Will Artificial Turf Drain in Houston? Check the Base First

How much rain Houston gets

• The National Weather Service's 1991 to 2020 normal for Houston Intercontinental is 51.84 inches of rain a year.
• June is the wettest month on average, at 6.00 inches, followed by October at 5.46 inches.
• The record for a single day is 16.07 inches, set on August 27, 2017.

The turf is rarely the limit

One turf supplier lists hole-punched backings at over 30 inches per hour and fully permeable backings at hundreds of inches per hour. The same supplier adds the caveat that matters: "Just because your turf product says it can drain 30+ inches per hour doesn't mean your sub-base will."

Water passes through the turf and into the base. From there it has to soak into the ground or run off along the grade.

Many Houston yards sit on heavy clay that absorbs water slowly, so the base and the slope of the yard do most of the work.

What we do about it

Drainage and base preparation are included in every published lawn package. Before we confirm the scope, we look at the ground, how the yard is graded and where water sits now.

If a yard holds water today, that has to be dealt with in the base and the grade. Turf laid over a low spot will still have a low spot under it.

What artificial turf will not fix

• A yard that floods because of the street, a neighbor's runoff or the grading of the lot
• Downspouts that empty onto the lawn area
• A low spot with nowhere for water to go

Raise any of these during the site visit so they are part of the plan and the price.

What turf does change

• No mud. There is no exposed soil on the surface, so rain does not turn the yard into mud.
• Usable sooner. There is no wet grass or soft soil to wait on once the water has drained through.
• Cleaner dogs. This is the main reason dog owners choose it. See pet turf.