My driveway needs to be paved; should I be concerned about drainage?
My driveway needs to be paved; should I be concerned about drainage?
When you are planing for your blacktop driveway cost you should definitely take into account the ease with which your pavement will shed water and the direction in which runoff from the driveway will flow. Asphalt professionals normally examine the following aspects of each site before installing a driveway.
1. What is the grade of the proposed driveway site? Ideally, a driveway will go uphill from the street entrance and rise at least 2 percent from street to its end. This equates to approximately 0.25 inch per foot of length. The driveway may also need to slope to one edge, with a minimum slope of 0.25 inch per foot of width. These are the minimum grades, and your site may require more vertical rise or horizontal slope.
2. What specific drainage issues exist at the site? If your driveway runs downhill from the street to your garage, receives heavy runoff from surrounding terrain or has other unusual issues, special steps may need to be taken to protect your pavement. For example, curbing may be needed to keep runoff away from your driveway, or trench drains may need to be installed to prevent runoff from entering your garage or collecting in an undesirable location, such as around your foundation.
3. What environmental factors need to be considered? Water can reach your driveway from sprinkler systems, rain, snow or runoff. In areas that frequently experience sub-freezing winter temperatures, rain, snow and sleet can become a solid sheet of ice that can pose a risk to you as well as your pavement. In other locations, spring and summer rains may arrive in the form of torrential downpours. Asphalt professionals include the average weather patterns in the area to help determine whether special steps need to be taken to ensure proper drainage.
4. Is porous asphalt justified for the location, and is the soil sufficient for its use? Porous asphalt allows the water to percolate through the pavement before it is diverted safely away from the asphalt’s foundation. The diverted water is released into the surrounding soil, which must have the right properties to handle the discharge safely and effectively. Porous asphalt is more costly, but it can be a possible solution for some driveways that have special drainage issues.
If you are uncertain about how to plan your driveway to handle drainage, contact the professionals at Dirtworks, Inc. We offer a full line of asphalt driveway installation, repair and maintenance services to customers throughout the Cape Cod area. We can also provide you with excavation, gravel road repair, striping parking lots and landscaping services. Our crews are experienced and highly trained, allowing us to provide you with quality work at competitive prices. You can request a free estimate by submitting our online form, or call us at (508) 240-5541.
