A Buyers Guide To Artificial Lawns In Dubai
Deciding to install artificial grass can be a huge leap of faith, especially in Dubai where it is imperative to spend along time researching any product or service where you are parting with a significant amount of your hard earned money. You want to make sure you get it right and right the first time, not the second or third. When it comes to artificial grass there are certain things you need to know in order to be able to wholeheartedly know you are making the correct decision.
Firstly you need to know how it will improve things for you, after all this is the ultimate goal and really what you are aiming for. How will it help you, what will it improve and will it actually do the job you want it to do. We’ll explore this shortly.
Secondly you want to know about the product, what is it made from, what do all the technical names mean, how long will it last for, how is it installed and so on. We’ll cover the information that you really need to know and hopefully a bit more too.
Lastly we’ll talk about any negative points as well as things you need to look out for.
The main benefits of artificial grass
So let’s start with the main event which is how will installing artificial grass improve things for you, how will it help as a solution to the issues you face with natural grass. Maybe it won’t be the right choice for you, lets look at this.
What are the main reasons why people consider artificial grass in the first place. There are a few complaints that we tend to hear over and over again in Dubai where the climate is dry and hot. The main ones are natural grass not growing well, high water bills, kids bringing dirt into the house and limited time and energy to try and maintain natural grass.
If you’ve grown natural grass in Dubai or the UAE you’ll know that it is no easy task. It can be done yes but you need patience, knowledge and all the right tools and tricks depending on your exact location, the time of year, the aspect of you house plus many other considerations; it’s not easy! And that is is the point, it really isn’t easy to achieve that bowling green look in your garden. The main problem arises where the canopy of a tree permanently shades an area of the garden. If this is the case it will be almost impossible to grow natural grass below the tree and you’re left with a large brown patch. Sound familiar? Of course then is makes sense to replace the area where grass won’t grow with something that looks a lot better. This could be a flower bed, a seating area, some paving or if you want to keep the same area of grass then artificial grass is a sensible option as you then won’t need to think about keeping the grass alive. It will start off green and stay green!
This same principle applies for the rest of the garden as well where the grass is struggling. If you want to keep your lawn but you find it difficult keeping your natural grass alive then artificial grass is the perfect solution.
High water bills are a complaint we here often as well. We normally here this from clients who have large gardens and are trying to reduce their overall household monthly bills. Whilst the water is only a proportion of the monthly bill is it is still a contributing factor and will make a difference if it can be reduced. Not only will the water cost be reduced but the electricity used to pour the pumps that feel the irrigation systems as well. On top of the actual direct bill installing a fake lawn means you can remove all the irrigation pipes and sprinklers which reduces the yearly maintenance cost of the irrigation and also the potential for water leaks. So whilst the obvious reduction in the water bill great there are other associated cost and practical benefits as well that are often overlooked.
Another story we tend to hear quite regularly from clients who have natural grass is that of dirt and sand being bought into the house. This is most common in households where there are children. Generally the major complaint is that the kids are outside in the garden playing and because the grass is bare in patches there is a lot of lose sand and dirt. When the children come back inside they bring half of the garden with them. If the kids are playing with water or there is a paddling pool in the garden for example is it even worse as the dirt turns to mud and then this ends up in the house. If this is an issue you are familiar with then an artificial lawn is perfect of you as the kids will come back spotless every time, no mud and no mess!
Rolls generally come in 2m or 4m widths. We use 4m rolls so there are less joints/seams in the finished lawn. These seams are where the 2 rolls meet and need to be glued together with special tape and glue. The seams are generally about 97% invincible but due to the nature of joining 2 separate pieces of material thesis the max even the most advanced installers can achieve. If you know the seam is there you can just about make it out but if you didn’t know where it is then it would be very difficult to tell.
This is the Easigrass installation process in detail and will help to understand what we do from beginning to end.
What to look out for
As with many house and garden items Dragon Mart always gets a mention. Please see a detailed post on this but the reality is if you want peace of mind it is best to avoid it. For small inexpensive trinkets, car chargers, garden lights, basically thing you expect to break very quickly then fine, go for it but for large investments you really need to know everything about what you are buying. As you may well know already trying to get a straight answer out of anyone at Dragon Mart is not easy. The Dragon Mart deal is you are getting it cheap just don’t expect any service or any questions to be answered. Whilst it is clear you will be paying less in Dragon Mart than a specialist supplier the unknowns area a risk. Where and how the grass is made, what chemicals used in the manufacturing process and in the finished product. This list goes on and if you have children running around on it all day their safety has to be the first concern. Most reputable companies will be able to show you test reports on the products and while these companies may be more expensive than Dragon Mart it is this peace of mind that you are paying for.
On a similar subject to the paragraph about Dragon Mart there are other things to watch out for and another big red flag are companies do not supply and install their own products all under one roof. The issue here when one company supplies the artificial grass and another installs is that who do you go to if something goes wrong. Inevitably the installer blames the product/supplier and the supplier blames the installer, this goes around in circles and a solution is never found. Make sure whoever you choose for your artificial grass in Dubai manufactures, supplies and installs all under one roof. This way if there is ever and issue you only have one company to turn to.
Heat – Does fake grass get hot? Yes it does, especially in Dubai and the UAE where temperatures reach 50 degrees plus! Every surface gets hot out here, beach sand, tiles by a pool, you name it it gets hot and artificial grass is the same, it’s impossible to avoid in Dubai. It does lose it’s heat however very quickly when it is not in the direct sunlight unlike stone pavers and tiles which can take hours to cool down. If you need to go out in the garden when it’s hot just give it a very quick spray with the hose and it will take the heat out of the grass.
Flattening – Artificial grass is not no maintenance, it’s low maintenance. A regular maintenance plan will of course help keep the grass in good condition but depending on the usage and the traffic it will eventually flatten. If the garden is not regularly used then this will of course take a long time to happen but if your kids are on it every day on their bikes and toys then it will be under a lot of stress and will flatten after a time. This crushing is not a fault in the grass it is just part of the wear and tear. Regular maintenance and brushing will extend the life of the grass.
What’s in the grass? Anything you should be concerned about? – Not all artificial grass is created equal. Since artificial grass came to prominence as an alternative to natural grass over 25 years ago it has dramatically changed in its appearance, its uses and most importantly its safety. Artificial grass is made from various forms of synthetic (man-made) polymers. Because artificial grass is synthetic it has been given many labels over the years and has been the subject of hundreds of reviews and reports by local authorities, governments, councils, landscaping and sporting bodies to try and ascertain if is safe. As the market for artificial grass continues to grow it is becoming more apparent that there are considerable differences in the ingredients used in the manufacturing process by the diverse spectrum of companies who are supplying and installing artificial grass to the worldwide market. Most reputable artificial grass companies should be able to show you test results on their products and if they can’t then it is perhaps worth steering clear of them. The main concerns are lead and mercury. Products these days are generally safer than they used to be but always check to make sure.
So that wraps up a fairly detailed buyer’s guide to artificial grass in Dubai. If you would like any more information on the above please don’t hesitate to contact us.