Interlocking concrete pavers can be used to create a wide range of stunning outdoor constructions, from pool decks to driveways to patios and beyond. Before you get started building your next outdoor construction using concrete pavers, though, you’ll first need to choose between permeable and impervious pavers. To help make this choice a little easier, we’ll take a look at some of the top reasons why permeable pavers are a growing trend in outdoor design.
What are Permeable Pavers?
Before we get started discussing the reasons why permeable pavers are becoming more and more popular, it’s important to first define what permeable pavers are the function that they serve. As the name suggests, permeable pavers are designed to be water-permeable, meaning that water is able to seep through the paver and reach the ground beneath it rather than gathering on top of the paver or flowing across it. Impervious pavers, on the other hand, are not water permeable.
Aside from this key difference, permeable pavers and impervious pavers share most of the same qualities. Each can be purchased in a wide range of colors, sizes, and surface textures, and each type amounts to a very durable and attractive building material. With that said, though, permeable pavers offer a number of noteworthy benefits that have made them a popular choice among homeowners across the country.
Permeable Pavers are an Eco-Friendly Choice
Perhaps one of the main reasons why permeable pavers have grown dramatically in popularity over the past few years is the fact that permeable pavers are a green-conscious and eco-friendly building material. Rather than directing water runoff to the nearest storm drain where it will then go on to join receiving waters, permeable pavers trap precipitation and slowly release it into the ground. During this process, permeable pavers are also able to trap many of the contaminants that the water runoff might contain before releasing it back into the ground. The result is a building material that is able to help establish a more natural hydrologic process as well as eliminate certain containments from the environment, making permeable pavers a very eco-friendly choice.
Permeable Pavers are Ideal for Flood-Prone Areas
In locations that frequently receive an excess amount of rainfall, flooding and landscape damage due to excess water runoff can be a troubling concern. Permeable pavers, however, are able to help prevent landscape damage by reducing water runoff. If you live in a flood-prone area or any area where damage due to excess water runoff is a concern, building your driveways using permeable pavers is an excellent solution to consider. In fact, using permeable pavers to construct your home’s driveway and walkways may be able to eliminate the need for costly drainage systems as well as the need for expensive permits that go along with connecting a drainage system to a municipal waste water system. Consider landscape services Alpharetta for professional installation of permeable pavers.
Permeable Pavers are Ideal for Colder Climates
It’s fairly well-known that permeable pavers are a great building material for homeowners who live in high-rainfall, flood-prone areas. What you might not know, though, is that permeable pavers are also ideal for colder climates where ice and snow buildup are a concern. According to one 2009 study conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire, permeable pavers require less than a quarter of the salt typically applied to concrete and asphalt in order to prevent icing. Another study found that permeable pavers are less likely to freeze over due to the fact that air trapped in the pavers is able to store heat that is slowly released to the surface. Thanks to these properties, permeable pavers are an ideal building choice for driveways and walkways located in areas where icing is a concern.
Permeable Pavers Come in a Wide Range of Designs
Permeable pavers offer a number of ecological benefits. The best part about permeable pavers, though, is that these benefits can be acquired without having to sacrifice the aesthetic appeal of your outdoor construction. At first glance, permeable pavers are indistinguishable from any other type of paver on the market. Most importantly, though, permeable pavers come in an incredibly wide range of sizes, shapes, colors, and surface textures and can also be laid in an equally wide range of patterns. The fact that homeowners are able to build an outdoor construction that is water permeable and more resistant to freezing over while still being able to choose the exact style and design of the pavers they use is one of the primary reasons why permeable pavers have become such a popular trend in outdoor design.
Make Use of Permeable Pavers for Your Next Outdoor Construction
Whether you are looking to build a paver patio, paver driveway, or anything in-between, permeable pavers offer a number of advantages that are worth considering. From protecting your landscape against water runoff damage to eliminating the need for costly drainage systems and beyond, there are plenty of great reasons to choose permeable pavers for your next outdoor construction.
