Permeable pavers

Surfaces that let water through instead of shedding it — useful where drainage is restricted.

How they work

Wider joints filled with clear stone, over an open-graded base that stores water and lets it infiltrate. The whole build-up is the drainage system.

Where it helps

Lots with limited discharge options, properties where hard-surface area is restricted, and areas where surface runoff is already a problem.

What to know

The base is deeper and the stone is different — this is not a standard patio with wider joints. Joints need periodic cleaning to stay permeable.

Whatever the material, the base under it and the water around it decide how it looks in ten years.