If you have ever taken a drive after a rainstorm and looked at the driveways in Bourne, Wareham, Marion, Mattapoisett or anywhere else along the coastline of Buzzards Bay, chances are you have noticed that Southeastern Massachusetts homeowners know a little something about driveway drainage problems. Unfortunately, not every builder took this into consideration, leaving out important driveway draining solutions to prevent garages or homes from flooding and becoming damaged. In most cases, the original driveway that was built when your home was built before you ever stepped foot in it, will need to be upgraded or renovated in some way.
It is important to check the integrity of your driveway on a regular basis, as driveways in Bourne and the surrounding area take a lot of punishment each and every day. Heavy cars and/or trucks drive over it and the materials that you choose must be able to stand up to a wide range of variables, including the hot sun, pounding rain, freezing snow, ice and anything else the local weather patterns can throw at it. Most homeowners don’t even think about their driveways – until something needs to be fixed or repaired because something has gone wrong. By the time flooding occurs, it’s already too late. The time to make a positive change, without incurring all of the associated expenses related to flood damage, is now.
Common Driveway Drainage Problems
There are four primary reasons why homeowners experience driveway drainage problems. The good news is that once you identify the cause of your problem, there is a simple and straightforward solution available that you can use to fix it before it gets any worse. Concrete, asphalt paving and other materials can be used to create a driveway in the northeastern states, however for this particular article we are going to focus on the use of permeable pavers for driveways as a beautiful and affordable solution for most common driveway drainage problems experienced in Southeastern Massachusetts.
The common problems include:
- the placement and slope of the driveway itself
- lack of drains or improper drainage
- swales designed to collect storm water
- poor choice of materials used to create the driveway
Best Driveway Draining Solutions
Now that we have identified the most common issues associated with driveway drainage problems, it’s time to share some of the best solutions that will help get your driveway in shape to prevent future flooding and related issues. These tips will apply to homeowners all across the country, so they don’t just apply to problems with driveways in Bourne or the Buzzards Bay area, but all throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, New England and beyond.
- PLACEMENT – Even if your driveway is already built you can change the placement of it at any time. A driveway should be placed in an area of the property that naturally has good drainage. Unfortunately, that’s not always the way it ends up. Your driveway should never be put in a low-lying area of your property where water typically flows or collects during a rainstorm. If this is the case, look into moving the location of your driveway or making landscaping changes that will help to reduce the opportunity for storm waters to collect after you make an upgrade to overcome driveway drainage problems.
- SLOPE – Most architects and builders agree, the best type of slope to use on a driveway is to create a slope that will gently move water away from your home so it can wash out into the street or into a water management solution. Landscaping or grading may need to occur in order to overcome this type of problem to find driveway draining solutions – especially if your driveway slopes toward your home or garage. If it is a huge slope, you will likely need to contact a professional for assistance.
- DRAINAGE – Another solution for driveways in Bourne that sit below street level is to also include a driveway drain. Whether you call it a French drain or a Trench drain, this type of driveway draining solutions can be installed in the area where the driveway connects to the garage. You have probably seen one before, as it is a long and narrow drain with metal grating that runs the width of the driveway to allow for quick and easy drainage of collected storm water or runoff from melted snow and ice. However, it should be noted that improving the slope through grading should also be considered in addition to setting up a good drainage system.
- SWALES – A very popular and beautiful-looking solution that can be used for driveways in Bourne or anywhere else in the country is to create a landscaping swale. You have likely seen these in action, as they look like a river rock creek bed that is surrounded by plants and other types of foliage. A swale can be added to one side or both sides of a driveway to create a functional piece of landscaping that can be used to collect storm water or make a way for it to soak in as groundwater. This prevents water from draining toward your home in a very unique way.
- MATERIALS – Concrete and asphalt driveways are often the culprit when it comes to driveway drainage problems. Instead, homeowners are now choosing to use permeable pavers for driveways in Southeastern Massachusetts because they allow for natural porous nature allows for the draining of storm waters into the soil, unlike any other type of surface. Permeable pavers for driveways come in a variety of shapes, styles, colors and textures, allowing homeowners in to build beautiful driveways in Bourne or anywhere else in America that enhance the look of their home while adding essential function that can be used to prevent flooding and the resulting damage associated with it.
Where to Get Permeable Pavers for Driveways in Bourne
The best place to get all of your landscaping supplies and hardscaping materials in Bourne, Massachusetts is at J&J Materials. A second location is available in Seekonk to serve the western portion of the South Coast region and a wide delivery range is available for all of Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Choose from many sizes, shapes and colors of permeable pavers for driveways, as well as other hardscaping materials for residential or commercial use.
Solve your driveway drainage problems with your choice of beautiful permeable pavers for driveways from some of the best and most trusted names in the industry. Visit J&J Materials today or give us a call to find out how our quality selection of permeable pavers and other innovative natural stone and manufactured stone materials can be used to improve driveway drainage problems and other residential issues related to water drainage and flow.
