Today, a driveway is a valuable addition to any residential property and one many homeowners couldn’t live without. However, the standard materials used to build driveways aren’t always as friendly to the immediate environment as you may wish them to be.
One of the reasons is the exponential growth in urban sprawl; with more and more people setting up home in towns and cities, landscapes can become covered in concrete. Soil surfaces, no longer in their natural state, can’t always absorb the heat of each day in the city and Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) may form. Often, the green spaces that are concreted over in order to create driveways are precious oases which allow heat to escape downwards and wildlife to live. Another major issue caused by concrete driveways is flooding. Because concrete isn’t permeable, it doesn’t allow excess rainwater to drain away. Instead, during times of heavy rainfall, water pools and can cause damaging flash floods.
If you’re determined to have a driveway but you want to do right by the environment, what’s the solution? Simply, the answer is to choose a permeable material to build your driveway. Permeable materials allow excess water to be absorbed and naturally filter through the ground before it reaches our rivers and seas. Plus, they dramatically reduce the chances of flooding, negating the need for ugly storm drains or intrusive channels snaking across your outdoor space. That way, you’re working with nature, rather than against it. If you’re stuck for green driveway ideas, let’s take a look at some of the materials available as alternatives to concrete.
Granite setts can be used to create a homely, welcoming look and feel for your driveway. Perfect for paving your driveway itself or for creating an attractive edging, granite setts provide a versatile and affordable choice for the eco-conscious homeowner. Of course, there are numerous other setts and cobbles available, which can also work well on driveways. From luxurious Fairstone Setts to rustic-looking Fairstone Split and Tumbled Stone Setts, the choice is aesthetically diverse.
Grassguard
Grassguard is a sustainable product that allows you to increase space for parking while retaining the environmental benefits of a grassed surface. One major advantage of this particular product is that no planning permission is required before installation. Grassguard is formed from concrete tiles punctuated with numerous holes, with each cavity filled with soil in which the grass grows. Rainfall can drain away from a Grassguard surface with ease and the paving grids lend your home a softer edge.
Permeable paving
This revolutionary product that has introduced a greater level of sustainability into the market. Available in a range of designs, colours and finishes, permeable paving offers real choice, as well as a fantastic look. If you’d prefer a driveway that provides the ecological advantage of permeability, as well as the appealing look of a ‘living driveway’, Bioverse Permeable Paving could be for you. A cobbled aesthetic with grass growing in the spaces, this is a pretty, rural-looking product. For those hoping to achieve a classic or urban finish,
Drivesett Tegula Priora or Driveline Priora block paving may provide a more visually suitable solution.
Whether you opt for permeable paving, Grassguard or grey granite setts, you’ll find that as well as being more aesthetically pleasing than standard driveway concrete, these environmentally friendly materials also deliver peace of mind.
