If you are considering replacing your driveway and using asphalt or old concrete in its place, better think twice.
There are a lot of new methods and materials available these days, that will not only give you a better-looking driveway; it will help the environment at the same time. Permeable paving will give you the best of both worlds.
The Benefits of the Eco-Friendly Material
Instead of throwing rainwater, snowmelt and all the pollution to storm drains and streets, let them drain into the ground. Imagine a 30 by 30 foot block of concrete; it can shed around 550 gallons of water in an inch of rain. Whereas permeable paving can absorb moisture, so it can lessen the temperature around your home during summer.
Permeable driveways act as filters as it improves the quality of water before it reaches the rivers, lakes and ocean outfalls. They recharge qualifiers, lessen the hazards of floods and the need for big storm drains. In addition to that, it can minimize the heat island effect where all the asphalt and concrete of urban areas trap heat and modify the microclimate of the location.
The Key to Permeable Pavement
Porous pavement is an absorptive pavement surface that has a reservoir below it. The reservoir carries the surface runoff that lets it slowly drain into the subsoil. This is how water gets treated with natural filtration. Porous pavement can imitate concrete or asphalt, but they made it without using fine and compact materials. Yet, it does include hollow spaces for water infiltration.
If you want it to make it even more eco-friendly, add grass or other kinds of low-growing plants that can absorb automobile leaks and runoffs. Green driveways include a lot of layers beginning with a dense, sandy surface, followed by a support structure filled with sandy loam to help the root system and retain the solid surface.
For environmentally friendly paving installations, arrange a free in-house presentation at stoneset.co.nz