Puddle-Free Driveways

With the coming of spring, also comes the onslaught of rain. After all, without it, how would we get those wonderful May flowers? But excessive rain can lead to puddles and buildup on our driveways. It has always surprised me that so many people still use basic concrete for their driveways, when there are other options that are a lot more water permeable.

Take for instance, gravel. Gravel has so many awesome benefits that make it a better material than concrete or asphalt. First of all, it lasts years longer than concrete and asphalt – which crack and break down over time. It channels contaminants such as oil into the earth beneath the driveway, where microbes slowly break them down. This is so much more eco-friendly than concrete and asphalt driveways, which allow dirty runoff to drain down into storm drains and out into the ocean.

Here’s another option: pervious concrete. For those of you who like the look of concrete this is probably a more friendly choice for you. Pervious concrete is made with little to no sand and has air pockets that permit drainage of 4 inches of water per minute. The one handicap to this stuff is that it can clog with dirt and other sediment, so you have to be sure to run a leaf blower over it every so often.

So, thinking about making the switch and do a total revamp of your driveway? Well, while I always suggest that driveway installation be completed by a professional, if you are a capable DIYer, here’s my advice. As far as pervious concrete goes, DIY installation just really isn’t an option as the stuff requires special tamping and rolling. But with gravel here are the simple steps:

1.     Excavate the old parking pad and put down a level base layer of gravel to help excess water filter down to the soil.

2.     You can buy these snap-together recycled plastic and polyethylene grids, which when installed on the top of the base layer, hold in place an additional 1 to 2 inches of decorative gravel in any color and last about 25 years. Prices range from about $3 to $5 per square foot. Simply install them, add the extra decorative layer of gravel and you’re set.