A grass driveway is basically a lawn where the traditional blacktop driveway would go. They are created using plastic lattice work that is then filled with soil and seed. This grows until the plastic framework is hidden and you are left with a beautiful looking grass driveway.

Benefits of A Grass Driveway

Grass driveways have a few major benefits one being that they reduce the amount of water that runs into the sewer drains, which in turn reduces the amount of pollutants that enter our lakes and rivers.

A blacktop asphalt driveway tends to absorb heat from the sun and then it radiates that heat throughout the day. Resulting in the area around your driveway/walkway to be a few degrees hotter. When every driveway in your neighbourhood does this it makes your whole neighbourhood hotter than it should/could be.

A grass driveway soaks up the suns rays and uses it, much less heat gets released back into the area around it reducing the average temperature around the outside of your home.

Another benefit to owning a grass driveway is that there is no need to have it sealed with harsh chemicals every year.

Drawbacks of Having a Grass Driveway

Unfortunately at the time of me writing this there are quite a few disadvantages of having a grass driveway installed. The first is cost. A grass driveway including the framework, soil, seeds and labour can cost up to 5 X the cost of a traditional asphalt driveway.

Next is the maintenance, like a normal lawn you are going to need to cut, water and weed the grass on a regular basis.

Most suppliers and contractors that install these grass driveways recommend that you do not park your vehicle on the turf for many days at a time. Since the car will be blocking the sun and rain your grass will start to turn yellow and eventually die. They also recommend that you not drive in and out of your driveway more than 4-5 times a day.

Finally there is the issue of snow/ice removal in the winter time. The product manufactures say that you can snow blow and shovel a grass driveway just as you would an asphalt driveway. I some how doubt that you will get the same results without damaging the grass underneath.

*Note – Some cities and states do not allow grass driveways to be built in residential areas. Call your local town office to find out if they are permitted in your area.

Is Green The Way To Go?

I think that if you can afford to have a grass driveway installed and you don’t mind the extra maintenance then green is a good option for you. It really makes a statement, just don’t park your SUV on it

The truth is that there is no standard rate for having your driveway sealed. It all depends on the size of your driveway and weather or not you are going to seal your driveway yourself.

Most driveway sealing companies charge by the square foot. So your first step should be to measure your driveway and get the total sq footage. Simply multiply the width of your driveway by its length. Example: a driveway 12 feet wide by 25 feet long would be 300 total sq feet.
The price per square foot ranges from .10 to.16 cents across the US and Canada. This varies by company and by climate.
So using the average of .14 cent per square foot on our 300 sq foot driveway, your total cost would be $42 plus taxes.

What services are included?

Something to keep in mind are the types of services included when getting a company to seal your driveway. A good quality sealing company will include the following services in the price per sq foot.
- Crack Filling
- Seal Coating
- Fixing Minor holes
- Priming Oil Spots
- Cleaning, either sweeping or using a leaf blower
- Roping off the driveway and sideway areas
Some companies will include edging and trimming services while others will require that you have it done before they arrive.

Sealing Your Driveway Yourself

In order to seal your driveway yourself there are a few things you need to purchase unless you already own them. They are:
- Driveway Sealant (at least 1 pail)
- Crack filler
- Squeegee or roller
- Oil spot primer (if needed)
- Pot hole filler (if needed)
- Stakes and string to rope off the driveway

Using our example of the 300 sq foot driveway assuming that you have the equipment already (chisel, chalking gun, putty knife, roller etc..) you would need 1 pail of good quality driveway sealant roughly $25 some crack filler $10 depending on the size of the cracks and a bag of pothole filler for $14.

Total Costs

Roughly $49 to do it yourself versus $42 to have a company seal it for you. While you might getting some pride by doing it yourself it is important to consider the cost and time savings by having it sealed professionally.
Make sure you get a few quotes and compare the sealing companies prices and services before signing anything.
*Please note that these are rough estimates only, call your local driveway sealing company for a proper estimate.

Next using a broom you are going to sweep out the smaller material like sand, pebbles, rock salt and any loose asphalt left behind.
Finally using a garden hose or a power washer, spray the inside of the driveway crack to remove any left over material. Allow to dry before applying any filling products.

Filling Cracks ¼ inch or Smaller

For cracks up to ¼ inch wide you can use a chalk cartridge style filler as shown (left). These are easily applied using a chalking gun.
Most of the liquid crack fillers will shrink as the water inside them starts to evaporate. So you have 2 options here. You can first fill the driveway crack level and wait for it to sink and dry, then reapply or you can overfill the crack slightly so that it sinks and dries level.
In either case you are going to want to spread the top of the filler using a putty knife over the edges of the crack. This will give it a nice smooth appearance as well as help to keep the water out.

Filling Cracks up to 1/2 Inch

For these wider cracks you have to use pour able liquid crack filler. These usually come in one gallon jugs (3.7 liters) and are known as “cold pour” crack fillers.
To apply simply pour the filler into the crack and smooth the edges using a putty knife. The compound should be dry in a few hours.
It’s important to note that for deeper cracks you may need to pre fill the crack with coarse sand in order to provide a more stable base for the filler to adhere to.

For Cracks Larger than ½ Inch

Unfortunately most liquid crack fillers won’t adequately fix the problem and you are left with 2 choices. If the crack is really wide you may have to cut out the affected area and lay new asphalt down.

In most cases you can fix the crack using a cold patch compound. These are available in either bags or buckets. Simply spread the compound into the crack using a small shovel or your putty knife until the crack is completely filled.

You will need to tamp the compound firmly until it is flat and level. You can use a 4 x4 post, a metal tamper of even your car tires to do this.

Learn how to fix driveway potholes at: Fixing Potholes In Your Driveway