With so many paver driveways available, it’s no surprise that a large percentage of homeowners have migrated away from concrete and asphalt as a means of finishing their driveways. Pavers are the next best thing in terms of driveway paving. However, many different types and styles are available. It can be downright intimidating to even begin looking. If you’re a homeowner looking to replace your driveway or install a new one soon, let’s run through the best pavers for driveway use.
Paver Driveways
The first thing to consider when contemplating the best pavers for driveway use is what kind of pavers to use. Various materials may require regular maintenance, cause flooding, pollutant runoff, pothole or crack in extreme weather. Modern paver driveways can be environmentally friendly and aesthetically appealing. There are many different types, each with unique pros and cons that may or may not be suited for your particular interests. Consider factors like drainage, flooding, maintenance demands, curb appeal, resale value, and style. The most common types of pavers include cobblestone, brick, concrete, rubber, bluestone, flagstone, marble, porcelain, travertine, and plastic.
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are usually granite but can be made up of other stones or a combination of stones like basalt, limestone, or other natural stones. The word cobblestone is derived from the blending of cob and stone. The stones were originally referred to as rounded river rocks and were used to pave the streets a very long time ago. The surface is uneven and hard to walk on. The rounded cobbles were however not good for feet or wheels. In the mid-to-late 19th century, cobblestones began to be phased out as a primary material, in favor of less expensive concrete.
Brick
Brick is great for aesthetic appeal and stylistic diversity. Brick pavers tend to be eco-friendly but can be easily damaged and worn down. They also require frequent maintenance if they are to stay in good shape. Installation is labor intensive and expensive.
Concrete
Concrete pavers are also stylistically diverse and easy to install. They do, however, experience color fade over time and can crack during extreme temperature fluctuations. They may be expensive and are considered high maintenance. Concrete is less expensive than brick or stone.
Rubber
Rubber pavers can be durable but lack style and are not very eco-friendly either. However, rubber patio pavers are easiest to replace and install compared to other pavers. Rubber pavers are good for driveways. They are durable, slip-resistant, and easy to maintain. They are also less expensive at $4.80/sq. ft. Rubber Pavers can be installed on grass or dirt, and they are simple to install. Place them over any existing grass or dirt to create a walkway between any two points in a property and even indoors. Recycled Rubber Pavers are perfect solution for any outdoor living areas. They can be loose-laid or glued to the concrete or asphalt base. The pavers will naturally allow water drainage from your driveway, which keeps them clean and free of mold and grime.
Bluestone
Bluestone has a uniquely beautiful blue color while also being durable. It’s easy to accidentally purchase fake bluestone, though, and the authentic stuff is incredibly expensive.
Flagstone
Flagstone is non-slip and lasts longer than concrete pavers. They are sourced naturally, however, making design and cost much more of an issue than with other types of driveway pavers.
Marble
Marble is resistant to moisture and stains, so your driveway is less likely to get marred with oil. In large quantities, it can run $30 per cubic yard and $65 per ton. If you’re interested in an upscale crushed white marble driveway, it can cost about $2 per square foot. Marble will scratch or if exposed to acid for a prolonged period, it will etch where the polish or sealant fades.
Porcelain, and travertine
Porcelain, cobblestone, marble, and travertine are all great for aesthetics, but incredibly easy to damage and don’t hold up for everyday driveway use. In general, the main difference is that porcelain is artificial, while the travertine is found in nature, but travertine porcelain pavers offer the same unique look as natural travertine wherever they are installed, both indoors and outdoors. Travertine porcelain pavers are first and foremost a safe choice for your family and guests, being mildew and mold resistant, anti-slip, totally free of allergens and harmful substances such as PVC, VOC and formaldehyde. Travertine is vulnerable to the accumulation of dirt and mold, even when properly maintained. To reduce the proliferation of bacteria, natural travertine requires the use of sealing, resulting in a decrease in aesthetic quality and anti-slip performance.
Plastic Pavers
Gravel or grass filled plastic pavers are the most durable pavers available and have a variety of styles to choose. They are the most eco-friendly pavers since they are sourced from 100% recycled plastic. Plastic pavers are rapidly becoming the new paving solution for architects, builders, engineers, and homeowners. They have significant benefits versus traditional concrete pavers, gravel, or asphalt. Businesses and outdoor spaces can take advantage of this technology to completely transform their businesses. Plastic pavers are filled with grass or gravel and create walkable, drivable surfaces that drain quickly and look good. Water is absorbed instantly; stormwater detention under the surface to save land; pollutant filtering of runoff toxins; reduced heat island effect in urban areas creating a cooler site; more green space and a natural aesthetic when the pavers are filled with gravel or grass. Businesses can benefit from durable, drivable surfaces for their use or for their customers, while garnering support from their communities by creating innovative green spaces.
Removing pollutants from the stormwater before it recharges aquifers is a huge benefit of plastic systems. By allowing infiltration into the soil, as opposed to runoff of concrete, auto and other pollutants such as hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and various hydrocarbons are naturally filtered via the bioremediation process. Permeable plastic pavers allowing infiltration and natural filtering can remove up to 90% of pollutants from the water table. Less drastic temperatures are another benefit of using plastic pavers. In the winter, there will be less ice buildup as any precipitation will seep through the paver. In the summer, there will be no extreme heat on the surface as the fill material will be cooler than concrete or asphalt. This will lead to a safer environment for all.
Aesthetically, plastic pavers allow for many options with different fill materials. Any color gravel or grass. Plastic pavers can be filled with gravel for highly trafficked commercial and industrial parking lots yielding a maintenance-free stabilized parking and driving area. They also can be filled with grass for fire lanes, driveways and light trafficked areas to provide green space and stabilized, strengthened, reinforced grass pavement.
TRUEGRID products
Cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness, maintenance, durability, curb appeal, and local regulations and incentives should all be considered. TRUEGRID permeable pavers are by far the most cost-effective method and one of the best driveway pavers available. They are built, transported, and installed with eco-friendliness as a top priority, and the installation time is next to nothing.
TRUEGRID pavers are also more durable than any other type of stone or impermeable material and can even boost your curb appeal depending on how you choose to install them and in what style or color. There are tax incentives available for some areas as a reward for installing these environmentally friendly pavers, so check your local regulations to see if you qualify.
TRUEGRID permeable paving systems are porous, so they allow water to infiltrate the pavement and drain into the ground or sub-base rock underneath. These paving systems are just as strong and durable as traditional paving materials such as concrete, asphalt, or compacted gravel. Several types of porous paving grids exist, including plastic grid pavers with flexible joints; rigid or rolled plastic pavers; interlocking concrete grids; and permeable concrete and asphalt pavement.
Permeable pavers offer solutions to meet those impervious cover code restrictions that are intended to regulate stormwater, reduce flooding risks, and protect natural waterways. The results of permeable paving systems are environmentally friendly parking lots, roadways, industrial yards, fire lanes, driveways, and other paving applications that absorb and detain water and prevent flooding.
Plastic grid pavers with flexible joints and plastic rollout systems often both costs less to purchase up-front and to maintain over the long term than traditional systems. Other permeable systems that might help with stormwater management — such as permeable asphalt and concrete — typically cost more to install and maintain than traditional concrete or asphalt.
Paver Driveways
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Contact us at 908-322-1533.