Pervious Concrete Contractor Los Angeles

What happens to your concrete surfaces when it rains? Gets pretty slick, doesn’t it? And all that water rising to your buildings? Who wants that?

Where does that water go anyway? It just ends up in our city gutters and is swept out to sea. How eco-friendly is that?

What if I told you there was an eco-friendly way to avoid slick concrete and flooding on rainy days? I’m talking about pervious concrete.

What is pervious concrete?

Pervious concrete is a type of concrete mix that allows water to seep through the surface and back to the ground. It’s been used in Europe since the 1800’s, but didn’t get popular in the US until the 1970s.

Pervious concrete is made using large aggregates (aka, rocks) in the mix, with none of the smaller, finer aggregates. The concrete paste coats the aggregates, allowing water to pass through the concrete slab.

You can use it pretty much anywhere you would use regular concrete:

• Patios 
• Parking lot 
• Walkways
• Driveways
• Swimming Pool Decks
• Light-Density Commercial Roads
• Tennis and Pickleball Courts

What are the pros and cons of pervious concrete?

Pervious is a fantastic product when it comes to its impact on the environment. In water-conscious Los Angeles, pervious concrete is the obvious choice for protecting this prized resource.

Because pervious concrete is porous, it allows water to run right through it, absorbing into the ground instead of mixing with fertilizers, grease, and oil before running into our city’s drainage system. This not only saves our water system from pollution, but it also recharges the groundwater. Not only that, but think about all the draining issues you have with traditional concrete surfaces – installing drainage pipes or French drains, etc. Pervious concrete is your drainage system. The water simply seeps into the ground, as if it were raining on your lawn.

Previous concrete also cuts down on a whole list of environmental issues:

• Flash floods
• Pollution
• Erosion
• Water table depletion

If you want to see pervious concrete in action, just go to Tree People, where they have installed pervious concrete as part of their nursery.

Now, what are the cons?

One of the most significant downsides to pervious concrete is the cost. It utilizes specialized materials and techniques, which means the initial installation is more expensive than that of traditional concrete.

Also, the small gaps that allow water to run through? Well, they also can get clogged with dirt and debris. You’ll want to dry vacuum or power wash it once a year.

Finally, although previous concrete can be used in nearly every location where traditional concrete is suitable, it’s not suitable for every location – especially areas with heavy traffic or high sediment loads. There is a load capacity that makes it less ideal for heavy everyday use.

All the cons aside, if you are ready to install an environmentally friendly concrete on your property, give us a call. Our licensed concrete contractors have the knowledge, skills, and equipment to install your pervious concrete surface today. Call for a free estimate.