As this summer’s heat and humidity give way to more comfortable outdoor living for islanders, fall is a great time to consider a new or expanding hardscape. In planning for an enhanced driveway, parking pad, patio, courtyard, or walkway – certainly assess any areas that tend to collect a lot of rain water and/or stay wet for a considerable period of time. As hurricane season is upon us, it’s essential to shore up vulnerable areas with an effective drainage system, especially for driveways, parking pads, and other solid (non-permeable) surfaces. Considering the heavy rains that affect the Crystal Coast in any season, permeable platforms offer unsurpassed drainage value as they are designed to let water flow vertically through the joints and filter back into the ground – thus, sparing road salt, petroleum distillates, metals, pesticides, and other harmful pollutants from running off into our cherished Ocean, Sound, rivers and streams. Moreover, permeable platforms can be designed and installed to provide water harvesting, eliminate standing water, replenish aquifers, buffer surface temperatures and, yes, even boost curb appeal!
Design and Material Considerations
Permeable platforms vary substantially in material, structural composition, size, shape, layout, color, texture, etc. MATERIAL – the “building block”- found in permeable pavement platforms. Although the most common permeable material used along the Crystal Coast is a concrete paver, it’s not uncommon to see the the ubiquitous “grid paver” and occasionally slabs and flagstone.
STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION – While most manufactured permeable pavers consist of high strength Portland® cement, fine/course aggregates, water, and pigments, there’s growing popularity in granite, travertine, quartzite, and natural stone.
SIZE of a particular permeable piece can range from a 4.5” x 9” brick paver to slabs measuring 24” x 24” or larger. While the minimum acceptable thickness of a permeable paver is generally 2.4” (60 mm), our experience indicates that a permeable platform used in a parking pad or driveway commands a paver at least 3.1” (80 mm) for maximum performance.
The SHAPE of a permeable platform is primarily influenced by its physical size (e.g., width and depth), type of usage, and aesthetic appearance. For example, if your household has SUVs, trucks, recreational vehicles, and/or watercraft, then the length and depth of a driveway and/or parking pad should be designed to factor in a wide turning radius and depth. SHAPE also applies to the physical size (width, length, and thickness) of the permeable product (e.g., squared, rectangular, geometric, coping, etc.
PATTERN “defines” the aesthetic (visual) appearance of the installed platform. By and large, pattern options vary considerably – from a basic split seam and running bond –to- intermediate layouts such as plank and irregular –to- more advanced and elaborate patterns such as herringbone, modular, and basket weave.
TEXTURE represents the surface structure of a permeable paver or block from smooth and dimpled to tumbled, antiqued, and cobbled – and is important to consider ensuring a safe walking surface.
SCALE reflects the shape and size of materials used – and greatly influences a permeable platform’s appearance, function, comfort, and physical environment. Essentially, rectangular and smaller pavers provide more seams/joints for more efficient drainage than irregularly shaped and larger pavers.
While several COLOR options are available across the permeable spectrum, lighter colors are highly recommended in sun-drenched driveways, parking pads, sidewalks, etc. – as they are more heat-resistant than darker hues.
Now you can see why the versatility, beauty, and performance of a permeable hardscape make it a great call for the fall!
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