If you already have pavers in your yard, it’s important to know that they need good drainage. The reason for this is simple:
If water can’t drain away from your pavers, it will sit there and cause damage. Even worse, if your pavers are under a concrete slab, this could lead to foundation problems.
So let’s take a look at some common drainage issues, why they occur, and when you should hire a paver contractor.
1. Protect your investment.
The very first reason why good drainage is important for pavers is to protect the structural integrity of your paver driveway or patio. This can be a big deal if you’re spending tens of thousands on a new paver driveway or patio, but it also applies to older drives that have been in place for several years.
Also, without proper drainage, you increase the risk of accidents or injuries when people slip on wet surfaces like driveways or patios with poor drainage systems installed below them – which means that even if everything seems fine now (meaning there aren’t any obvious signs yet), sooner rather than later something bad could happen because of poor drainage underneath these surfaces!
2. Preserve the structural integrity of your hardscape design.
When your pavers are not properly drained, water can accumulate in the joints between pavers. This causes them to expand and contract depending on the amount of moisture present. Over time, this can lead to structural issues in your hardscape design.
To prevent these problems from occurring, make sure that you install drainage around any low-lying areas of your patio or walkway where water tends to pool. If you already have a patio or walkway but are experiencing problems with joint expansion due to lack of proper drainage, then check out our article on how to fix this issue!
3. Avoid accidents and injuries.
Avoid slips and falls. Imagine you’ve just finished laying your pavers and are ready to celebrate with a glass of wine while you admire them. The next thing you know, someone walks across one of the newly laid pavers and gets their shoe stuck in it—and down they go! What a disaster! If this happens to you, there’s no way around the fact that people will be injured, so please make sure that your pavers have good drainage installed before installing any other features on top of them.
4. Prevent staining and discoloration of pavers.
Pavers can stain and discolor due to exposure to water. This is often caused by dirt, oil or other pollutants that get trapped in the pores of the pavers. Iron or other minerals may also leach into the pavers from nearby soil.
To prevent this, you should use a high-quality drainage system that will remove as much water as possible from your paving job while keeping it looking clean and beautiful. A good rainwater collection system will prevent any standing water in your paver installation long enough for any stains or discoloration to dry out before they cause permanent damage.
5. Maintain the aesthetics of your paver driveway or patio.
Pavers are an investment and it is important to maintain them properly to keep them looking their best for a long time. If you don’t take care of the drainage, then over time, your pavers will have standing water in them which will cause the growth of weeds and mosses that can discolor your pavers and make them look bad.
6. Avoid soil erosion and protect sensitive landscaping.
Soil erosion can destroy the beauty of your yard. It not only damages the environment, but it also takes a toll on your plants and grass. When water runs off your property, it carries away topsoil and nutrients that are crucial for healthy growth. This causes plants to wilt or die and grass to turn yellow or brown a look you don’t want in your yard!
Soil erosion also makes flooding more likely because it removes stabilizing layers of earth from the ground (which helps prevent flooding). Without these layers, water travels more quickly down hillsides into streams and rivers causing massive floods that damage homes and wildlife habitats alike.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to make the most of your hardscaping investment, it’s important to take good care of it by ensuring proper drainage. This is especially true if you live in a climate that experiences extreme weather conditions or if you have plans to expand your outdoor living space with new pavers or other hardscape materials.
