Leveling the Playing Field

Luxury Homeowners Seek Tom Massey's Expertise for Their Own Backyards

Building Savvy Magazine

What looks today like a nice flat area in the backyard, ideal for the home lacrosse field that Ramano envisioned for his son, started out with the typical challenges. The artistry of Tom Massey and his skilled team at UrbanTurf are to thank for creating a field at the Romano residence that rivals any professional field in the world in terms of performance and durability.

The base for the lacrose field at the Romano residence was originally created in July, 2010, requiring extensive excavation to flatten the area while allowing for proper drainage and then finishing it off using hand compactors. The resulting nice and flat area turned into an ideal staging area during construction of the home, so the Urban Turf crew then rebased the surface in December as the home near completion, and then installed the turf in early 2011.

"The key to a successful surface is in how you form the base. Proper excavation and compacting are primary considerations. Those considering an investment in an artificial turf field must also consider the service and experience of the installer," says Massey.

Massey worked 20 years for Polo Ralph Lauren before seeing the SyntheticTurf product in California and recognizing a great opportunity to provide the product to commercial and residential clients in Texas. Since it was established in 2001, UrbanTurf has become known as specialist in the surface industry. Massey's business sawy and can-do attitude has generated a client list that includes a Who's Who of notable clients across the state including sports teams, private schools, cities, building owners and high-end residential clients. He has surrounded himself with only the best of the best in installation specialists, most of whom have been UrbanTurf employees throughout most of the company's history. UrbanTurf guarantees its work, and the product itself is backed by an eight-year warranty.

While most of Massey's work around the state is commercial, the residential market is also discovering the benefits of turf products. Clients like Romano looking to provide the ultimate sporting field or golf green at home have sought out UrbanTurf as Texas' premier SyntheticTurf dealer. Beyond the benefits of sports recreation, imagine a perfect lawn all-year-round without the constant upkeep--no water, no fertilizer and no mowing, no matter how many kids, pets and adults play on it. Because of its safety, maintenance and cleanliness benefits, the product now widely used on daycare center playgrounds and at pet kennels, is being sought out for at-home use by parents and pet owners. Children can play with 3 reduced exposure to abrasions as well as allergens and insects and without the grass stajhsjw, and mud. Pets love it because it looks and feels just like real grass, but they find it much less interesting to try to dig into. The sand and rubber infill is non-toxic and enables liquids to drain right through the surface. Droppings can be picked up just as you would with regular grass, but they are never hidden in high or low spots. To clean, simply rinse it off with a hose.

Expectedly, the initial investment for SyntheticTurf compared to natural sod grass is significantly higher. However, the investment begins to offset when you compare its annual maintenance estimated at $350, to an average of several thousand dollars that a homeowner would typically spend for irrigation, maintenance, fertilizer, chemical and irrigation repair.

Those who play on Tom Massey's turf can play all year round. And with less clean-up and maintenance to do, there's more time to play!