How to Build a Driveway with Sand, Grass or Gravel

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By Gardengates
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How to build a driveway with sand, grass or gravel

The concept of building a driveway with grass, sand or gravel is one of permeable paving. There are now alternatives to hard paved driveways. And these alternatives are less expensive to build and maintain as well as better for the ecology.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Lawns can support the weight of cars when built right.

Make construction easier by looking into some of the prefabricated forms made to support permeable surfaces. Grass or gravel paving is held in place with carefully cast polyethylene forms. These forms are set on a firm soil base without the need for the deep supporting materials required by other paving products and cement. Instead, this flexible network creates a support that will be covered with grass, sand or gravel yet keep the surface material from scattering and handle the weight of a car. In addition, the look of the driveway will be natural and allow rainwater to penetrate without washing off and being wasted.
Step 2

Driveways and walkways can be permeable paved.

Try one of the forms that will virtually disappear once the fill material is used. Most of the forms being sold today are very thin. The material of the grid work will fill only 10% of the space so it will hardly be noticeable once the gravel, sand or lawn covers it. Mowing lawns laid this way will throw out no hurled stones and the grid will keep much of the weight from cars or trucks off the grass roots.
Step 3

Polyethylene forms come in different thicknesses.

Use ecologically support materials. Made of pure recycled polyethylene, the structural forms that will contain your lawn, sand or gravel are eco friendly. That means that the installation, the products used and the permeability of the driveway are all very ecologically conscious.
Step 4

Making a permeable driveway removes most of the causes of erosion and flooding while allowing water to be returned naturally to the soil. Using grass, sand or gravel with this polyethylene form technique minimizes labor and upkeep. Asphalt and cement are not going to plug up the landscape and changes can be made more easily in the future since the construction is not so permanent. Yet building a driveway with grass, sand or gravel in this manner will be long lasting and look attractive and natural.

Comments

greengeekgirl said

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on 6/5/2009 I was looking at another article here that mentioned the grid product called EcoGrid - that looks like what you mention. It snaps together basically and has some thick edges so it can take the weight if the cars back up. I guess this would be about the same for a parking space? I think it would be a great replacement system instead of a concrete pad.