Solving a Drainage Issue

After a long hot summer, a flooded basement and many weeks of pondering, the day has finally come to replace my poorly draining concrete driveway. When we bought our house last winter, I knew that the driveway was not perfect. The garage of our 1950's ranch sits approximately 18" below the road so all the water runoff from the 70' long concrete driveway, runs towards the garage and house. Most of the driveway does pitch to the side yard but, one of the sections of concrete has heaved and pitches right into the corner of the garage where it meets the house.

The solution we came up with is to install a Permeable Paver Driveway using Unilock Optiloc Permeable Pavers. Even though a concrete or asphalt driveway may be cheaper in price, eventually we would end up with the same sort of issues down the road. Permeable pavers allow water to filter down through the paver joints and into the soil where it is absorbed back into the ground. This is not only environmentally friendly, but solves my drainage problem.

Installing a permeable paver driveway is not an easy task and as with any project worth doing, it's worth doing right, the first time. Pavers are only as good as the base they sit on and if installed improperly, they will buckle and fold with the frost and vehicle traffic. If each step in the installation process is done correctly, the end result will not only be beautiful, but functional as well. Here is a step by step guide to how the process works.

• The existing concrete driveway is removed carefully as to not damage the house or garage floor. Make sure diggers hotline is cleared before any excavation is started.
• Excavate to an approximate depth of 12-18" where the driveway is going to be. Be sure to allow an additional 12" of area outside the proposed driveway so the pavers have enough base gravel under them when cars ride close to the edge.
• Install a 10-16" layer of ¾" angular loose gravel (no fines) and level. Then install a 2" layer of 3/8" angular loose gravel and level to grade. When leveling this top layer, be sure to allow for the thickness of the paver to be level with the street and garage when installed and eliminate any dips or bumps.
• Install the pavers setting them on the gravel. Check the lines of the pavers often with a string line to ensure the pattern doesn't drift. Most permeable pavers have bumps on the side of them to set the spacing and they can easily be set incorrectly depending on which side lines up with which.
• Sweep in ¼" loose angular gravel into joints. Be sure that the gravel fills the joints completely. Keep some handy as the gravel will settle into the joints over time and may need to be topped off after the first year.

As simple as this process sounds, when installing an area as large as a driveway, heavy equipment and sometimes special machinery are needed to install the pavers and gravel base correctly. The most important part of this process is the base. When water flows between the joints of the pavers, it finds its way into the gravel base where it is held until the ground can absorb it. This means no run off, faster ice melting in winter and a perfect solution to a drainage dilemma. Not only are these pavers functional, but they can add an incredible amount of curb appeal. Even to a 1950's ranch

This post reprinted from the orginal post at www.breckenridgelandscape.com/blog/