Hardscaping & Landscaping Contractor in Saudi Arabia

Choosing surfaces for Saudi heat, dust and rain

Outdoor paving here works in conditions a generic specification does not always anticipate. Dark, smooth surfaces get uncomfortably hot in direct sun and become slippery when wet from irrigation overspray or a rare downpour. In Riyadh, the gap between afternoon heat and night-time cool moves large areas of rigid paving; in Jeddah, humidity and salt in the air drive staining and efflorescence on absorbent stone. Rain is infrequent but can be heavy, so drainage has to cope with a sudden volume of water, not only irrigation runoff. Light colours, textured finishes and drainage designed for peak flows deal with most of these problems before any special product is needed.

Paving systems compared

The layers you never see

Most paving failures trace back to what is under the surface. From the ground up, the build-up is:

1. Formation: the natural ground or fill, checked and compacted, with soft spots removed or treated as the engineer directs.
2. Sub-base: compacted granular material laid to the same falls as the finished surface, so the bedding above it is an even thickness.
3. Bedding: the layer that receives the paving; its type depends on the system, whether sand, mortar or adhesive.
4. Paving and jointing: units laid to line and level, with joints filled as specified.
5. Edge restraint: continuous and fixed before traffic, so units cannot creep at the margins.

Services matter as much. Irrigation sleeves, lighting ducts and drainage pipes should be in and tested before paving starts. A trench cut later and poorly backfilled becomes a line of settlement across finished paving.

Checks before you cover, and at handover

• Falls measured on the sub-base before bedding, then on the finished surface, with water run over it to confirm nothing ponds.
• Drainage outlets, gullies and sleeves located, capped and marked on the as-built drawing before paving hides them.
• A sample panel approved for colour, joint width and finish before the main area is laid.
• Edge restraints continuous, and movement joints where the specification puts them.
• Steps with uniform riser heights and tread depths within a flight, since uneven steps cause trips; handrails and edge protection where the design requires them.
• Boundary walls: footing and reinforcement inspected before blockwork or backfill, and alignment checked before any finish goes on.

Working with the other trades

Hardscaping is where several trades meet the ground. Pool surrounds and fountain edges must match paving levels and joints. Footings for canopies and pergolas, and other concrete elements, should be cast before paving so it is not cut back afterwards. Irrigation and lighting sleeves are agreed with MEP works and the landscape designer, and planting soil is set below the paving edge so it does not wash onto the surface. The North Jeddah rest house combined paved terraces, a pool and a shade canopy in one exterior programme.

Programme and cost follow the groundwork more than the surface: ground conditions that need extra sub-base or treatment, the amount of drainage and services, access for plant and materials, and edge and step details usually move both more than the choice between two similar paving units.

In a BOQ, ask for sub-base, bedding, paving, jointing, edge restraints and drainage as separate items, with the paving unit, finish and approved sample named, so tenders compare like for like and substitutions are visible.