ep henry eco cobble permeable concrete pavers in harvest blend color at calvin coolidge high school

Permeable Pavers

Permeable pavers provide a functional solution to stormwater management

Stormwater management is priority for many communities in Pennsylvania and Maryland. In Lancaster County especially, many local waterways are tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay, and cities, boroughs and townships are searching for strategies to reduce the volume of water that flows to these local creeks and streams. Permeable pavers are an effective solution to this challenge, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection considers them a “best management practice” for effectively controlling stormwater flows and reducing the volume of rainfall that enters local streams, rivers and combined sewer systems. That is why many homeowners are choosing to add permeable driveways and patios to their homes.

 

How Permeable Pavers Work

Permeable pavers are identical to corresponding standard paving products in raw material, manufacturing processes and finish texture and color, but are notable for the oversized spacer bars on each side of the paver. These spacer bars create a gap between the pavers that is larger than a traditional paver installation, and this gap allows for stormwater to flow between the pavers into the stone base beneath. The base preparation materials for permeable pavements is also different, using multiple sizes of open-graded stone rather than densely compacted stone and sand. When rainwater enters this crushed stone base, it is stored there temporarily as it percolates into the adjacent soil and recharges the groundwater. With proper planning and base preparation, any driveway, patio or walkway project can be installed as a permeable pavement to minimize the impervious coverage on your property.

Permeable Paver Options

Penn Stone’s permeable paver options include clay brick pavers from Pine Hall Brick and Whitacre Greer, as well as permeable interlocking concrete pavers from EP Henry and Unilock. Permeable clay pavers retain the traditional 4” x 8” size use in typical brick pavements. Permeable concrete pavers offer larger sizes, patterns with multiple sizes, and stone-like textures. Within each of these product lines, there are options for permeable pavers for driveways, walkways, and patios.

Use Spacers To Make Any Paver Permeable

If your preferred hardscaping material is not manufactured as a permeable product, you can achieve proper spacing using spacers. Molded of tough plastic, these permeable spacers are available in a variety of shapes and thicknesses to adapt any flagstone, brick paver, or concrete paver into a permeable pavement.