This pet-friendly artificial grass installation in Tauranga helped a homeowner replace a struggling natural lawn with a practical, low-maintenance surface suitable for their dog.
Unreal Lawns installed Meadow artificial grass featuring FlowTech open mesh backing and zeolite infill, creating a practical, low-maintenance lawn suited to the household’s needs.
The homeowner helped reduce installation costs by completing the initial excavation and arranging an underlying punched drain coil system, while our team constructed the aggregate base and installed the artificial grass.
The Challenge – Poor Drainage and a Dog-Friendly Lawn
The homeowner had previously tried establishing natural grass, but drainage problems made maintaining a healthy lawn difficult.
During heavy rain, water struggled to drain away, leaving the area unsuitable for maintaining a reliable natural lawn. Having a dog added another challenge.
The customer wanted a practical, low-maintenance alternative that would look good throughout the year and suit their pet.
Choosing Meadow with FlowTech Open Mesh Backing
Unreal Lawns recommended Meadow artificial grass featuring FlowTech open mesh backing.
Meadow was selected as a suitable option for the customer’s dog, with the open mesh backing designed to allow water to pass through the turf into the prepared base.
The installation also included zeolite infill, selected to help manage pet-related odours.
Together, these components provide a practical artificial grass system suited to the homeowner’s requirements.
Saving Money Through Customer Preparation
To reduce the overall installation cost, the homeowner completed the initial excavation themselves.
They removed approximately 100 mm of soil from the area before the Unreal Lawns installation team arrived.
The homeowner also arranged the installation of punched drain coil connected to an underlying drainage system to help manage excess water.
This allowed our team to concentrate on constructing the aggregate base and installing the artificial grass.
Building the Drainage Base
Following the customer’s excavation work, the Unreal Lawns team installed geotextile separation fabric over the prepared subgrade before constructing the aggregate base using GAP20, followed by a finer GAP7 capping layer.
The base was prepared and levelled to provide a stable foundation for the Meadow artificial grass.
The FlowTech open mesh backing allows water to pass through the turf into the prepared base, while the underlying punched drain coil system helps manage excess water.
Installing Meadow Artificial Grass
With the aggregate base prepared, the Meadow artificial grass was positioned, cut and fitted around the existing garden edges and outdoor living areas.
Careful cutting and fitting allowed the artificial lawn to follow the curved garden borders while maintaining a neat finish against the surrounding surfaces.
The installation was completed with zeolite infill, a natural mineral selected to help manage pet-related odours. Zeolite can capture ammonium associated with dog urine, helping reduce the potential for unpleasant smells in artificial grass. The turf was then groomed to achieve a neat, consistent finish.
The finished lawn provides a consistent green surface that complements the existing garden beds, black fencing and outdoor entertaining space.
The Finished Result
The completed installation transformed the Tauranga backyard from a patchy natural lawn into a neat, low-maintenance outdoor space.
Meadow artificial grass now provides a consistent green surface that follows the curved garden borders and complements the existing planting and outdoor entertaining area.
The combination of FlowTech open mesh backing, zeolite infill, a properly prepared aggregate base and the underlying punched drain coil system was selected to address the homeowner’s requirements for drainage management and a dog-friendly lawn.
The project also demonstrates how homeowners can reduce installation costs by undertaking suitable preparation work themselves, while leaving the specialist base construction and artificial grass installation to Unreal Lawns.
Planning a Pet-Friendly Artificial Lawn?
Whether you’re dealing with patchy natural grass, pet-related maintenance or difficult drainage conditions, Unreal Lawns can help you explore suitable artificial grass options.
We supply and install artificial grass across our service areas, including Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland.
