Two kinds of wet, one spec
Rain country splits into drizzle climates (Seattle, Portland: modest volume, arriving eternally) and deluge climates (Tampa, New Orleans, Mobile: spectacular volume, arriving at once). Both resolve to the same system: high-permeability backing (FlowThru’s 1,000+ in/hr leads the catalog), free-draining compacted base, and honest grading. The published in/hr numbers dwarf even tropical rainfall rates. A turf lawn’s capacity is never the constraint; the layers beneath it are.
The real wet-climate enemies
- Mud, the reason wet-climate owners convert. Saturated soil plus traffic equals the November-to-April bog; turf over compacted base simply has no mud to make.
- Moss and fungus: biology that needs soil and dying grass to root in; polyethylene starves both. An occasional rinse replaces the annual moss war.
- Shade: rain climates are tree climates, and full shade is where natural lawns surrender. Turf’s color is sunlight-independent, the great equalizer for the Pacific Northwest backyard.
- Standing water’s tenants: mosquito control by drainage, the Gulf Coast’s quiet favorite feature.
Lessons from the wettest markets
Our rainiest customers taught us the priorities: Pacific Northwest buyers spec drainage-first products (the FlowThru-backed EverFlow 88 and EverPet 87 lead the region), Gulf buyers add the spike-and-ballast install standard for tropical wind, and both discover the same dividend: the outdoor season stops being rationed by ground conditions. When the sun appears, the yard is ready that minute, not Thursday.