Are you looking for a new type of driveway besides the standard asphalt or concrete driveway that most people have? There are plenty of benefits to choosing an alternative driveway and a plethora of options to choose from as well. Asphalt and concrete have been commonplace for a long time but alternative driveways are gaining popularity for many reasons.
For example, grass strip driveways are now extremely common in dry areas that don’t get much rain, like L.A. If you’re interested in building a grass strip driveway, let’s take a look at what the best practices are and how this type of driveway can benefit you.
Benefits of a Grass Strip Driveway
There are many benefits to using a concrete driveway with grass strips as opposed to a regular asphalt or concrete one. The first is that it just looks better. Asphalt and concrete are uniform in color, typically. You have one, solid driveway that blends in with all the homes around you.
Driveway strips with grass are nice because they include greenery within the design of the driveway itself. This is a curious and eye-catching design in the eyes of most people and can appear very elegant if installed properly. The blend of green grass and concrete or even gravel-filled pavers is enticing to many, and can certainly drive up your home value in the right neighborhood.
Another benefit of using a driveway with grass strips is that it’s permeable. Water from storms is able to drain into the cracks between the pavement and into the soil below. This prevents runoff and erosion and will lengthen the lifespan of your grass strip driveway beyond that of a typical concrete driveway. Though, you’ll still have to reseal and resurface the concrete slabs every so often, standing water won’t be as much of a problem.
How to Build a Grass Strip Driveway
Building a driveway with grass strips can be done in a variety of ways. One of the most common approaches is by incorporating grass strips with artificial turf around the edges of concrete slabs. To achieve this, the installation process for this type of driveway is rather simple, though it can take a while to complete due to the drying process involved with concrete.
First, your existing driveway would need to be removed and excavated before proceeding. If you are starting from scratch, however, you simply need to pour the concrete slabs where you need them and let them dry.
The spaces in between would be filled with either artificial turf or soil and real grass. In this context, choosing artificial turf is highly recommended, as it is more durable and easier to maintain than regular grass. An experienced artificial grass suppliers can provide quality turf options for an aesthetically pleasing and low-maintenance grass strip driveway. However, normal grass could also suffice if desired.
A Better Alternative to a Grass Strip Driveway
Concrete is just one type of material you can build a grass strip driveway with, but there are other, even better alternatives. Permeable plastic pavers are one example of a material that can be used to create grass strip driveways with an even higher level of permeability, durability, and eco-friendliness.
Look at the permeable pavers made by TRUEGRID, for example. The TRUEGRID PRO LITE and TRUEGRID PRO PLUS pavers are both made from 100%-recycled plastic and will last up to 60 years before needing replacement. In terms of maintenance, they require next to none in comparison to concrete grass strip driveways. They’re also 100% permeable.
Durability is a huge benefit of using permeable plastic pavers in favor of concrete. The plastic pavers trap gravel in place to create a driving surface that never deteriorates or requires repairs in the way that concrete does.
A TRUEGRID permeable paver grass strip driveway looks great as well and you don’t have to sacrifice any style points when opting for pavers over concrete, either. A professionally installed grass strip driveway made from TRUEGRID pavers looks clean-cut, professional, and beautiful.
Installing a Grass Strip Driveway with Plastic Pavers
The installation process for a TRUEGRID grass strip paver driveway is simple and quick. First, each driving area must be excavated to a depth of about 10 inches, at which point a piece of fabric is laid for separation between soil and base aggregate.
8” of base aggregate is then spread and compacted.
Next, the TRUEGRID is simply laid over the base aggregate…connected and filled with soil. Hydro-seed is then spread over the soil filled TRUEGRID. Once the grass has established the driveway is ready to go!
TRUEGRID Makes the Best Pavers for Driveways with Grass Strips
If you want a driveway that will boost curb appeal, eliminate maintenance concerns almost completely, and is about as eco-friendly as can be, make sure to get in touch with a pavement professional at TRUEGRID today who can get you pointed in the right direction.
