Can window reflections really melt artificial grass?

Yes, and any supplier who waves this off is doing you a disservice. Energy-efficient (low-E) windows can act like a curved mirror, concentrating reflected afternoon sun into a hot streak on the ground that runs far beyond what normal sunlight produces: hot enough to deform polyethylene fiber, which is what essentially all landscape turf (ours included) is made of. The damage has a signature: a shiny, matted band that lines up with a neighboring window and the afternoon sun angle, while the rest of the lawn is untouched.

The good news: it’s predictable and preventable. Before installing, stand in the yard on a sunny afternoon and look for concentrated bright patches cast by nearby windows (yours or a neighbor’s second story). Where one exists, the fixes work on the source, not the turf: perforated exterior window film on the offending glass (inexpensive and nearly invisible), a screen, awning, or shade sail that breaks the reflection, or plantings placed in the beam’s path. If a section does melt, it can be patched, one more reason to keep a bit of your install’s overage. Tell us about nearby glass when you quote and we’ll flag the risk honestly.

Keep reading.

• Turf heat: the full story
• Care & maintenance
• Ask about your site