With Turf

"The reason why turf is so popular is I can take turf right up to the edge. There's no rules of like, having something like you're not using a sprinkler system on it. So I can take it right up against the house, against the wall. I'm not damaging the house, not damaging their walls. There's no overspray issues." — Bruce Shipp, Landscape Expert, Shasta Pools

What are your options besides real grass around an Arizona pool?

Homeowners ditching grass around the pool have four categories to pick from. Each solves the water and maintenance problem differently. Also, each comes with its own tradeoffs.

• Artificial turf — the most requested option for Arizona pool areas

• Groundcovers — spreading plants that mimic a lawn's look without the water demand

• Decomposed granite or gravel — a hardscape option that offers a desert-native feel

• Ornamental grasses — textural plants used as accents

Does turf get too hot to walk on around a pool in Arizona?

Yes, if you pick the wrong turf. Cheap, tightly matted turf gets brutal in direct Arizona sun. However, the right weave and gauge changes that completely. Shasta landscape design team walks homeowners outside to feel the difference before they buy.

What types of turf feeling cooler underfoot?

• Blades that lift and stand up

• A looser weave underneath

• Lighter infill choices

• Shade from a pergola over high-traffic turf areas

• A quick rinse before pool time on the hottest afternoons

Feel the Difference Before You Buy

"Are people concerned that turf would be too hot? Yeah. And that's why I usually just show them the difference and I'll even walk them outside." — Bruce Shipp, Landscape Expert, Shasta Pools

ASU researcher Ariane Middel measured a specific artificial turf running hotter than asphalt and brick on a 114-degree Phoenix summer test. The turf you pick either fights that heat or makes it worse. (Read the Middel's Artificial Turf Story on ABC)

Does a higher turf gauge mean cooler turf?

Not necessarily. We find turf gauge is a common myth.

• Higher ounce weight doesn't mean a cooler surface

• What matters more is whether the blade lifts up or lies flat

• How the turf is woven underneath affects heat absorption

• Some of the highest-graded turf on paper still runs the hottest in person

I Always Thought It Was the Ounce

"I always thought it was the higher the ounce, the cooler it got, but sometimes it's not... it kind of also depends if it lifts up the blade a little bit. And then like how it's woven underneath it, that seems to be what cools it down because I've walked on some of them that are supposed to be the highest grade... it's not lifted. So it's not even comfortable to walk on. And the heat is going to get absorbed into that." — Bruce Shipp, Landscape Expert, Shasta Pools

What causes hot spots and burn marks on turf near a pool?

Windows do and not the sun directly. Burn marks are caused by the reflection off your own house.

• South- and west-facing windows can bounce concentrated sunlight

• The reflected light acts like a magnifying glass

• This happens with mulch and wood chips too

• Solar window film or solar guards stop the reflection

• Higher-grade turf resists it better than cheap, thin-bladed turf

What's the most pet-friendly grass alternative near a pool?

Turf is still the best alternative. Dogs and turf get along fine. The issue is odor.

• No dead patches or yellow spots from urine

• Copper infill with odor-neutralizing enzymes keeps smell down

• Professional turf shampooing available for multi-dog households

• Infill also helps keep the blades standing upright longer

The Real Difference Is Smell, Not Damage

"Most female dogs have ammonia in their urine. So if you have regular grass, you're going to get spots... where this, you're going to have a smell is the only issue you'll have. So if you have multiple dogs, that's usually when I recommend getting it shampooed... or if you just want to put an infill, like a copper infill... it's got an enzyme that helps the odor stay down." — Bruce Shipp, Landscape Expert, Shasta Pools

Is artificial turf bad for pool chemicals or chlorine?

No, quality turf is built to handle pool chemicals and chlorine. Standard pool chlorine levels don't break down the fibers. (Read LawnLogics Artificial Turf's Benefits)

• Polyethylene and polypropylene turf fibers resist standard chlorine

• Saltwater pool splashes doesn't damage quality turf

• The bigger risk is concentrated, undiluted chemicals

• Good drainage underneath matters more than the chemical exposure

• Rinsing high-splash zones occasionally keeps sunscreen and chemical residue from building up

Artificial turf is the right call for most AZ backyards

So yes, artificial turf is the best grass alternative around a pool in Arizona. Real grass can't win against chlorine and pool water splashing out.

Real grass leaves you with dead patches and overspray damage to your decking and walls. Also, grass clippings you're constantly skimming out of the water.

Shasta's landscape team walks you through the weave and the infill. We've been designing Arizona backyards since 1966. If you're thinking beyond the pool, Shasta's Landscape team can help you design a backyard that works as one complete outdoor living space.