How To Create An Earth-Friendly Driveway
If you are concerned about the earth, you know that there are always ways you can do your part to sustain natural elements we need, such as water, plant life, and untouched land. You can do this with your home by installing energy-efficient windows that allow you to use less heat (therefore causing less air pollution), reducing the amount of water that gets released on your lawn, and even switching to propane heat over traditional gas to make your home warm in the winter. You can even create an earth-friendly driveway that allows for better water drainage so water doesn't get wasted down sewer drains. Here are a few ways you can create a more environmentally sound driveway.
Consider brick pavers
If you already have a traditional asphalt driveway, you can help make it more porous by having a paving contractor redesign the area with brick pavers. This can be done by bordering your existing driveway with decorative half-circle or rectangular bricks with enough space between them to allow water to seep back through into the grass. You can also have sections of your driveway removed and replaced with pavers for a decorative pattern that is both appealing and economical.
Install a drainage system
A drainage system in your driveway is not a difficult task to complete. You can have your asphalt paving contractor drill holes in select areas of your existing driveway so many areas can drain without compromising its strength. The holes can be small enough that they are hardly seen by the naked eye, especially from a respectable distance. If you don't want to do this, you can have your paving contractor level off your driveway to the edges instead so water has a natural course of direction to go to the sides and back into your property rather than to a storm drain at the edge of the road. This would give your driveway a rounded effect rather than a straight edge, and you can line it later with decorative rock or brick pavers to complete the smoother appeal while still allowing water to escape naturally.
If you are concerned about the environment, there are many things you can do to make your home and property more energy-efficient and friendly to the earth. Even your driveway can become a real asset in whole new ways by allowing collected water to return back to the ground. Talk to a paving contractor about the many options available to you in drainage.