Utilizing grass for additional parking can be a huge asset where space is at a premium. Many people would like to have additional parking but may be restricted in how big their driveway is or how much auxiliary parking they can have either due to physical limitations or due to HOA rules and restrictions. There are a couple of modern products that can enable your landscape the benefits of additional parking while maintaining the natural grassy appearance that is common to suburban and urban homes.

Here is a list of parking situations many encounters:

1. Little to no driveway

Some homes have no driveways for a car to park due to building limitations or being close to busy streets. These are more common in older neighborhoods, or closer to urban areas, but can also plague the suburbs

2. Side yard RV access

RV or Camper parking access can be crucial for folks who have larger RVs or trailers. A reinforced side yard where the trailer or RV can drive without running the grass is a nice upgrade to a home and can help maintain the aesthetic look of a landscape

3. Desire for Building Green

Because there is a push for green building, using recycled products and promoting natural green grass is a boon for many homeowners seeking sustainable building alternatives

4. Special Event Parking

Hosting events such as a party, graduation, or a seasonal event can take a toll on parking that is already limited. Using products to save the landscape and open up additional parking is a great option to open up hosting capacity.

What are the best Grass Parking Solutions?

Having the ability to open up additional parking spots in an urban location can be incredible and this is why many homeowners and businesses are looking for the best grass parking solutions to enable more parking space when needed. The following goes over some of the best options for utilizing grass areas for parking.

The two primary Grass Parking Solutions for residential and commercial businesses are a permanent option called Grass Pavers, structural plastic grids that are installed prior to the grass. The second option is called Grass Protection Mesh which is placed over existing grass to prevent car tires from ruining the grass with muddy ruts.

What is Grass Protection Mesh?

Grass protection mesh is a green-colored durable plastic roll product that can be applied to the top of existing grass to save it from getting damaged from heavy or occasional traffic. This mesh product comes in various strengths depending on the kind of loads you expect and is desirable by homeowners as over time the mesh will blend into the grass and the grass will even grow to hide it.

There are three strengths of Grass Protection Mesh that are commonly used for Lawn Parking and trafficked areas:

1. Standard Grade – this is most common for general foot traffic, occasional use of cars and trucks, overflow parking, or for high traffic pet areas. We see this used in backyards where dogs run along fence lines. The mesh helps prevent yards from getting muddy and from pets tracking mud inside. The mesh also helps save the yard from unsightly mud ruts.

2. Medium Grade – Is excellent for turf protection where there is frequent or daily use. As there is crisscrossing slip-resistant mesh designs to enable greater stability when thing get wet. This level is ideal for most any residential application or light-commercial parking lots, or footpaths that are heavily trafficked.

3. Heavy Grade – The Heavy-Grade grass protection can be found for side yard RV parking, or for moderate weighted vehicle traffic. The reinforced mesh is made slip resistance is ADA compliant. This is suited for commercial parking areas for passenger vehicles.

Vehicles, pedestrians, and pets/livestock can all cause rutty damage to soft wet grass, and having a tool to mitigate soil compaction is powerful for the longevity of property and landscape. Some homeowners used this as a permanent year-round landscape solution while others tend to use it in the rainy months where grassy areas can be most susceptible to rutting.