If you’ve ever had to deal with driveway erosion, you’re probably already well aware of the negative impact it can have on your driveway and even the health of your vehicles. Driveway erosion is one of the most common problems that homeowners encounter and it typically shows up near concrete or asphalt driveways. Impermeable materials like these are the most common reasons for driveway erosion because it’s their impermeability that actually creates the potential.
In case you’ve been dealing with this problem and you want some tips on driveway erosion control, let’s go over some of its most common causes and how you can implement a driveway erosion control strategy to solve your problems for good.
What Causes Driveway Erosion?
The most common cause of driveway erosion is flowing water. This usually comes from the downspouts on your home being directed to flow down the driveway into the street where stormwater can then flow into the sewer.
The problem with concrete and asphalt driveways is that the water tends to flow along the sides of the driveway. This flow creates a pool of water over time and eventually, the water begins to seep underneath the driveway. Once water gets underneath your driveway, big problems are coming. The sand or sediment is washed out from underneath the pavement and puddles and holes begin to develop.
Left unchecked, you could end up with a giant sinkhole beneath your driveway that could end up ruining the suspension (and more) on your vehicles if they happen to be parked when your driveway finally collapses.
How to Control Erosion Near a Concrete or Asphalt Driveway
If you want to prevent erosion near your driveway, direct any downspouts away from it. Of course, you could still end up with erosion from direct rainfall over time, which is why you’ll need to seal your concrete driveway with caulking to prevent water from leaking in.
Mudjacking is a process you could turn to if you already have a washed-out driveway, but it’s expensive and time-consuming.
The Best Driveway Erosion Solution
The best driveway erosion control solution is to have a permeable paver driveway from TRUEGRID installed. The permeable paver system from TRUEGRID is completely impervious to driveway erosion because the pavers are 100% permeable and allow all water to pass right through and into the soil or a detention pond beneath.
Thanks to an ingenious layout that uses hard angular aggregate (like gravel) laid beneath the pavers and compacted into the top layer, the interlocking paver grids create a lightweight, easy-to-install erosion-proof driveway that is more durable than concrete or asphalt.
A driveway created with TRUEGRID permeable pavers simply doesn’t experience washout or erosion because it provides a continuous, unblocked path for stormwater to pass through. The subgrade of your driveway will be excavated, and a cloth laid down to prevent the soil beneath from migrating upwards into the gravel. Then, the subgrade is filled in with gravel and compacted before the 100% recycled plastic pavers are laid over the top.
These pavers are versatile and can be easily trimmed to fit your driveway. Once they are set in place more gravel will be poured over the top and compacted into the pavers to create an even surface that can handle even the most frequent of driveway traffic with ease.
TRUEGRID Driveways Come in Many Shapes and Sizes
One of the reasons why TRUEGRID pavers are a preferable alternative to other driveway erosion control methods is because they’re inexpensive, easily installed, eco-friendly and very customizable. It doesn’t matter what kind of driveway you had before, you can replace it with a permeable paver version of the same color and shape without sacrificing anything in terms of aesthetic appeal.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Driveway erosion control is essential to preventing catastrophic damage or injury to you and your property. Washouts beneath your driveway can ruin it or even collapse your driveway entirely. There are expensive, time-consuming ways to fix an eroded driveway, but they are more trouble than they’re worth most of the time. The smarter method of driveway erosion control would be to install a TRUEGRID permeable paver driveway instead.
With a driveway built from permeable pavers and aggregate, you’ll never have to worry about driveway erosion, even if you have your downspouts directed down your driveway. Even the heaviest of rains will simply drain right through your driveway into the soil below, leaving you with a solid, sturdy, and reliable driveway.
Don’t put yourself or your vehicle at risk of suffering a washout. Instead, implement the smartest driveway erosion control solution out there by installing a permeable paver driveway from TRUEGRID.
