Permeable pavers, also known as pervious pavers, are flat blocks that allow water to drain directly into the ground. They are ideal for any form of eco-friendly landscaping for this reason. Capturing rainwater before it runs into the streets reduces the likelihood of flooding. Also, keeping rain water, which carries many pollutants, from reaching storm sewers reduces the amount of contaminated water that enters the water supply.
Pervious pavers are quite strong. They can support a tremendous amount of weight, which is why they are often used in commercial construction. In the domain of residential landscaping, they are most often used to build driveways, patios in sensitive areas, patios near vegetation, and hardscapes connected to retaining walls built for land retention purposes.
While details of designs vary widely, the fundamental design of permeable pavers is remarkably simply. A grid of some sort creates the basic frame for the design. Within the gird, a variety of porous materials is introduced that will filter rainwater directly from the hardscape surface directly into the ground.
The porous material can be organic in nature, or it can consist of pebbles, decorative gravel, larger rocks, sand, or mulch. Most organic hardscapes, if you want to call them that, use grass as the primary vegetation within the paver grid.
In most landscaping plans, concrete is used to form a large grid pattern, and grass is introduced into the spaces between the concrete. In some modern landscapes and contemporary garden designs, grass pavers are created using black plastic grid patterns that present a stark contrast to the vegetation they house.
It goes without saying that concrete permeable pavers are far more common. Concrete can be molded into any desired shape. It can also be stained or mixed with gravel to create an ornamental aggregate design. Concrete is also equally complimented by vegetation, rock, or sand.
By building hardscapes out of interlocking pervious pavers made from concrete, we can build any type of patio, sidewalk, or pathway that will compliment both home and property curb appeal.
One of the most practical applications for permeable pavers in Houston landscaping is found in the construction of driveways and motor courts. Solid surfaces this large will create a great deal of water runoff in front yards and the streets beyond. However, when we build these structures using a pervious substance, we eliminate this runoff and minimize the risk of flooding the yard or the street in front of the home.
Pervious materials are equally suitable for the construction of patios and walkways near sensitive vegetation. Tree preservation is one of our highest priorities in Houston landscaping, and patios built directly above tree roots often must be made of pervious materials in order to allow water to reach the roots. An interlocking design also distributes weight more evenly across its surface and reduces the amount of force pressing directly down on the tree roots.
Permeable pavers are also great for garden patios and walkways because they help water plants. So effective are they in the filtration of water that we often do not have to install irrigation or drainage systems into plantings of vegetation. Gardens look more natural, and installation costs are reduced by eliminating the needs to build costly, concealed water transfer mechanisms.
In a climate as wet as that of Southeast Texas, Houston homes that reside near any of the larger bayous can also benefit greatly from the use of pervious hardscape design. Because these pavers siphon water straight into the ground, they exponentially reduce the force of erosion.
A soggy area in the back of a yard can be transformed into a large, grass-filled permeable paver patio area decorated with moss covered rocks that stabilize and retain the soil. Retaining walls built overlooking the bayou can be ornamented with interlocking concrete paver patios interfilled with colorful gravel that filters the water back into the artificial hill and water the plants that grow along its terraced surface areas.
These are just a few examples of how we can integrate grass pavers, concrete porous pavers, and interlocking concrete pavers into any number of Houston landscaping design styles. Permeable paver hardscapes are good for the environment and enhance property curb appeal with structures that are both aesthetic and functional at once.
For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.
Interlocking paving stones have been used since Roman times. In the Ancient World, pavers were made of actual stone, and they were used to build roads that are still usable today. After the Industrial Revolution, the use of concrete became widespread throughout the developing world. Builders and ...
Permeable concrete pavers are used to build strong, paved hardscapes that allow water to filter through the pavement itself into the ground below. Hardscapes built from these materials can support up to 8,000 pounds per square inch.
The term “permeable interlocking pavers” may confuse the casual web surfer who pulls up image after image of what looks like a mixture of cement and grass. These are actually one form of paver that is designed to drain water through a combination of a concrete grid, natural plantings of grass, and ...
Less expensive permeable driveway pavers can be solid pavers that are spaced in such a way as to allow water to drain between them. These are made from stone, concrete, brick, or decorative concrete. Others are made from concrete that is actually porous. These pavers allow water to drain through ...
With up to 80 percent of many Houston landscaping plans consisting of hardscapes, the ecologically conscious homeowner may want to invest in hardscapes that are constructed using various types of permeable paver designs. With concrete being one of the most malleable substances when it comes to addi...
The best permeable paver driveway designs for Houston landscaping projects are those that either use interlocking pavers or porous pavers. Both types of pavers are normally rendered decorative so that they can better support the architecture of the home. Adding a decorative touch to the hardscape ...
Exterior Worlds uses two types of permeable pavers for driveways. The first is actually a solid paver that is laid in an interlocking pattern with other pavers. The pavers are laid down in a special way, using special bonding materials that create a web of permeability that allows water to drain a...
Concrete permeable pavers protect lawn grasses, ground covers, garden plants, and trees from flooding. They filter water through the pavers into ground below. They also protect plants in the yard from toxic chemicals that can be carried or washed out by rainwater. In the grand scheme of things,...
