Overheating and Artificial Grass: What You Need to Know

When you lay down artificial grass, a synthetic lawn made from polyethylene or polypropylene fibers designed to look like real grass. Also known as synthetic turf, it's meant to stay green year-round without watering, mowing, or fertilizing. But on hot summer days, that same material can turn into a heat trap. Unlike natural grass, which cools itself through evaporation, artificial grass doesn’t breathe. It absorbs sunlight and holds onto the heat—sometimes hitting surface temperatures over 65°C (150°F), even when the air is only 25°C (77°F).

This isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s a real issue for families with kids or pets, and for anyone walking barefoot. The problem gets worse if the grass has dark-colored fibers, heavy sand infill, or is installed on a south-facing slope with no shade. Heat reflection, the way sunlight bounces off hard surfaces like paving or walls and hits the turf, can make nearby patches even hotter. And while some brands claim their grass is "cool," those claims often ignore how sunlight angle, time of day, and local climate affect actual performance.

You can’t stop the sun, but you can manage the heat. Choosing lighter-colored blades helps—lighter shades reflect more sunlight instead of soaking it up. Using a cooler infill like recycled rubber or cork instead of traditional silica sand can drop surface temps by 10–15°C. Watering the lawn lightly for a few minutes in the afternoon gives instant relief, though it’s not a long-term fix. Planting a few shrubs or installing a shade sail over high-use areas makes a bigger difference than you’d think. And if you’re installing new turf, ask about UV-stabilized fibers—they won’t cool the grass, but they’ll help it last longer under constant heat stress.

The posts below cover real-world solutions from people who’ve dealt with this firsthand. You’ll find tips on choosing the right product, fixing overheating after installation, and even how landscape design choices—like nearby walls or paving—can make things worse or better. Whether you’re planning a new lawn or trying to fix one that’s too hot to use, these guides give you the facts without the fluff.