If you're tired of the usual driveway style, you might want to consider laying grass pavers for your next construction project. Sure, an asphalt or concrete driveway is solid and durable, but grass pavers offer many more options in terms of color, design, and overall appearance. Choose the right pavers and install them to professional standards to add even more appeal to your home.
A driveway can be a large part of the front yard, but it is rarely as well planned as other areas of the yard. Instead of simply viewing the area as a lane for cars, you can view the driveway as an opportunity to improve the design of your outdoor space. When installing grass pavers, install a permeable driveway to keep pollutants from water sources and water tables in balance. Find out how to do this on your garage driveway with our guide and quick instructions.
For which areas are lawn pavers suitable?
Lawn pavers are an alternative to asphalt, concrete and traditional pavers. They can be made of concrete or recycled plastic, as well as have open cells through which grass can grow. If you use porous materials this would be oneeco-friendly optionfor your driveway, parking lot or garden path. Concrete pavers for lawns are also a suitable option for your outdoor area because they can also stop erosion.
For patios, a solid surface is preferable and grass paving is more suitable for parking vehicles than for party guests. Tussocks of grass do not make a good surface when you are walking, chatting, or simply hanging out outdoors with a drink in hand. Traditional pavers arranged so that thin grass grows regularly between them are a better choice for the porch. If you need to lay grass pavers on your garden patio, choose a version with tiny cells for grass. Also cut the grass so that it lines up with the top of the stone block. In this case, you also have to water more intensively because extremely short grass is brittle.
Advantages and disadvantages of laying with lawn paving
Advantages:
Lawn pavers help with thatDrainage of rainwater, which is one of the largest sources of water pollution. The runoff is caused when it rains over asphalt or concrete, which because of this absorbs oil and other pollutants and washes the entire toxic mixture into rivers, bays and streams. And because they also absorb water, turf stones slow this process, which can also cause erosion during a rainstorm. When you pave your driveway, you also contribute to groundwater recharge. A patch of grass allows rain to seep into the ground and release it back into aquifers. This can be of great benefit in dry areas where water supplies are limited. The mature grass and soil in the lawn stones filter out pollutants so that water that flows back into the ground is clean.
Porous stone slabs keep the air around your driveway cooler thanks to the magic of transpiration from the grass. An asphalt driveway absorbs heat and gets hotter than Phoenix in the summer. Pavers also look better, while a patch of grass can put a shroud in the concrete or asphalt every time. So if you were to lay lawn pavers, you can congratulate yourself on being an environmentally friendly person.
Disadvantages:
Due to the vegetation, lawn paving has the same disadvantages as the lawn itself because weeds also grow there. That's why you need to maintain and water such an installation regularly, unless you live in a rainy place where nature does the work for you. Lawn mowing and fertilization are also required, while this maintenance is not necessary with the poured surface.
Furthermore, the cost of lawn paving and its price per square meter are higher than asphalting. Because of cracks and breaks, paving is also much more short-lived than concrete surfaces, which have to be replaced after many years. If you lay grass pavers on a residential street, building regulations typically require them to be replaced every 10 to 15 years. On public driveways, grass paving lasts significantly fewer years because countless vehicles drive over it. They are also not suitable for wheelchair users as they are too bumpy.
Choose the appropriate variant
Concrete is ideal as a material forParking areas and garage entrances, because lawn pavers can withstand the weight of cars driving and parking on them. You can use plastic lawn grids, especially if you own small cars. Such grass lattice covering cannot bear as much load or wear as paving stones. The recycled plastic is also a good choice for sidewalks. However, when purchasing it, you need to consider the size of the cells so that your feet do not sink into the lawn. There are projects where you can also combine concrete pavers for the driveway and plastic for the parking lot.
The best way to prevent erosion on a slope is to install a sturdy grid there. It is not a paver, but a reinforced plastic mesh that you can consider as a cousin of pavers. Stretch it across the ground and the grid expands into cells where you can plant grass.
Unlike real grass pavers with grids, you won't see strips of hardscape between the lawn. You get a solid surface that is anchored to the ground and reinforces the grass so you can't wash it away. This type of pavement is used extensively in commercial applications, including pavement edges and runways.
What is the best way to lay grass paving stones or cover stone slabs?
The first step in installing a permeable driveway (sometimes called a sustainable drainage system) is deciding which design works best for you.
Open cell paving stonesare simply concrete pavers with holes that can be filled with a permeable material. Filling the cells with vegetation can soften the overall look and add a bit of greenery to your garage driveway. What really counts is under the pavers. A solid base is key to minimizing heave and cracking.
Continuous paving stonesusually have joints filled with aggregate to allow water to penetrate between the pavers. There are tabs incorporated into each stone block that ensure the correct joint width and make installation easier. As with open cell pavers, a sturdy base is required. Some ceramic pavers are actually porous themselves, allowing water to penetrate directly through the surface rather than through the gaps in between. This means the gap can be narrower and does not need to be refilled with aggregate as often - a common task with other permeable paving systems.
Some lawn pavers have very wide joints that promote vegetation growth even in dry weather. These are suitable for lawns and grass as well as gravel. Regardless of whether you lay your lawn pavers with plastic or concrete, you have to do five layers. It's the hardscape version of lasagna.
Place a base of pebbles mixed with sand to level the coating. Next, place the stone blocks and then lay another layer of sand, compacting it accordingly. First spread the topsoil, which you then plant with grass. Try to stay away from the grass until it has become deeply rooted. However, if you want to lay lawn pavers but are not a professional, we recommend that you hire a good landscape architect to do it.
Alternative laying
If money is your main concern and you still want to avoid a solid surface, consider loose materials like gravel or stone. Pebble is another surface to consider that requires a base layer to maximize its permeability. Usually this is a plastic grid that consists of circular or honeycomb cells. These are structured in such a way that they form a load-bearing support. The cells are filled with gravel and help keep rainwater in the ground and out of drains. However, if you live in a climate with a lot of snow and typically need to plow your driveway in the winter, gravel may require more maintenance.
Note that driveway material costs can vary from year to year, primarily due to material and labor costs, the location and design of the driveway, as well as the depth of materials and preparation required. If you want to hire a contractor, do some research first as most of them will provide you with an estimate. This will make your decision easier. However, remember that a low price is not necessarily the best choice. In fact, if you get an estimate that is significantly lower than others, you should think twice.
How and what type of lawn can you plant?
The best way to grow the grass is to scatter seeds into the cells. It may take a while to get the grass grown as growth is slow. However, this will cause the plant to form deeper root systems and harden. If you want instant results, then cut the squares to fit into the pockets. This means you will be able to have your green driveway ready by sunset.
Choose a drought-tolerant variety such as buffalo grass so you don't have to fill the environmentally friendly lawn pavers with hundreds of gallons of water. Other good grasses that can support up to two tons of steel include zoysia, dogtooth grass or sedge carex perennials. Another option if you live in a dry climate or dislike mowing the lawn would be to fill the cells with gravel. Technically you won't actually be laying grass pavers, but it will still allow water to seep into the ground.
