The soil under your driveway can fall prey to moisture from the rain or yard runoff due to improper grading. This running moisture can begin to cause the soil to loosen and erode under the building material.

If you have a concrete or asphalt slab, the erosion can cause some parts of the slab to sink and potentially break off from the rest. This can pose a safety risk for both your car and any pedestrians attempting to walk up your driveway. And the fix involves an expensive call to a concrete contractor.

Instead of suffering the consequences of driveway erosion, combat the problem before you even have your driveway installed. Here are three ways to achieve that goal.

Interlocking Paving Stones

Interlocking or interlock paving stone are a number of small tile-like pieces that snap together to form the approximation of a slab. The interlocked stones are usually set down in a guide frame and placed over a stabilizing material such as gravel or sand.

The small cracks that occur between the stones allow surface moisture to slip between the tiles in small increments rather than all running off at the lowest spot. This spread-out moisture combines with the absorbent stabilizing material to make paving stones one of the most erosion-proof options available.

But the paving stones can only do their job if you help out by minimizing the amount of water heading for your driveway. For more information, contact Santerra Stonecraft or a similar company.

Spout Splash Pads

If you have downspout drains near your driveway, you need to make sure that there are concrete splash pads at the bottom of each spout. These square pads make sure the emerging water splashes away from the spout's bottom and toward a better drainage area.

When placing splash pads near your driveway, make sure that the redirected water is going further away from the driveway. You don't want to accidentally route that water straight toward what you're trying to protect from erosion.

The splash pads can only be truly helpful if your yard has proper grading and drainage.

Yard Grading

Your yard needs to slope down from your house toward the street. This routes the water from the downspouts out toward the street and storm drain. Having proper grading keeps the water from heading for your driveway and protects similar erosion problems around your home's foundation.

The yard needs to grade down three inches for about every 10 feet of yard. This provides the water with enough of a slope to head the direction you want. If this isn't practical for your size of yard, consider installing an underground French drain system at the base of your downspouts. The drain will do the job of carrying the water out to the street.