Drainage channels for Driveways

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Driveways are one of the most convenient and practical surfaces around your home. They provide fast and safe access to your front door with a clean and level surface to load necessities.

Like all hard surfaces however, driveways can accelerate surface run off whilst contributing to flooding and pollution. Consequently, driveways should always have a suitable drainage strategy which mitigates the effects of water runoff.

One of the most effective ways of doing this is by collecting water in drainage channels. Drainage channels for driveways come in a wide variety of different products and installations.

​In this article I will explain everything you need to know about drainage channels for driveways. I will summarise the various types as well answer some common questions regarding driveway drainage channel installation. 

​Why have drainage channels for driveways? 

Drainage channels collect vigorous flows of surface water in times of heavy rainfall. This is particularly important for properties where drives slope down towards the home.

A well installed driveway drainage channel will collect excess water and direct it to a drainage feature.  Driveway surface water drainage is particularly important as it contains toxic particles. 
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​Tyre rubber, break pad dust, oil spills and metal particles all wash off our driveways and access roads.

​If allowed to drain into drainage networks these lead to the toxification of natural watercourses and aquatic ecosystems.

​Such pollution can intern effect our drinking water, food sources and health. Therefore drainage channels play a critical role in collecting and draining driveway runoff away safely. 

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Do you need drainage channels on your driveway? 

​If your existing driveway drains onto your street then an unfavourable precedent is already set.

However it would be environmentally sound to install a drainage channel to collect your driveways surface water. These can then be plumbed into a soak away or natural water feature.
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If you are planning a new driveway with impermeable surfacing above 5 square metres you will require planning permission. Permission is unlikely to be granted without water being collected and reabsorbed into the surrounding ground of your property. 
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This can be ​achieved by installing drainage channels which plumb into a soakaway system or bio-swale.
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The rules of each country and region may vary in regards to driveway drainage.

​However on an ethical level you should install drainage channels to collect surface run-off from all driveways.  This is especially so if the existing water runs off your property onto roads and into natural water courses. 

​Types of drainage channels for driveways

The term ‘drainage channels for driveways,’ encapsulates many various installations and drainage products.

The two main types of driveway drainage channels are; surface drainage channels and sub-surface drainage channels. Surface channels collect water from a driveways surface while sub-surface drains carrying collected water underground.
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Below I break down and summarise the various types of driveway drainage channel. 

​Surface drainage channels for driveways

​Channel drains

​Channel drains are the typical drainage channel most people think of when they visualise drainage channels.

These channels typically come with a removable grate which stops debris falling into the channel. Most grated channel drains are around 100mm x 100mm and about a metre in length.

​Channel drains come in a wide variety of products and materials but essentially all serve the same purpose. For an idea of how to install such channel drains visit our step by step article here. 
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​Slot drains

​​Slot drains are pretty much the same as grated channel drains without a grill or grated cover. Instead these channels have a closed channel with a raised slot that is installed flush or a little below the paving level.

​This creates a narrow slot for surface water to seep into and provide a visually harmonious drainage solution. 

​Sump drains 

​Sump drains are not actually channel drains at all but rather square, surface, drains. These can be installed to low areas or at the lower end of a paved surfaces fall. The collected water can then be channelled underground along ground pipes to the destination drain. 
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​Loading classes for surface driveway drainage channels

Surface driveway channels must be able to take the loading demands placed upon them. Some channels may only be able to take the weight of an average car or pedestrians.

Consequently you should check the loading class of each drainage channel you install. If you have a large driveway that acts as a service road you may require a much heavier loading class.

This is because heavy service Lorries such as waste disposal trucks may have to drive over your surface. Such a circumstance would warrant the use of a D400 rated drainage channel. For more domestic vehicular driveway traffic a B125 rating is normally sufficient.

​For a full summarised list of drainage channel loading classes visit Easy Merchants informative article here. 

​Subsurface drains for driveways

​Ground pipe channels

​Ground pipe channels are simply robust ground pipes laid to channel collected surface run-off to drainage features. Ground pipes normally carry collect water from channel drains to soakaways and other drainage destinations. For more information on installing such pipes visit our patio drainage guide here. 
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​Soakaways

Soakaways are voids or cavities under the ground where surface water is channelled to drain away naturally.

Historically excavations were filled with builder’s rubble to create a free draining storage drain. However today, we install more efficient soak-away crate systems which are ridged reinforced plastic structures. 

These can easily slot together to form generous underground voids where water can be drained to. Soak-aways can allow surface water to slowly be reabsorbed by the ground naturally.

​For a full step by step guide on how to install soak-away crates visit my resource here.  
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​Free draining landscape channels

​Free draining landscape channels are simply linear trenches excavated into the landscape. A perforated pipe is then sandwiched between a generous layer of 10mm free draining gravel.

This creates a free draining channel which cannot only direct water away but also absorb it. This makes such channels a good solution for draining surface run-off from driveways. 

​Why not visit our step by step guide on how to install free draining drainage channels here. 
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​Bio-swales 

​When it comes to ecological solutions for dealing with driveway drainage, bio-swales take the lead.

Similarly to free draining channels, bioswales can direct and absorb water but in a more naturalistic way. Instead of square and submerged channels bio-swales look more like planted ditches.

​These gentle and linear depressions in the ground allow surface run off to flow naturally through the landscape. 
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Planted with marginal plants the swale forms a native wetland habit which oxygenates and cleans toxins from driveway run-off.

​The swales can even be landscaped as garden features with boulders, pebbles, wildflowers and even seating areas. Bioswales are the perfect natural drainage channels for driveways if you have space and ecologically oriented. 

​Thank you for visiting our article on drainage channels for driveways! Why not also read our full guide to driveway drainage here. 

If you require garden landscaping services such as drainage, paving, fencing, turfing, raised beds or re-levelling do not hesitate tocontact us. 

Based in Amersham, Buckinghamshire we cover most local areas including: 

Amersham, Aylesbury, Bovingdon, Chalfont, Chesham, Hyde Heath, Great Missenden, Princes Risborough, High Wycombe, Penn, Beaconsfield, Tring, Gerrard's Cross and Denham. ​

​Below I will link to some of our other landscaping and garden drainage articles you may find relevant. 

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