How Does Rain Affect Artificial Turf?

Artificial turf is meant to last and look impressive to your fans and guests. However, before purchasing artificial turf for your playing field, you may wonder how long it will last and how it will fair against the elements. When buying top quality turf, whether it is for a complex, single field, or stadium it is important to do your research and understand what affects rain or snow might have on your fresh turf so you can maintain your area with as little maintenance as possible.

If the playing field is in an area with heavy rain, you may be concerned about problems such as flooding or runoff ruining rival fields. All types of modern turf are completely water permeable. This means that the turf’s intuitive design allows rainwater to flow down the blades and seep through holes located under the turf.

Teams with natural grass may see potholes develop after heavy rainstorms. In these potholes, the rain will usually accumulate and make the problem even worse by eroding away dirt and causing a larger hole. Not to mention, when potholes fill with water, they attract insects such as gnats and mosquitoes to breed near them. With artificial turf, there is no risk of potholes as the water has seeped through the small fibers and the structure will remain well intact.

Another important thing of note is that artificial turf does not get slippery when it is wet. With the water sliding through these tiny fibers, the turf is constantly being air dried to keep from becoming a slip and slide. A team can easily run and play on the turf and avoid any nasty falls. Additionally, the lack of dirt means there will be no mud for players to get their legs or arms caught. This feature allows for players to be able to run, jump and cut with relative ease as they would on a dry field and not lose any speed.

Rain benefits a turf owner. It is important to sometimes water the turf to keep it clean and remain shiny throughout the year. The rainwater serves the purpose of cleaning the blades for you and allows you to sit back and relax while nature maintains your playing area.

If you have heavy snow in your area, that’s no problem either. Just like with rain, allow the snow to melt and let the water flow through the turf with ease. In certain situations, you may need to shovel the snow out of your turf, and you can easily accomplish this with a plastic shovel.

Artificial turf requires little maintenance and allows you to have a beautiful playing field year-round. Colors will not run off the turf during heavy thunderstorms so any logos and markings will be preserved. With a properly maintained patch of artificial turf, you can expect to receive 10-15 years before ever having to make a replacement.

Keystone Sports Construction offers a one of a kind experience for our customers, contact us today to get started with your turf field installation!