Two things decide whether artificial turf stays beautiful or slowly goes sad: drainage and infill. When drainage fails, Orlando's downpours leave puddles and smell. When infill compacts or washes out, blades mat down and the lawn looks tired and thin. Our drainage and infill services fix both — bringing tired turf back to life without the cost of replacement.
We do drainage correction and infill refreshes across the Orlando area, from Sanford to Kissimmee and Winter Springs to Doctor Phillips — on turf we installed and turf installed by others.
What These Services Include
Drainage correction
- Puddle diagnosis. We find where water sits and why — low spots, compacted base, blocked flow, or turf backing that was never porous enough.
- Spot re-grading. Problem areas are lifted, the base is re-graded for flow, and the turf is re-laid.
- Drainage additions. Where grading alone is not enough, we add drainage capacity under or around the turf.
Infill refresh
- Deep cleaning. Compacted, dirty infill is loosened and debris is removed so the turf can breathe again.
- Infill top-up or replacement. Fresh infill is worked deep into the fibers to stand blades back up. For pet areas, we can switch to antimicrobial infill.
- Power brushing. The whole surface is brushed to lift matted fibers and even out the finish.
Why Orlando Turf Needs This
Downpours. A summer storm can drop inches of rain in an hour. Turf with weak drainage ponds — and standing water in Florida heat means mosquitoes and mildew within days.
Heat compaction. Sun and foot traffic compact infill over time. Blades that once stood tall lie flat, and the lawn looks worn long before the turf actually is.
Pet use. Dog areas compact faster and trap more odor. Antimicrobial infill refreshes make the biggest visible and smellable difference here.
Sandy soil movement. Orlando's sandy base material shifts with water flow. Low spots develop where none existed at install, and drainage that worked in year one can fail by year five.
How the Service Works, Step by Step
Step 1: Inspection
We walk the turf, flood-test the drainage, and check infill depth and condition. You get a written quote for exactly what the turf needs — no upsell to replacement unless the turf is truly done.
Step 2: Drainage work
Problem spots are lifted and re-graded, or drainage is added. We re-test with water before moving on.
Step 3: Infill service
Old infill is cleaned and loosened, fresh infill is worked in, and pet areas get antimicrobial treatment if wanted.
Step 4: Brush and finish
The full surface is power-brushed. Most drainage and infill jobs take one to two days.
What It Costs in Orlando
Infill refreshes typically run $1 to $3 per square foot — a 500-square-foot lawn usually lands between $500 and $1,500. Drainage spot fixes typically run $500 to $2,500 depending on how many areas need re-grading and whether new drainage goes in.
Honest note: every yard is different — these are starting ranges. The written quote after our inspection is the real number.
What This Service Cannot Fix
Be straight with yourself: an infill refresh cannot save turf whose fibers are worn out, UV-damaged, or melted. And drainage correction cannot fix a base that has failed across the entire yard — that needs replacement. We will tell you which situation you are in before you spend a dollar. If the turf is done, see our artificial turf replacement page.
Keeping It Honest: The Downsides
A refresh makes turf look much better, but it does not make old turf new — faded color stays faded. Drainage fixes solve the spots we fix; if the original grading was bad everywhere, spot fixes become whack-a-mole and replacement is the real answer. And infill work kicks up dust, so plan around it for a day.
The Flood Test: How We Diagnose Drainage
You cannot fix drainage by looking at dry turf. Our inspection includes a flood test: we run water over the problem areas and watch what it does. Water should sheet through the turf and disappear into the base within seconds. If it sits, spreads sideways, or pools, we have found the failure — and we can usually tell whether it is a low spot, a compacted base, or turf backing that was never porous enough.
This test also settles the repair-vs-replace question fast. A yard with two fixable low spots is a drainage correction. A yard where water ponds everywhere because the base was never graded is a replacement wearing a repair costume. The flood test does not lie, and we will show you the results before quoting anything.
Infill Types, Explained Simply
Infill is the sand-like material worked into turf fibers, and the type matters:
- Silica sand. The standard. Affordable, heavy, holds blades up. Fine for most lawns.
- Antimicrobial sand. Sand treated to fight odor-causing bacteria. Worth it for any dog area.
- Cooling infill. Specialty infills that absorb water and release it slowly, cooling the surface. Useful for play areas and pool decks in direct sun.
- Rubber crumb. Common on sports fields, rare in homes. We generally do not recommend it for residential yards — it gets hot and migrates.
More infill is not always better. Overfilled turf feels crunchy and drains slower. The right amount depends on the turf's pile height and density — which is why a refresh starts with measuring what is there, not just dumping more in.
When a Refresh Is Not Enough
We are upfront about limits. An infill refresh will not fix turf with sun-rotted fibers, widespread melted spots, or a base that has collapsed across the whole yard. In those cases the honest recommendation is replacement — and we will show you exactly why during the inspection, with the flood test as evidence. Spending money on services that cannot hold is worse than spending nothing. If your turf is past the point of rescue, our replacement service starts from a clean slate and does it right.
Helpful Reading
Read our drainage guide and our maintenance guide. For physical damage like seams and tears, see our turf repair service.
Turf looking tired or holding water? Fill out the contact form for a free inspection and written quote, or email info@orlandosyntheticturf.com. We serve Orlando and the suburbs — Sanford, Lake Mary, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Doctor Phillips, Windermere, and nearby.