There are so many reasons why you need to consider an eco-friendly driveway. The most common advantage is the drainage problem. The water pooling in areas that the drainage goes form major problems near the houses or even other structures. Among environmental issues such as erosion, excess water drainage and water pollutants go into the water system. Many pollutants such as oil from vehicles can be reduced and drainage is significantly less by seeping through the ground. You can build an eco-friendly driveway easily as there are several ways on how to build them. Here\’s how to do it.
Things that you need:
- Gravel
- Grid
- permeable pavers
- sand
- grass
- plastic honeycomb
Steps:
- Avoid building a concrete driveway. The reason is that this type of driveway force runoff to go in one direction. Concrete driveway will not allow the water to enter the ground on the surface.
- To make a gravel driveway, laid out a grid after a base is constructed. The grid will prevent the gravel from compacting into the soil. Then, the gravel is laid out evenly on top of the grid.
- You can also build permeable pavers. These concrete tiles are made with alternated sand or grass to make a geometric patterned driveway. This is a good option for someone who wants to have a driveway with the concrete look and also the benefits of an eco-friendly driveway.
- Grass pave is also one of the options to make a green driveway. Lay out a plastic honeycomb grid then let the grass grows over it. The finishing results are identical to the rest of the lawn. The honeycomb grid will prevent root compaction. However, it is important and necessary to let it rest and regenerate periodically since there is a limit to the amount of fumes and weight the grass can take.
- If you have the problem on deciding which the best option on building a green driveway, consider hiring a professional to help you. It is crucial to make sure the driveway will hold the car\’s weight or it will sink. Others factors such as drainage need a good consideration too. The best people for this advice are the landscape architect or designer.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2124752_make-driveway-ecofriendly.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2465287600/
