How to read an artificial turf spec sheet

A spec sheet is a set of test results

Every number on a turf spec sheet comes from a measurement. Two sheets compare only when they measured the same thing in the same way. So read the label beside each number before you read the number.

Many of those tests were written for carpet. ASTM D1335, the tuft bind test, and ASTM D5848, the weight test, both cover pile yarn floor coverings. For playing surfaces there’s ASTM F1551, a recommended list of test methods for synthetic turf systems and components used for athletic and recreational play.

The target numbers most sheets get measured against come from the Synthetic Turf Council, the industry’s trade association. It publishes two documents:

• a buying guide for landscape turf (September 2013), for residential, commercial and municipal lawns
• suggested guidelines for turf systems (revised November 2011), written mostly with sports fields in mind

The landscape guide says its figures are not manufacturing minimum standards or safety standards, and a product can miss them and still suit its use. It also says they may not apply to putting greens, dog runs, playgrounds or rooftops.

Face weight is the yarn, not the roll

Face weight is the weight of the yarn above the backing, in ounces per square yard. The landscape guide says most landscape turf has:

• a pile height of 1½ to 2 inches
• tufts spaced ¼ to ½ inch apart
• a face weight of 40 to 100 ounces per square yard

Taller pile and tighter spacing both add yarn, so face weight only compares fairly between products of similar height. The council’s sports-field table shows it. For tufted infill turf it asks for at least 30 ounces on a 2-inch product and 38 ounces on a 2½-inch one.

Watch for total weight. ASTM D5848 gives separate techniques for total mass per unit area and for pile yarn mass. Total weight includes the backing. If one sheet lists face weight and the other lists total weight, the bigger number may just be a heavier back.

Pile height and gauge

Pile height is how tall the yarn stands above the backing. The council’s tables name ASTM D5823 as the test.

Gauge is the spacing between tufts. The landscape guide calls it density or tufting gauge. A smaller gauge puts the tufts closer together.

Gauge matters again at the seams. For tufted infill systems, the council says the gap between fibers at a seam should not exceed the gauge of the tufting.

The backing has two layers

Primary backing is the woven or non-woven fabric the yarn is tufted into. It gives the turf its first stability. For landscape turf, the council recommends a dual primary backing of at least 7 ounces per square yard.

Secondary backing is the coating that locks the tufts in place. The landscape guide names polyurethane, hot melt polyolefin and latex. In 2013 it said North American manufacturers used polyurethane and hot melt.

A backing weight should say which layer it means. The council’s sports tables list them separately: for tufted infill turf, at least 5.5 ounces primary and 16 ounces secondary.

A fully coated back doesn’t let water through on its own. The council says perforations are typically required in fully coated backings for drainage. Thornton’s 2026 rebate rules put numbers on it:

• a meshed or hole-punched backing
• holes in a uniform grid, no more than 4 by 6 inches apart on center
• a backing designed to drain at least 2 inches an hour

Tuft bind: how hard a tuft holds

Tuft bind is the force it takes to pull a tuft out of the backing, usually given in pounds. ASTM D1335 covers “the measurement of force required to pull or break a tuft” from a sample.

The council recommends at least 6.8 pounds. Its sports tables give the same floor as 30 newtons. The landscape guide adds that the higher the tuft bind, the better.

For fields, the guidelines suggest the manufacturer randomly sample and test rolls before they ship, then certify that they meet the specification. Those tests may include pile weight, total weight, pile height, tuft bind without infill, and grab tear strength. The sports tables set grab tear strength at 150 pounds or more, under ASTM D5034.

Drainage: which number, measured how

The council defines water permeability as the rate water flows through a surface, a cross-section or its layers. Sheets usually give it in inches per hour.

The figures you’ll meet don’t agree, because they answer different questions:

• 2 inches an hour: Thornton’s backing minimum
• 10 inches an hour: the council’s minimum for the turf and cushion layer on an infilled field
• 25 inches an hour: what the landscape guide says permeable landscape systems are typically designed to drain
• 100 inches an hour: the minimum in Atlantic Beach’s turf guidelines, for products tested and certified to applicable ASTM permeability standards

Atlantic Beach also requires the manufacturer’s product specifications and permeability testing documentation before approval. Find out which figure applies at your address before you pick a product. A rating describes the turf, not the soil under it, as our article on how rain drains through turf explains.

Denier and the yarn

Denier is the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of fiber. More grams means a heavier strand for its length. In the council’s tables, nylon yarn starts at 500 denier.

Check whether a denier figure is for one fiber or a whole bundle. The landscape guide writes its own denier target as a total per bundle.

The guide also wants color and strength after UV exposure, and heavy metals such as lead, confirmed in a report from an independent test lab. Our fiber comparison sets out those tests.

What the numbers don’t show

• The use. The landscape guide asks for a product identified as appropriate for its intended use. A sheet written for a lawn says little about a dog run or a green.
• What arrives. Keep the sample you chose and compare it with the delivered rolls. The guide says the sample should identify where the turf was made, and the shipping label and bill of lading should show the same country of origin.
• Your yard. None of these numbers measures your slope or your soil. We measure and check the ground on a free visit, then draw a custom layout you approve.

Checklist for comparing two spec sheets

Put the answers in writing alongside the rest of what a turf quote should include.

1. Match the measure. Face weight against face weight, never total weight.
2. Read face weight with pile height and gauge beside it.
3. Look for a test method next to each number, such as ASTM D5848, D5823 or D1335.
4. Check tuft bind against 6.8 pounds, or 30 newtons.
5. Read the backing: primary weight, coating type, and holes or full permeability.
6. Find the drainage rate your town or rebate requires, and ask for the test documents.
7. Ask whether denier is per fiber or per bundle.
8. Get lab reports for UV weathering and heavy metals.
9. Confirm the product is made for your use.
10. Keep your sample and check the roll labels on delivery.