Car park surfacing can be carried out in a multitude of different ways, depending on your budget and requirements. Many business owners opt for gravel, due to its low cost and the ease of the installation process, while others choose a hard-wearing, low-maintenance surface like tarmac or asphalt.
All of these surfaces have their own distinct set of pros and cons, but before choosing one, it’s important to go back to basics: to make the right decision, you need to understand the key attributes of a car park surface and what effect each one is likely to have on your project.
Permeability is one such attribute. A surface’s porosity – its ability to allow rainwater to drain through it – can have a significant impact on the design of your car park, its maintenance requirements and construction costs.
Will my surface need to be permeable?
To answer the question posed in the title, no – you don’t need a permeable surface for your car park. Lots of parking areas are constructed from materials like concrete, tarmac and asphalt, which aren’t porous.
However, if you choose a non-permeable material, you will need to invest in a drainage system to prevent your car park from flooding. Not only will this increase the complexity (and therefore cost) of your project, it will also require maintenance of its own in the future, making the car park more expensive to operate.
The pros of permeable surfaces
By contrast, permeable materials like resin bound have a variety of benefits.
-
- They are often more efficient to install and can be equally as hard-wearing
- A wide range of different colours and styles are available
- The risk of flooding is kept to a minimum, as rainwater won’t sit on the surface for long
- They are SuDS compliant, meaning no drainage system is required
- They are better for the environment
Interested in learning more about permeable car park surfacing options? Get in touch with the team at A&MT Contractors today.
