6 min read

Resin Bound Driveways: The Good and the Bad

Resin bound has become the default recommendation for new driveways, and mostly it deserves that. It is still not the right surface for every property, so here is the argument on both sides rather than a list of benefits.

What it does better than anything else

It is seamless. No joints means no weeds, no sinking blocks, no ruts along the wheel tracks and nothing to re sand every couple of years.

It is permeable, which keeps rainwater on your own ground, avoids the planning question on front gardens and stops the puddle that forms at the bottom of so many concrete drives.

It is comfortable and quiet. Prams, wheelchairs, bikes and bin wheels all roll cleanly across it, and it sweeps clean in a couple of minutes.

It looks contemporary and finishes neatly around awkward shapes, curves, manholes and thresholds, which is where block paving gets fiddly and expensive.

The honest drawbacks

It is only as good as its base. A resin surface cannot bridge a failing sub-base, and unlike block paving you cannot lift a section, correct the ground and put it back. Money saved on the base is money lost later.

Installation needs a weather window. Resin does not go down in rain or in very low temperatures, so winter jobs get postponed and that can be frustrating.

Oil and fuel spills should be cleaned promptly. Light aggregates in particular can mark, and hot tyre scuffing can occur where a car is turned repeatedly on the spot.

Colour repairs are honest work rather than invisible. A skilled patch is very close but a new patch of aggregate against several years of weathering will not be a perfect match immediately.

Cost in context

It sits above tarmac and around or slightly above block paving depending on the base required. Where it wins financially is upkeep, since there is no re sanding, no weeding and no lifting blocks to relay over its life.

Who it suits

Households wanting a clean, low upkeep drive that stays looking the same. Properties with a drainage or standing water issue at the front. Anyone tired of weeding block joints. Awkwardly shaped drives where paving patterns become expensive.

It suits less well: sites where the budget cannot stretch to a proper base, and owners who want to be able to lift and re lay sections themselves.

Questions people ask us about this

Do resin driveways crack?

The resin surface itself is flexible within limits. Cracking almost always reflects movement in the base beneath, which is why the base survey matters more than the surface specification.

Will tyres mark a resin drive?

Hot tyre scuffing can show where a car is turned sharply on the spot in hot weather. It usually weathers out, and darker aggregate blends hide it better than pale ones.

Can weeds grow through resin bound?

Not from below through a properly built permeable base. Occasional surface seed can germinate in accumulated debris, and sweeping deals with it.

What happens if a section gets damaged?

It can be cut out and re laid by an experienced installer. The repair is sound and blends in more closely as it weathers.

Can it be laid at any time of year?

It needs dry conditions and reasonable temperatures, so we schedule around the weather rather than laying in unsuitable conditions and compromising the finish.

Weighing resin against block paving?

We install both, so we have no reason to push one. Ask us to price both for your drive and pick on the numbers and the look.

Price both surfaces View Resin-bound Surfacing 07535 661664