Many driveways are oversized to provide extra room for backing and turning and parking for occasional guests. Excess pavement often overwhelms a small lot and increases storm water runoff. On a recent project I used blacktop pavement for the high traffic area with Turfstone ™, a green pervious paving alternative around the perimeter for extra swing room when turning and extra off-street parking.
Turfstone ™ is an open cell concrete paving block you infill with crushed stone, gravel or topsoil. I opted for topsoil fill so lawn can grow between the concrete matrix virtually hiding the drivable surface.
Like any paving system, the bulk of the work laying Turfstone ™ blocks is in the prep. The 3 inch deep pavers can be laid over regular earth or special water receptor material. A solid well graded base is essential for the large (24 in. x 16 in.) format blocks. You can split the blocks along pre-scored lines but sometimes they’ll crack where you don’t want. It’s more precise to cut kerfs with a diamond blade and it only takes an extra minute.
Turfstone™ pavers go down fast. I set about 500 square feet in a few hours including carting the blocks from the pallets 100+ feet away. They cost about $2.50 / sq ft and are molded at licensed plants throughout the US. You’ll find them at masonry, landscape and building material suppliers. http://www.belgard.biz/shapes-turfstone.htm
Turfstone ™ isn’t the only porous pavement system. There are other concrete and plastic products available that serve the same function so keep your eyes out for locally made and stocked products.
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Mike - you mention that the pavers can be laid atop a "special water receptor material"...does this mean a geotextile fabric of some sort that lets water flow through, or do you mean some sort of run-off collection material?
The water receptor is a system that includes filter fabric (geotextile) with a thick matrix beneath. Rather than collecting run-off the combination of permeable paver and receptor material lets water flow through and percolate into the earth. In heavy percipitation events, the receptor stores excess water until it can soak into the earth.
Mike,
This one and others like it are difficult to walk on for older people and people in high heels. I used it once, but never again. Look for the pavers with smaller slots.