How to Snowmelt Permeable Pavers

Permeable, pervious, or porous pavers, terms that basically mean water will flow through it not around it (read about the differences here), are the new sustainable landscaping practice for many hardscape projects. These paver or grid layouts allow for water to easily drain through the paver, gravel, or grass layout so that runoff is no longer an issue, and can easily seep into the ground naturally. This is often thought of as a “green” solution as permeable pavers mimic a more natural ground surface by allowing water to resupply groundwater supplies.

This article will quickly discuss how ThermaPANEL can be incorporated into a permeable paver design, and also why it is a good idea to utilize ThermaPANEL for these designs.

How to Snowmelt Permeable Pavers

With most permeable pavers, a whole system is necessary for proper operation, not simply the visible paver (shown below). A bedding, a base, a sub-base, and a storm-water runoff layer are all necessary for a fully operational permeable system. The pavers themselves are often not very different than normal pavers. Spacing pavers and filling the spaces with a permeable filling allows water to flow through at high volumes. With this being said, it is essential that ThermaPANEL integrates with the entirety of the system for effectiveness.

How to Snowmelt Permeable Pavers

Integration with Permeable System

ThermaPANEL is capable of spacing units so that water can flow through spaces between each panel very efficiently. On top of this, the 2′ by 2′ ThermaPANEL units have holes by the inflow and outflow of the panels that provide about 8 square inches of additional flow. The system allows enough water to flow to the underlying permeable base layers without restriction.

Driveways and other areas that are designed with permeable paver or grid and gravel type systems do have a major flaw in winter. Plowing and traditional snow removal methods can easily damage a permeable grid or paver system. In this lies a great synergy between ThermaPANEL and these driveway systems. ThermaPANEL can melt the snow effectively so that these surfaces won’t need to be plowed, and any runoff that may occur will be controlled by the permeable surface. ThermaPANEL is a great solution for those who need or want a permeable driveway surface, especially in snowy climates.

To learn about other pavement options with ThermaPANEL, check out our post which discusses the topic in detail. For more information and technical details, download our brochure. If you have a project and you think a ThermaPANEL might be a good fit, contact us today!