Turf problems
Start with the symptom
Every page here answers one question the way it gets asked on the phone: what is it, why is it happening, how to check, and what fixes it. Some of the fixes are things you can do yourself. The rest are what we do.
Smell & odor
Why your artificial grass smells like dog pee, and what actually fixes it
Because the smell is not on the grass. Dog urine drains through the blades and dries as residue in the infill and on the turf backing, where bacteria…
Turf only smells after rainYour turf only smells after it rains. Here is what that tells you.
Rain reactivates bacteria living on urine and organic residue in the turf infill, which produce ammonia and other odor compounds only while they are…
Can the smell ever come out?Can you ever get the pee smell out of artificial turf? The honest answer.
when the infill and base are sound. Enzyme treatment breaks down the urine residue in the infill, an antimicrobial treats the bacteria producing the…
Musty or mildew smellWhy your artificial grass smells musty or like mildew, even with no pets
A musty or mildew smell with no pets on the turf is decaying organic matter, mostly pollen, dust and leaf litter, breaking down in infill that stays…
Smells like fishWhy your artificial grass smells like fish, and what is causing it
A fishy smell on artificial turf usually comes from algae or bacteria breaking down organic matter, pollen, leaf litter, grass clippings, in infill…
Smells like rotten eggsWhy your artificial grass smells like rotten eggs
A rotten-egg smell on artificial turf is hydrogen sulfide, produced by bacteria working without oxygen in soil or organic matter that has stayed…
Cat urine smellWhy cat urine smells so much stronger in artificial grass than dog urine
Cat urine smells stronger than dog urine because it is more concentrated, carrying more urea and compounds cats use for scent-marking, and because…
Smells worse in summerWhy your artificial turf smells worse in summer heat
Heat speeds up two things at once: ammonia and other odor compounds evaporate off residue faster in hot air, so a given amount of urine or organic…
Still smells after cleaningWhy your artificial grass still smells after it was cleaned
A turf that still smells after cleaning usually has one of three causes: a scented cleaner or the wrong chemical was used and is leaving its own…
Pets & mess
How to clean dog poop off artificial grass, including the runny kind
Let it dry for an hour or two so it firms up, then lift as much as possible with a bag or a plastic scraper without pressing down.
Flies and gnats on turfFlies and gnats on your artificial grass are telling you what is in the infill
Flies and gnats gather on artificial grass because there is pet-waste residue or decaying organic matter in the infill for them to feed and breed on…
Fire ants in the turfFire ants in your artificial grass: how to treat them without damaging the turf
Fire ants nest in the sand or soil base under and beside artificial turf, usually surfacing at a seam, an edge, or a low spot where soil is easiest…
Fleas and ticks in turfFleas and ticks in your artificial grass: where they come from and what removes them
Fleas and ticks do not breed the way they would in soil or tall natural grass, but they shelter and survive in organic buildup, pollen, leaf litter…
Turf feels sticky or tackyWhy your artificial grass feels sticky or tacky, and how to tell what caused it
Sticky or tacky turf usually means one of four things has dried on the fibers instead of rinsing through: tree sap, which is insoluble in water…
Sunscreen and oil stainsSunscreen and oil stains on artificial grass by the pool, and how they come out
A turf-safe degreaser applied to the stain, left to dwell, worked in gently with a soft brush and rinsed thoroughly usually lifts a sunscreen or oil…
Food and drink stainsWine, soda, ketchup: getting food and drink stains out of artificial turf
Lift or blot what you can without pressing it into the pile, rinse the spot promptly with a hose on a gentle setting, then treat what remains: an…
Rust stains on the turfRust stains on your artificial grass: furniture feet and well water
Rust stains on turf almost always come from metal furniture, planters or fence posts sitting directly on the fibers, or from irrigation on a private…
Algae, weeds & buildup
Black or green patches on your artificial grass: algae, and why the coast grows it
Black or dark green patches on artificial grass are algae and mold growing on organic buildup, mainly pollen, dust and leaf litter, that has settled…
Weeds in artificial grassWeeds in artificial grass grow on top of it, not through it
Weeds in artificial grass almost always grow from seeds that landed on the surface and rooted in organic matter that has built up in the infill, not…
White chalky patchesWhite chalky patches on your turf are hard water, not fading
White chalky patches on artificial turf are mineral deposits, mostly calcium carbonate, left behind when irrigation overspray or hard water…
Mushrooms growing in turfWhy mushrooms are growing in your artificial grass, and what it means
Mushrooms on artificial turf grow from fungus feeding on decaying organic matter, most often old wood debris, mulch, tree roots or a buildup of leaf…
Mold under the turfMold under your artificial grass: how to tell, and when the turf has to come up
Mold under artificial turf, on the underside of the backing or in the base, usually announces itself as a musty smell with little or no visible…
Moss on the turfMoss growing on your artificial grass: why the shadiest strip gets it first
Moss grows on artificial turf where infill stays consistently damp and shaded and has enough organic matter, pollen, dust, decayed leaves, built up…
Slippery when wetWhy your artificial grass gets slippery when it is wet
Artificial turf that is slippery when wet almost always has a thin algae film on the fiber surface, invisible or barely visible when dry but slick…
Turf and pollen allergiesDoes artificial grass make pollen allergies worse? What is actually happening in the pile
more than most people expect. Turf's dense pile and the infill packed around each fiber's base give windblown pollen far more surface area and far…
Flat, hard & worn
Why your artificial grass went flat in the walking paths
Flattened artificial grass is fixed by power brushing against the grain of the fibers, which lifts them upright, and by fluffing and topping up the…
Turf feels hard or crunchyWhy your artificial grass feels crunchy or hard underfoot
Crunchy or hard artificial grass is almost always the infill: sand that has compacted into a pan under years of traffic and rain, bonded together by…
Putting green slow or bumpyYour backyard putting green rolls slow, or bumpy, or both
A synthetic putting green rolls slow when debris and pollen have softened the surface and the sand infill has washed thin, and bumpy when sand has…
Turned white or greyYour artificial grass turned white or grey: mineral crust, dried salt, or actual fade?
Artificial grass that has turned white or grey is one of three things: mineral deposits from irrigation or hard water, dried salt residue near the…
Faded and dull colorWhy your artificial grass looks faded and dull, and whether cleaning can fix it
Dull, lifeless-looking turf is almost always a thin film of dirt, pollen residue, hard-water minerals or general grime coating fibers that are still…
Static shock from turfWhy you get static shocks from artificial grass, and what actually helps
Static shock from artificial turf happens the same way it does from carpet or a wool blanket: friction between shoes or skin and synthetic fiber in…
Bald spots in the dog runBald spots in your dog run turf: the turns, the gate, and what fixes each
Bald spots in a dog run are fixed two ways depending on whether the fibers are bent or gone.
Infill washing out of the turfWhy the infill keeps washing out of your artificial grass
Infill washes out when moving water has enough volume or force to carry the loose sand or rubber granules with it, most often because the turf sits…
A layer of sand after rainSand sitting on top of your artificial grass after rain, and why it should not be there
A visible layer of infill above the fiber tips usually means one of two things: too much infill was installed or added and it was never brushed down…
Turf shedding fibersYour artificial grass is shedding fibers. Here is when that is normal, and when it is not.
A small amount of shedding in the first months after installation is normal and tapers off within a season, as loose trim fiber left over from…
Green cups sunk or unevenThe cups on your putting green have sunk or gone uneven. Here is why, and the reset.
A cup that reads low, tilted or lipped with sand almost always means sand has migrated unevenly around it, piling on one side and thinning on the…
Debris, storms & seasons
Pine needles, pollen and live-oak leaves: the Grand Strand turf problem nobody warns you about
Blow pine needles and leaves off artificial turf weekly before they mat into the fibers; a leaf blower is the right tool and a rake is not.
Sand and salt after a stormSand and salt on your turf after a storm: why to flush it now, not next spring
After a hurricane or tropical storm, clear branches and heavy debris, blow off loose material, then flush salt spray and windblown sand down through…
Turf after a floodYour artificial turf flooded. Here is the sequence, and when it is a rebuild instead of a clean
Let the water recede and the ground firm up enough to walk, then clear debris, flush the silt and any contamination out with repeated fresh-water…
Damage & drainage
Water pooling on your turf: clogged infill, or a base that has settled?
Water pools on artificial turf for one of two reasons.
Burn marks and melted spotsBurn marks on artificial turf, and the one that comes from your windows
A burn is melted fiber, so it cannot be cleaned, but the burned section is cut out and replaced with a matching piece of turf, seamed in and infilled…
Edges lifting upWhy the edges of your artificial grass are lifting, and how it's repaired
Artificial grass edges lift when whatever is securing them lets go: galvanized nails or staples that have backed out over time, an edge restraint…
Seams showingSeams showing in your artificial grass: a visible line, or an open gap?
A visible seam line with no gap is usually a grain-direction or grooming issue: the two pieces of turf were laid with fibers running slightly…
Wrinkles and ripplesWrinkles and ripples in your artificial turf: heat, tension, or the ground underneath?
Artificial turf that ripples on hot days and flattens as it cools is simply expanding and contracting with temperature, a normal property of the…
Soft or sinking spotsThere is a soft, sinking spot in your artificial turf. Here is what is under it.
A soft or sinking spot in artificial turf is a void or a low area in the compacted base underneath, not a problem with the turf itself.
Dog digging up the turfYour dog is digging up the artificial grass. It started at an edge.
Stop the dog by taking away the grip. Dogs dig artificial grass at edges and seams that have lifted, because a loose edge gives their claws something…
Turf drains slowly, stays wetYour turf never quite puddles, but it stays wet for a day. Here is why.
Turf that drains slowly but does not fully pool usually has infill that has clogged with organic matter or compacted into a dense layer, both of…
Bleach-damaged turfBleach damaged your artificial grass. Here is what can be saved and what cannot.
not once the bleach has actually reacted with the fiber's dye.
Pressure washer damageA pressure washer hit your turf. Here is the damage pattern, and what recovers.
Usually, if it has not happened repeatedly. A pressure washer blasts loose infill out of the pile in the stripe the wand passed over, leaving thin or…
Chlorine and pool water splashChlorine and pool water splashing onto your turf: what it does, and the rinse that stops it
if it sits and dries in the same spot repeatedly. Chlorinated pool water splashed onto turf acts like diluted bleach: each splash that dries without…
Ready when you are
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