Artificial grass for Abu Dhabi gardens

Natural lawn needs regular watering, mowing and feeding, and in Abu Dhabi's summer it can struggle in the full sun of an open plot or the deep shade beside a boundary wall. Artificial grass stays green in both. It suits side passages, areas under trees or pergolas where turf thins out, children's play corners, roof terraces and gardens that are used only part of the year. It is not the answer for every space. Grass in full summer sun gets hot underfoot, so the areas you walk on barefoot benefit from shade, and many families keep some natural planting for cooling and greenery. We help you decide where each one fits.

Most problems with artificial grass come from what is underneath it, not the grass itself.

• Excavation and a compacted sub-baseSandy soil is dug out and replaced with a compacted, free-draining base so the surface stays level.
• Falls for drainageThe base is shaped so water from irrigation, washing or rain runs off rather than pooling.
• Weed membraneStops weeds pushing through from the soil below.
• Firm edgesKerbs, paving or planter walls hold the edges so the grass does not lift or creep. We also offer pool building in Abu Dhabi, with the decking around the pool planned in the same design.
• Joins and infillSeams are aligned with the pile direction and infilled where the product needs it, so the joins disappear.

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Damac Hills 2, Dubai · 250 sqm · August 2022 - September 2022

Outdoor lighting, wall cladding and lit stepping stones in Damac Hills 2, with plant spike lights and artificial grass.

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Project Alpha

Damac Hills 2, Dubai · 200 sqm · November 2022 - December 2022

An outdoor area in Damac Hills 2 with ambient lighting, stepping stones, landscaping, wall cladding and artificial grass.

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Artificial grass inside your garden is part of your own landscaping. Areas outside the plot boundary, such as a verge in front of the villa, are different. According to TAMM, the Abu Dhabi government services platform, landscaping works on spaces outside the boundaries of residential plots need a permit from the Department of Municipalities and Transport, under its Off-Plot Works Manual. If your plans include such an area, we confirm what is allowed and apply for the permit ourselves. Your community may also have its own rules for front gardens.

An artificial lawn is only as good as the layer beneath it, and in Abu Dhabi that layer varies. Coastal and island plots can sit on sabkha or reclaimed ground, where the soil holds salt and the water table can be close to the surface; inland plots are more often loose, dry sand.

• Salt-affected groundSalt crystals pushed up by moisture can leave white staining on paving and kerbs around the grass. A drained sub-base and a separating membrane keep the salt below the surface.
• Damp ground and drainageWhere groundwater is close, the base must have an outlet. Falls take water to a planted bed, a soakaway or an existing drain, so the backing never sits wet and the pile dries quickly after rinsing.
• Loose dry sandInland sand compacts poorly on its own, so it is dug out and replaced with a compacted aggregate layer that stays level under furniture and feet.
• Humidity in shaded cornersIsland humidity keeps shaded strips damp, which encourages algae on any surface that stays wet. Free drainage and a pile that dries are the answer, along with care over where the grass goes.
• Roof terraces and slabsOn a slab, water must still reach the drain. A drainage layer under the grass protects the waterproofing and keeps the outlets reachable.

OutMazed Design lays artificial grass in Abu Dhabi from its office in SIT Tower, Dubai Silicon Oasis. This is how it works from your side.

• A free site visit in Abu DhabiWe measure the area, check levels, drainage and shade, and look at what the grass will meet: paving, planters, a pool deck or a slab.
• Planned with the rest of the garden in 3DStepping stones, edges, lighting and planting are placed in the design first, and the grass is cut to them.
• Approvals, if any, applied for by usInside the plot, artificial grass is normally part of your own landscaping. For front areas and verges we check the municipality's published requirements and your community's rules and apply for what is needed.
• Edges and features from our workshopBench seating, planter boxes and pergola elements that frame the grass are made in our in-house workshop in Dubai and fitted on site, with one project manager coordinating the base work, the grass and any other garden works.
• What to have readyRough measurements or a plot plan, photos of the area, a note of where water drains now, whether the area is on a roof slab, your community's rules for front gardens, and how the space will be used: children, pets, a pool edge or a terrace.