If you are the one who wishes to create an eco-friendly environment. You can start it from your home. Do you know that your driveways can help you in saving water and will also act as water filters? Yes, it is possible with water permeable driveways. In earlier days, concrete and asphalt were used for driveways. Several people loved it because of its durability and less maintenance characteristics. Though it is not said it’s not eco-friendly, it doesn’t have the feature to reduce storm water flow.

When the driveways and patios are tightly packed with stones or gravel, the water can't infiltrate into the ground. It should either be directed to any permeable areas or any sewer systems. If not done it will be accumulated in the flat surface, where it will cause a puddle and be left to the hot sun’s mercy to undergo the natural evaporation process. This is where water permeable driveway plays an efficient role. These driveways help you to retain and manage storm water within the premises itself. Water permeable driveways allow water to flow through the joints between the stones. It is flown into the drainage layers through the drainage tiles. The water is accumulated in there and it slowly released into the soil underground.

How To Install Water-Permeable Driveways?

Unlike concrete and asphalt pavements, the natural joints of these stones make it flexible and will rarely crack when there are any environmental impacts. The main characteristic of these stones is that they are easy to maintain, if you find any problem with one stone, it can be easily replaced. Installing permeable stones in the driveway requires extra care and support. You might have read that water-permeable stones are not porous and they do not absorb water easily. Stones individually kept in a tight place will not help in the absorption of water. The permeability starts when you allow a gap between the paver stones and allow water to drain through it. 

Site Preparation Process

You must prepare the site efficiently before starting the installation process of water-permeable driveways. Before you get into the mineral base, you must remove the six inches deep top soil. It has to be compressed before you add the geo textile. This process is necessary to keep the stone separated from the natural ground.

Reservoir Base Creation

A saturated ground will not be able to keep up with the falling rate of rainwater. Therefore, to hold a solid base, you must create a water reservoir underneath it. This can be done by adding around six to eight inches of crushed stones which are of 3/4th inches of thickness. This acts as a base for walkways. Around twelve to eighteen inches of crushed stones have to be added for driveways and patios.

Base Creation

You can create the base using different methods. Every landscaper follows different methods. However, you must stick to the underlying principle of creating base materials that allow water to pass through it. Here you can use stones of different sizes and get it leveled using a plate compressor. Some installers use 1.5 inches of stones to get the final surface sealed.

Filling of Joints

Filling of joints can sometimes be a complicated process to look upon. If you are looking for a complete permeable paver, you should not use sand fillings. Usually, to prevent weed growth, few landscapers use polymer material. When stones are interlocked in this way, it will not allow the water to seep down making it non-permeable. If you wish to maintain permeability at this point, you need to ensure that you add either pea gravel or pure sand. This will inhibit weed growth and also allow water to pass through.

Even though it might sound easier to install Water permeable driveways on your own, it is always imperative that you take the help of professionals who can help you install an eco-friendly and beautiful driveway.