Yes. Artificial turf drains straight down through perforations in the backing at 30 or more inches of water per hour. Central Texas has never produced rainfall at that rate, including during flash flooding. So when a turf yard holds water, the turf is almost never the cause. It is the grade or the base underneath.
How turf drainage actually works
The backing is a two-layer polyurethane sheet with holes punched through it on a regular grid. Water hits the surface, runs down the blades, passes through the holes and into the compacted rock base below, then moves through the base to wherever the grade sends it.
All three of our blends use a 27 oz two-layer polyurethane backing rated at 30 or more inches per hour. For scale, a severe Central Texas thunderstorm might drop two to four inches in an hour. The backing has roughly ten times the capacity of the worst rain we get.
That is why turf yards generally handle storms better than lawns do. There is no saturated topsoil to turn to mud, and no bare patches to wash out.
What happens to artificial turf when it rains?
Very little, which is the point.
- Water passes through within seconds rather than pooling
- The surface is walkable almost immediately after the rain stops
- No mud, so nothing gets tracked into the house
- Nothing washes out, because there is no loose soil
- Rain rinses the turf, which is genuinely useful in a pet area
The pile can lie down under heavy rain and stand back up as it dries. On a denser turf you barely notice.
Common drainage problems, and what causes them
When a turf installation does have a water problem, it traces back to one of these. None of them is the turf.
| Symptom | Actual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Puddles sitting on the surface | Base over-compacted into a hardpan, or fines sealed the surface | Pull turf, rework base |
| Water pooling in one low spot | Grade was never corrected before the base went down | Re-grade that area |
| Soggy area that never dries | The yard drained there before the turf, and still does | Drainage solution under the base |
| Water running toward the house | Fall set the wrong way | Re-grade, this one matters |
| Smell after rain | Organic material left under the turf, or sand infill in a pet area | Depends, see below |
A yard that ponded before turf will pond after turf unless someone fixes the grade. Turf is a surface, not a drainage system. If your yard already has a wet corner, raise it at the estimate so it gets solved under the base rather than discovered later.
This matters more on the shallow soil over limestone common north of Austin. Water that cannot soak down has to be moved sideways, which makes grade the whole game on a lot of Leander and Round Rock lots. Slope, caliche depth and where the water currently exits are all things we look at before quoting.
Does artificial grass smell after rain?
A correctly installed landscape turf does not. If a yard smells after rain it is almost always a pet area where ammonia has built up in plain sand infill, and rain has re-wetted it. It can also be organic material left under the turf during demolition.
Two causes, two different fixes:
- Pet ammonia. Rain rewets urine salts held in the infill and releases the smell. The prevention is a zeolite antimicrobial infill rather than plain silica sand, plus periodic rinsing. Covered in detail in the dog urine guide.
- Buried organic material. If the old lawn, thatch or root mass was not removed, it decomposes under the turf. That produces both a smell and soft spots. This is a demolition shortcut, and the only real fix is to lift and redo.
Turf with no pets and a clean base has nothing in it to smell. The fibers are polyethylene, the backing is polyurethane and the base is rock.
Does mold grow under artificial grass?
Not in a properly built installation, because mold needs sustained moisture and an organic food source, and a compacted rock base under a free-draining backing provides neither.
It becomes possible when something breaks that rule:
- Organic material left under the turf during demolition
- A base that holds water instead of draining
- Turf laid over an impermeable surface with nowhere for water to go
- Deep shade plus a persistent leak, such as an uncapped irrigation head
Surface algae can appear on turf in permanent deep shade that stays damp, the same way it does on a north-facing fence or patio. It rinses off and is cosmetic.
Turf over patios, balconies and hard surfaces
Turf can go over concrete, and it is common on rooftops, balconies and pool surrounds. The rules change because the water can no longer go straight down into a base.
On a hard surface the water has to move sideways to an existing drain or edge, so it needs either a drainage underlay or a surface that already falls the right way. Concrete that ponds now will pond under turf. We look at where the water currently goes before quoting these.
See the rooftop and balcony page for how those installs are built.
Common questions about turf and water
Does rain drain through artificial turf?
Yes. The perforated polyurethane backing drains at 30 or more inches per hour, roughly ten times the rate of the heaviest Central Texas rainfall, so water passes through within seconds instead of pooling.
What happens to artificial turf when it rains?
Water passes through and the surface is walkable almost immediately. There is no mud, nothing washes out, and the rain rinses the turf, which is useful in pet areas.
What causes drainage problems with artificial grass?
Almost always the base or the grade, not the turf. Over-compacted base, a low spot that was never corrected, or fall set toward the house rather than away from it. A yard that ponded before turf will pond after it unless the grade is fixed.
Does artificial grass smell after rain?
Landscape turf with no pets does not, because there is nothing organic in it. A pet area can smell if ammonia has built up in plain sand infill and rain rewets it, which a zeolite antimicrobial infill prevents.
Does mold grow under artificial grass?
Not in a correct installation, because mold needs sustained moisture and organic material, and a compacted rock base under free-draining backing has neither. It becomes possible if organic material was left under the turf or the base holds water.
We Solve the Water Before We Cover It
If your yard has a wet corner, we deal with it under the base. Owner-run installs across the Austin metro.