If you’re looking for an attractive and safer material to upgrade your walkway, you will want to know why permeable walkway pavers could be a great solution for your landscaping in Rock Hill, SC. Although South Carolina winters are relatively mild compared to other East Coast states, walkways can still get icy, and heavy rains can create a slippery hazard on the wrong pavers.
What Are Permeable Pavers?
Permeable walkway pavers themselves aren’t permeable—it’s the joints between the pavers that make the difference. Larger joints are made possible by the design of Unilock permeable pavers.
Unilock paving stones fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces, but permeable pavers are spread slightly further apart to allow snowmelt and rainwater to seep through to the ground below. The water then seeps through the aggregate base beneath the pavers and re-enters the aquifer. By contrast, rain and snowmelt runs off of solid-surface walkways such as poured concrete or asphalt. Combined with the runoff from solid-surface driveways, this moisture can pool in low-lying areas or overwhelm the municipal storm system.
Related Read: Driveways, Patios, and Walkways: Choosing the Right Concrete Paver
Barefoot Friendly
Besides their eco-friendly nature, permeable walkway pavers are beneficial because they are nonslip even when wet. They are also cooler to the touch, because the surface is allowed to “breathe” (much like soil). This makes your walkway barefoot-friendly even on the hottest summer days.
Durable
Unilock permeable pavers are extremely durable (up to four times as strong as poured concrete). In the unlikely event an individual paver is damaged, it’s easy to replace just that paver (patch jobs on asphalt or concrete are obvious and usually ugly). Their color is also much more than surface-deep, which helps preserve their appearance even if they’re subject to heavy use.
Low Maintenance
Unilock permeable pavers are virtually zero maintenance. General maintenance is simple: a routine sweeping and an occasional power-wash (at a low setting). Spills are easily wiped up, and the pavers are highly resistant to stains from oil, food, household chemicals, and snow melt products. As long as the jointing compound is kept “topped off,” weeds won’t invade the surface.
Best Permeable Pavers for a Walkway
Unilock offers several lines of permeable pavers that are suitable for walkways and other pedestrian areas like patios and pool decks. For instance, Town Hall pavers are cast from real brick pavers and give your walkway a historic been-there-forever look. The dimensions of Town Hall pavers are slightly larger than typical brick pavers, making them proportionally suited to larger homes. If “brick red” doesn’t suit your style, know that Town Hall pavers come in a variety of colors and tones. Town Hall pavers also make excellent border and accent pavers, especially when used with large-format pavers in a contrasting color.
Related Read: Designing a Front Walkway that Charms and Welcomes
Thornbury pavers mimic the look of flagstone. These pavers come in a random bundle of three different sizes, and warm earthy colors that complement any style. Thornbury pavers are an extremely versatile choice for all of your outdoor spaces, equally at home on a walkway, patio, pool deck, and even driveway.
Tribeca Cobble gives your walkway the elegant look of imported granite cobblestones. The textures are cast from natural stone cobbles, which results in a random surface texture on each paver for a natural look. These pavers are also suitable for use as driveway pavers, and pair exceptionally well with Town Hall pavers. Unleash your creative side with inlays, borders, and accents for a completely unique walkway.
This title image features Thornbury pavers.