Amelio Briones displays a few samples of artificial turf at his Cali Turf and Greens booth in the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market. (photo by John Gregory)
More and more turn to artificial turf
Walk down any block of single-family houses in Scripps Ranch and chances are you’ll see a few yards with artificial turf. It looks good and tidy, which makes it obvious why some homeowners choose to utilize this product. Even condos and townhome complexes use it.
Once widely known as AstroTurf and originally made popular by its use in large indoor stadiums such as the Super Dome in New Orleans and the old Astrodome in Houston, modern artificial turf has come a long way and taken on new forms, now available in different lengths for different purposes.
Amelio Briones has been running Cali Turf and Greens for more than three years and offers artificial turf installation and services. His booth at the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market contains samples of the various types of artificial turf that can be installed: tall, short, light green, dark green, dense, not so dense.
While he doesn’t consider himself an expert, Briones knows a lot about artificial turf. He can explain the difference between M blades and W blades.
“We do the full install. We tear out all your dirt, put in the gravel. Whichever turf you want. He offers a 15-year warranty for the grass and a five-year labor warranty, he said.
“There’s no maintenance at all,” Briones explained. “A lot of people work 40, 50 hours per week. They don’t have time to maintain their grass and water bills are going up. Landscapers are charging more.”
He said the average cost for installing artificial turf for a yard in San Diego using Cali Turf is between $2,00 and $3,000. It usually pays off in about a year or two in water savings and maintenance costs, he added.
“The thing about us is we’re a small company, so we’re about half the price of big companies. We do really good work. … My guys have been doing it for 15 to 20 years.” He said. “I worked for the big companies and I saw how everyone was getting overpriced and I thought I could do it for less … and at the same time make a better life for myself.”
The artificial turf can also be used on balconies, decks and patios. Briones said he also likes to get a bit creative and install the turf around different features such as stepping stones.
“All these grasses are actually pet-friendly. … They drain very well,” he said. “They don’t get hot. Pets get on them, the odor doesn’t stay. At my house, I use a flathead shovel. … I just go against the grain; pick it right up. I just wait until it’s dry.”
Briones said his company also installs custom putting greens with artificial turf. Typically, these are placed in the backyard or the side of a house.
Those who are considering artificial turf can call Briones, who will provide a free estimate. His team will normally begin installation within about two weeks of an order. Cali Turf uses American-made turf from a supplier in Poway.
Briones can be contacted at (858) 842-8699.
Find the Cali Turf booth at the Scripps Ranch Farmer’s Market, which is open for shoppers from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every single Saturday at 10380 Spring Canyon Road, in the Innovations Academy parking lot. Visit srfm.org.