Artificial grass became a very appealing replacement for those who want the perfect, manicured lawn without the guilt of wasting water. The low-maintenance, money saving product has drought residents praising the man-made lawn.

While many tend to relate artificial grass with the drought, Houston homeowners are telling a different story. “Houston is the opposite when it comes to artificial grass,” said Keith Derington, founder of Turf Supply USA. “We install turf because people are tired of their pets always tracking mud around.”

You see, Houston gets rain. Lot and lots of rain.

“You would think rain would be great for grass but too much rain actually kills it,” Derington said. “Some cities have a dry problem, we have a wet problem.” He estimates that about 90 percent of the installs he does are for pet owners.

Derington says his most recent install was a little different because of the size. Turf Supply USA recently installed 1,875 sq. ft of Everlast Tacoma for a Houston yard. “Our customer was just flat out tired of keeping up with the maintenance that came with a yard that size,” Derington said.

The homeowner had to get permission from her HOA before installation and they requested a product that would resemble St. Augustine natural grass. “The Tacoma was the clear winner when it came to the selection,” Derington said.

Derington says that business is booming and many of his recent installs have been word of mouth. He believes it’s because of the attention to detail Turf Supply USA gives to each install and the warranty on labor. “It’s little things that matter like using crushed granite or a nailer board as our standard on every install,” Derington said. “We want to be a step above everyone else. Our installs look great and last for years to come.”