Driveways are often one of the fundamental components of the exterior of your home, however, most people simply chose a driveway based on its colour or visual appeal, which shouldn’t always be the case.
When looking into clever driveways as such, there is one option that should always be considered – permeable driveways.
What does permeable mean?
Often known as previous, permeable materials are materials that allow liquids or gasses to flow through it. Due to this, they are becoming an increasingly popular approach for driveways, primarily due to their environmental factors that help to handle the rainfall and other liquids.
Benefits
- Environmentally friendly
As mentioned previously, one of the primary benefits of installing a permeable driveway is for its environmentally friendly characteristics. The most notable aspect is that rainfall or other liquids will seep through the driveway into the earth and surrounding greens, rather than flowing down the drive into the nearest drain, enabling the water to be used functionally.
- Less standing water
If the water has the availability to flow through the driveway, then it’s far less likely that your driveway will be free of standing water. This then helps to prevent two additional issues including damaging the driveway, as well as reducing the chance of slipping on the driveway surface.
- Reduces the chances of a ‘heat island’
As the water is absorbed into the ground, as well as through the surface of the driveway, permeable driveways are known for being much cooler, helping to reduce the chances of ‘heat islands’.
- Aesthetically pleasing
Most permeable driveways are aesthetically pleasing, often because they are highly customisable during the planning process. This then means that the client can easily design the driveway, enabling creative, but effective driveways, for many homes.
Drawbacks
- Higher installation costs
Compared to traditional alternatives, such as tarmac or asphalt, these driveways often require special materials and components to guarantee the very best results. Also related to this, is that pervious surface installations also require expert driveway contractors to complete the work, further influencing the cost of the project.
- Not as strong as alternative solutions
Despite how great it can be for environmental purposes, these driveways aren’t as strong as traditional or asphalt options. For instance, if you continuously park a heavy vehicle on your drive, then you will begin to realise the pores of the driveway will begin to collapse, which isn’t ideal for vehicle safety.
- Harder maintenance process
If you are looking for a low maintenance driveway solution, then a permeable surface isn’t ideal. This is because they require a specific cleaning process to ensure that the permeability is maintained at all times. A few of the most common tasks include removing fine particles between the paves, as they can be the primary reason why the water isn’t draining properly. `
Suitable options
- Concrete & asphalt
It has already been mentioned previously that these two materials are the perfect example of non-pervious driveways, however, modern techniques of creating the mix for these materials has enabled them to become recognised as suitable permeable options. The way that this differentiates from its traditional version is that the fine particles are removed, enabling the asphalt surface to become more porous as a result.
- Plastic pavers
Often seen as one of the most popular permeable driveway solutions, plastic pavers are a great way to transform a grass patch into a suitable driveway. Often installed in a grid formation such as a honeycomb – a stronger and noticeable surface is laid out that allows cars to park on a surface, whilst also allowing vegetation and grass to grow through the holes.
- Resin-bound surface
Resin-bound driveways have become increasingly popular in recent years, predominantly due their strength and aesthetic look, but also because of the fact they’re permeable. Created with a combination of resin with aggregate, a significant about of small but effective holes are created whilst the surface is being laid, enabling for water to seep through the surface and reach the earth.
Can we be of assistance?
When it comes to professional driveway surface contractors, there is no need to look further than the Bestco Surfacing website. Having been established since 1978, the whole team is highly experienced at delivering tarmac and asphalt surfaces, as well as further specialist solutions including resin-bound driveways.