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Grass Driveway

Grass driveways have been in existence for over a decade now. However, the technically constructed pavement of turf and solid concrete, paver, asphalt, or gravel, has gained quite a popularity among homeowners, and for a good reason. Some of our traditional ways of living are now being questioned, which is only logical given the rising concern about the climate and the influences humans have on it.

Grass driveways are a replacement for standard pavers, asphalt, and concrete. They are constructed from recycled plastic or concrete and have open blocks that allow grass to grow through them. Permeability is a significant environmental benefit of a green driveway because it allows rainwater runoff to filter pollutants and naturally rehydrate the soil and vegetation. These permeable systems also have a sub-base that retains water and lessens the consequences of flooding. 

In 2017, when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, the United States Geological Survey noted that a lot of hardscapes were responsible for increased flooding. Green pavers now come to our rescue. This article discusses the importance of green pavement and its effect on our environment; the different types and steps involved in building your grass driveway. 

Are grass driveways good? 

Adding a grass driveway to your house or landscaping could make it easier for you to access a green area, and being in a green area, as we already know, has a positive effect on our mental health, the development of our children, and the well-being of our environment as a whole. 

Here are some of the reasons why grass driveways are gaining popularity in 2022:

Better stormwater drainage

Enhancing stormwater infiltration can benefit the soil health in the area, lessen rainfall runoff, and perhaps even lessen downstream flooding. It may also aid in recharging and preserving natural groundwater aquifers. 

When your driveway is made of asphalt, concrete, or cement, the normal water drainage system into the earth is prevented by the solid surfaces’ lack of permeability. As a result, any water that comes into contact with these stable concrete surfaces will runoff and disperse into canals and stormwater ducts. 

This stormwater runoff is a significant source of pollution for streams and other water bodies since it picks up chemicals and garbage along the way. Building a grass driveway allows the stormwater to be absorbed into the soil and filtered by bacteria and roots before it enters streams and aquifers. This organic process of absorption also aids in water conservation.

Trees may have the room required to reach their full potential with permeable driveways 

Refreshing air and water can move down the rooting zone through the permeable surface. This aids planting and provides a living tree canopy overhead to enhance your view of the environment. 

Grass driveways provide a cooler ambiance in stuffy cities

Since concrete tends to retain heat while grass has a cooling impact, urban areas are frequently many degrees warmer than the nearby countryside. It is possible to reduce cooling expenses and carbon emissions by replacing asphalt or concrete with grass. 

A beautiful permeable driveway with plans and green grass.

Grass driveway systems

As previously mentioned, a grass driveway system has numerous advantages over conventional parking surfaces. A well-structured grass driveway system transforms your paved area into a stunning work of art. This is a collection of systems to pick from if you’re interested in converting your driveway and lawn into a mini paradise

Plastic grids

Plastic grid systems are installed and filled with gravel or sand/soil mixture and grass. These grid systems, mostly recycled plastic, prevent soil compaction and rutting, protecting water quality. They are composed of honeycomb-like grids of closed plastic cells.

Concrete and grass

Concrete and grass are popularly known as grass pavements. It is made up of a system of carefully moulded concrete slabs with ample space for the growth of turf. They allow easy drainage of stormwater to the soil.

Grass and paver

Grass block paving stones also go by the names turf block paving stones or grow-through paving stones. They contain open cells that allow grass to grow through them. They are an absorbent, environmentally beneficial choice for parking lots and roads.

Ribbon driveway

These are also known as Hollywood driveways. They typically have two parallel tracks divided by an unpaved section and paved with a hard substance built for the passage of vehicles.

How to build a grass driveway

The old-timer rule of not driving on grass has been thrown out for a more refreshing and esthetically pleasing viewpoint. The following steps will guide you through building your green driveway using geo-grids.

  1. Make sure it is safe to dig where you are. Call on the utility services to confirm this information.
  2. Depending on the anticipated load and drainage requirements, begin excavating in your defined area at the street-grade level. Then move down approximately six inches. 
  3. Spend some time calculating the slope of your property and the amount of detention area you require beneath the grass paver system. 
  4. Use a tamper to level the dirt and construct the sub-base. 
  5. Ensure the grid completely encloses the space and lies at least an inch below ground level.
  6. Fill up the grid’s hollow space with loam soil and flatten it out with a rake when it has been entirely submerged and laid out. Watering down the grid system aids with soil compaction.
  7. Finally, pick a grass seed or turf of your choice and place it in the grids.

Grass driveway ideas 

The modern-day green driveway systems have presented us with creative and practical ways to elevate the appearance of our homes. We are ready to take in all that is being offered. 

Have a look at these beautifully designed driveways to get an idea of what you want yours to look like.

Colorful and Rich Grass Block Paver Walkway

Gorgeously Wavy Grass Paver Driveway

A Ribbon Driveway

Classy Concrete-style Driveway

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Conclusion

The effect of global warming is constantly on the rise, and the need to cut down our carbon emissions and plastic use are necessary. Embracing grass driveways means you’re contributing to saving Mother Earth while also looking out for your mental health and home’s beauty.

Eco-Friendly Parking Lot

With the growing popularity of eco-friendly vehicles, packaging, clothing, homes, and more, it’s time for us to start considering eco-friendly parking lot construction.

There are many eco-friendly parking lot solutions, including eco-friendly pavers, pervious concrete, and direct paths for water runoff.

Today, we want to take you through a few of our favorite eco-friendly parking lot solutions so you can provide an ample place for parking while doing your part to protect the environment. 

How Do Parking Lots Affect The Environment?

Did you know that the environmental costs of a parking structure can exceed the environmental costs of cars?

Creating and maintaining a parking lot requires a large amount of energy and produces an even greater amount of emissions over the course of its lifetime. Beyond that, parking lots often accumulate pollutants, including grease, oils, sediment, and heavy metals. 

When it rains, the water washes these pollutants off into waterways, creating a significant environmental impact. 

Furthermore, the more parking lots we have, the less green space we have room to maintain.

A cars parked on eco-friendly parking lot

How Do You Make an Eco-Friendly Parking Lot?

Use Eco-Friendly Paint

Paint is one of the most common air pollutants. Many types of paint contain Volatile Organic Compounds, such as xylene, toluene hydrocarbons, ammonia, and glycol. These paints are far from eco-friendly and can wreak havoc on the health of humans, animals, and plants.

Consider bio-degradable paints for your parking lot, containing little to no VOCs.

Direct Water Runoff

Focus on where the rainwater will go when constructing your parking lot. Water will go its natural course if you don’t, eroding soil, damaging your asphalt, and bringing pollutants. Therefore, it’s a good idea to construct some type of drainage system that directs rainwater to an area that’s appropriate, such as a lake, swamp, or stream.

Use Eco-Friendly Pavers

The best solution for an eco-friendly parking lot is permeable locking pavers. These unique pavers allow for water infiltration, unlike your standard asphalt or concrete tarmacking. With these kinds of pavers, you don’t need to worry about flooding nearly as much, as rainwater slowly seeps into the ground to recharge local streams and groundwater supply. 

Use Pervious Concrete

While not as green as the pavers mentioned above, pervious concrete provides an element of infiltration when well-maintained. Similar to a plastic pavement system, pervious concrete provides natural rainwater filtration and reduces the number of pollutants found in runoff. 

Plant Grass

Not only do grass parking lots look great, but they are also wonderfully sustainable. Of course, you can’t just plant any only grass, as regular grass attract rut and mud. Instead, we recommend planting plastic pavers to stabilize the grass you plant, thereby improving drainage while keeping your infrastructure intact. 

DO NOTE: Grass is best for parking lots with light traffic. Heavy traffic can kill the grass, leaving you with a bare, ugly, and dead parking lot.

A plants and trees on asphalt parking lot

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Plant the Correct Plants

It’s a good idea to plant plants native to your parking lot’s region, as these plants should be well-adapted to the moisture of the soil and the local climate. For example, consider planting trees and shrubs for islands or planting long flower beds or strips atop raised curbing. Not only will this make your parking lot more eco-friendly, but it will also make it far more inviting. 

Use Recycled Concrete or Asphalt

You can produce an eco-friendly parking lot with recycled concrete and asphalt. The beauty of this process is that it is far less resource-intensive compared to using new materials. In addition, it’s often easy to recycle these materials from old roadways on-site as well, getting rid of the need for environmentally impactful outsourcing. 

Use a Bio-Based Asphalt Sealant

Regular asphalt can take a mighty toll on the environment, which is why it’s a good idea to find ways to make your asphalt as eco-friendly as possible. We recommend finding PAH-free, low-VOC bio-based asphalt sealants. Not only do these work wonders in repairing and resealing surfaces, but they are also much better for the environment than standard products. 

Maximize Shading

Not only do shade trees and landscaping make for a more aesthetically-pleasing parking lot, but they can also lessen ground heat, enhance air quality, and reduce rainwater runoff. With pervious ground materials and proper shading, you can mitigate the negative impacts of the “urban heat island.”

Use Sustainable Lighting

While you should absolutely have lighting in your parking lot to provide safety and security for pedestrians, it’s important that you choose the correct type of lighting to retain energy-efficiency. We often recommend energy-efficient exterior LED lights, as they last a long time (up to 50,000 hours) and have far less impact on energy sources. 

You can even implement an efficient lighting layout that maintains higher brightness levels in areas with more traffic while placing other lights in low-traffic areas on a motion system.

A constructor visit the place where build an eco-friendly parking lot.

Factors to Consider

Costs

Modern eco-friendly parking lot construction costs around $69 per square foot, while a simple asphalt paving job costs around $3.85 per square foot. Beyond that, you can expect a few other standard costs for building a sustainable parking lot:

  • Operation and Maintenance – $0.15 per square foot
  • Drainage System – $45 to $60 per linear foot
  • Striping – $346,000 for a 500-vehicle lot

Of course, the main benefit of building an eco-friendly parking lot is that you can reduce your maintenance and energy costs over time. 

Location

It’s important to select the right location to build your parking lot, as it can significantly impact cost, safety, durability, and effectiveness. Make sure to consider a few things:

  • Accessibility – How easy it is to reach the site
  • Topography – The higher ground your parking lot sits on, the better your natural drainage will be
  • Quality of Earth – Don’t build on hilly topography or muddy areas
  • Soil – Find soil that is dry and compact enough to build on

Final Thoughts

With the right amount of research and proper planning, constructing an eco-friendly parking lot can be cost-effective. Environmental protection and conservation start at ground level. YOU can make the change today.