Porous paving has been rapidly gaining in popularity in recent years, and for very good reason. This type of pavement system is both durable and affordable, and is far more eco-friendly than traditional pavement types. Porous pavements are engineered to reduce standing water and run-off, and to direct water back into the soil, where it’s needed.
Porous pavements come with many benefits, both environmental and functional (and they look pretty good too). Another benefit is that they are low on maintenance, meaning you won’t have to sacrifice your free time and sanity just to keep your porous pavement looking good and working well.
A porous paving system can last a very long time, with minimal maintenance required. While porous pavers do require a little more care than non-porous types of pavement materials, it’s still a fairly low maintenance product. Porous pavers happily require very little maintenance throughout their lifetime, and won’t need resurfacing and resealing like traditional pavers will. There are a few steps you’ll need to take to keep them looking good and performing well, however, but there’s really not too much involved in porous paver maintenance.
Problems that can occur with a porous pavement
Porous paving systems work very well for the most part, and will continue to do their job of draining water through the surface and promoting infiltration into the ground with little help required from you. However, like anything, they are not completely trouble-free. The main issue you can encounter with porous pavements occurs when the pavement gets clogged with sediment and dirt between the aggregate. Materials such as soil or sand can be absorbed into the pavement and result in a blockage over time.
This is a problem, because the whole point of a porous pavement is to be …. well … porous! And when too much dirt and sediment build up and starts to block and clog the surface, it becomes much less porous. The result is water pooling on the surface and the pavement not working as it’s supposed to. It will still work, however, just more slowly than it should.
To prevent this from happening and to get your pavement back to 100% efficiency, you’ll need to do a little bit of pre-emptive maintenance. Preventing blockages before they happen is the most important task you’ll need to do to keep your porous pavement working well.
So, what can clog a porous pavement? Common culprits are soil, sand, sediment, dirt and debris. An accumulation of dust on the surface shouldn’t cause a blockage, and you can simply hose the paving to flush the dust through the surface. However, if soil, sand or sediment build up or are spilt onto the pavement surface, don’t hose it through into the sub-base. Sweep or blow it off the surface to prevent it clogging the pavement system. And if you’re doing any landscaping tasks near the pavement area, try and avoid spilling or washing soil onto the pavement surface. It’s a good idea to keep any adjacent garden beds at a height lower than the paving too, to prevent soil washing onto the paving when it rains.
Regularly remove anything that’s sitting on the surface of the pavement, such as twigs, leaves, grass clippings, sediment, rubbish and any other debris that may clog the pavers.
Give the pavement surface a quick wash with plain water every so often, and inspect the surface after heavy rain to see if it’s becoming clogged with sediment. Don’t use high water pressure spraying to clean the pavers, however, as this can loosen and remove stones.
If your pavement becomes clogged, don’t try and unclog it yourself. Porous systems such as these need industrial grade equipment to pull debris, sediment and build up back to the surface where it can be removed.
Your best bet is to do all you can to prevent it getting clogged in the first place.
What not to do:
- Don’t allow large vehicles to regularly drive over porous pavement or park on it.
- Don’t allow debris to build up on the surface.
- Don’t spray the pavement with a pressure hose.
- Don’t stockpile sand, soil or yard waste on the pavement surface.
- Avoid contact with solvents, such as acetone, turps and paint thinners.
- Avoid spilling fuel or oil onto the pavement.
- Don’t allow moss, weeds or algae to build up on the pavement surface.
As long as you stay on top of spills and material build-up as they occur, your porous pavement should work well for many years without a problem. And apart from this, there aren’t many other maintenance tasks you’ll need to do.
How to inspect your pavers for signs of a blockage
- Look for water pooling on the surface of the pavement – this indicates that the pavement could be blocked
- Check for visible dirt or other material on the surface that may be an indication of a clog
- Look for signs of wear and tear
By carrying out a little bit of maintenance here and there to help your porous pavement work efficiently, you’ll be doing your part to help protect and manage your local waterways.
For a high quality and low maintenance range of porous paving choices, visit Heritage Porous Paving here: https://heritageporouspaving.com.au/products/paving/. Our premium stone porous pavement range doesn’t stain and is very easy to clean with water. The marble aggregates are raw and come in a wide range of natural colours, meaning their colour is durable over time and doesn’t fade with long-term exposure to UV light. This type of pavement system is UV and weather resistant, as well as being tear-resistant. It’s the perfect, environmentally friendly way to make your outdoor area looks great and performs well.
Everything you need to know about water management and porous paving