ᐅ Driveway and Access Paths: Paving or Concrete Pouring

Pedal go-karts are not an issue since the tires only run on the top edge of the ground grate. Narrow or small wheels are more problematic.

However, this does not matter in our case because there are no children, and there would also be other areas available for playing (e.g., terrace).

Curly schrieb:

The typical grass pavers, including the grass in the gaps, require a lot of maintenance. The grass needs light, water, fertilizer, and must be mowed regularly (at least once a week). This essentially means you shouldn’t park a car there for extended periods. You also can’t walk on it with heels. If you don’t do all this, weeds grow everywhere, the grass turns yellow, and it looks very neglected. Regular eco-paving requires much less upkeep.

Best regards,
Sabine

I’ll just jump in as well. I recently came across infill stones for grass pavers that close the grass openings like puzzle pieces. Would that be a useful variation?

The reason I ask is that I’m looking for an affordable, low-maintenance surface for a parking spot and driveway that isn’t completely sealed.

Also, because I came across the term: eco-paving simply means paving with sufficiently wide joints to allow water (and plants) to pass through, right? Or does it also involve other important characteristics in its composition?

My parents had grass pavers. Not the typical kind you usually see, but ones where only small knobs stick out above the grass. In theory, a great idea, but only somewhat practical in everyday use. Concrete heats up in the sun even without cars driving over it, and it scorches the grass in between. Heavily used paths (and it’s enough if a car drives over them just four times a day) are usually only covered with grass for one to two weeks in spring, when everything is sprouting anyway; otherwise, it’s just brown soil. A car pulling up “quickly” in front of the garage on the grass pavers causes the area underneath to get so hot that the grass suffers damage there too.

Plastic grass pavers don’t have the problem of burning the grass like hot concrete, but over the years, they started shifting around in our driveway. When it’s very wet and you drive on them, the pavers move slightly every time. The grass never really grows dense in those spots, and if a car is parked on them, the area underneath gets too hot for the grass anyway.

In short: I wouldn’t recommend any type of grass paver.

We’re trying out a newly developed gravel mixture on our parking space: drivable thyme varieties come delivered in a granulate. These are very resilient and gradually grow over areas where no vehicles pass, and they regrow in spots that are occasionally driven over, but nothing grows in areas with constant traffic.

For Rick, I can easily imagine a driveway with straight concrete slabs for the tire tracks and decorative gravel in between. Possibly combined with some non-flowering low shrubs.

DerGuteTon schrieb:

Eco-paving simply means paving with joints that are wide enough

And it ensures that the surface doesn’t become compacted over the years. As far as I know, Braun is the only company offering this so far.

@Climbee I have to agree with you on some points, especially regarding the "burning" of concrete pavers.

However, the shifting of the plastic grass grids in your case was due to incorrect installation. These grids are anchored and are even available for heavy-duty traffic.
I also know parking areas designed like that.
I would only recommend this solution with irrigation and for light traffic.

Gravel is not an option for us. We do not like the appearance, and the maintenance effort is quite high.
We also considered something with driving strips but didn’t find a suitable solution.
Taller planting in the driveway is not feasible or desirable. The garden starts immediately behind it.