Grey Resin Driveway Ideas

More homeowners are realising the benefits of a resin drive, and the popularity of grey has exploded. Modern homes feature sleek aluminium exteriors, which go well with various shades of silver. While other people might make a splash with brighter colours, a grey resin driveway could be the way to add a real statement to your home. However, is a resin driveway a DIY job?

This article will look at different shades available in greys and silvers that could complement your home perfectly. It will also cover various costs associated with a resin drive, such as the price of excavation and UV-stable resin. Finally, it will look at some grey resin driveway ideas to help inspire you.

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Why Choose Resin?

Resin driveways give you a seamless finish that is durable and easy to maintain. You can choose between bound and bonded surfaces, which affects the drainage and the finished look. Not only this, but you have perfect control, with a whole host of colours available to choose from and the ability to apply any pattern or design. Grey resin driveways are no different as various shades are available.

Choosing a Grey Resin Driveway

Grey is a perfect colour to complement any house type and style. They can be enhanced with darker edging and can effectively contrast with bold colours. If you’re looking for a completely personalised look, greys, silvers and blacks can be used for special design features, such as the house name or number, or any pattern you approve of. A grey resin driveway won’t all be one solid colour, so you don’t have to worry about having the character spoilt.

From light greys to colours that are almost black, plenty of choices of aggregate are available in these shades. Any colour option you choose from a supplier will have various shades included, which work together to enhance the overall effect of your grey resin driveway. For example, whites and browns could be mixed in with the greys to accentuate the finish to provide a contrasting tone. Alternatively, darker greys with white aggregate can help lift the dull tones.

Grey Resin Bound Aggregates – Colour Trends

A grey resin drive can come in a whole host of shades, especially as different colour trends come and go. We’ve separated a select few darker and lighter grey resin driveway examples below.

These aggregate colours have been sourced from The Resin Mill and Flex Flooring. They are perfect examples of how grey resin driveways aren’t just a single shade. With the examples of Nordic Grey and Silver Blue, you can see how different sized aggregate affects the finish, both in terms of colour and feel.

Depending on which kind of resin finish you opt for, different aggregates will need to be used. Resin bound gravel comes in 2–5mm and 1–3mm mixes, while resin bonded drives usually just use 1–3mm aggregate. The reason behind this is that resin bound surfaces are permeable, which allows water to drain through. The mixture of bigger and smaller stones creates gaps that allow this to happen.

Costs Involved With a Grey Resin Driveway

Excavation Works

Even before you start to calculate how much a grey resin drive will cost for the materials and to lay, the surface needs to be prepared. Resin driveways are installed 15-25mm thick, but a suitable sub-base is required before this can happen. If your existing drive isn’t in good enough shape, excavation works will be required before your grey resin driveway can be installed.

The sub-base is a granular construction that helps support any weight the drive can take. It distributes loads evenly while also allowing for water to drain through. This is often installed at a depth of 100mm. Before the grey resin driveway is applied, a binder course sits on top of the sub-base, which is around 80mm. This is either made of permeable concrete or tarmac. It’s an additional load-bearing layer.

UV-Stable Resin

The resin used can either be UV-stable or non UV-stable. These are also known as aliphatic and aromatic. If you opt for UV-stable resin, it will not discolour with repeat exposure to sunlight. It is also slightly more flexible. Non UV-stable resin is strong but can be more brittle. The shading can also be inconsistent across the whole surface, especially if cars, flower bots or bins sit on the drive for long periods. The last thing you want with your grey resin driveway is darker patches dotted around.

UV-stable resin is slightly easier for the tradesperson to install, but the benefits of it come at an increased cost. You can make the job cheaper by opting for a non UV-stable resin, but you’ll have to be prepared for the discolouration over time. If your grey resin driveway is being installed as a bonded surface, the non UV-stable resin won’t affect the integrity or colour as much.

Bound or Bonded System

A resin bound drive has the two different sized aggregates mixed together with the resin before it’s laid. A resin bonded system has the aggregate scattered on top of a layer of resin. For grey resin driveways, the cheaper of the two is the bonded option. On average, bonded resin driveways cost around £820 for a small 20m² drive. A grey resin bound driveway is around £1,400 for the same equivalent space. The price isn't the only difference between resin bound and resin bonded surfaces.

Edging Options

It’s not just enough to think about which aggregate would best suit your grey resin driveway. You’ll also have to give thought to what sort of edging you would need. You can choose between some of the following:

• Brickwork

• Aluminium trims

• Paving slabs

• Existing walls

These will all affect how your grey drive performs. Aluminium trims are thin and sleek, making them ideal for separating different sections and colours. If the aggregate is enough on its own, existing walls can be used. On the other hand, paving slabs can provide a contrasting grey or darker brickwork could bring out the lighter colours. Each option comes with its own cost on top of your grey resin driveway.

Planning Permission

Another consideration for your wallet could be the application for planning permission. The good news is that if you’re opting for the bound surface for your grey resin driveway, you won’t need to apply for planning permission. This is because the surface is entirely sustainable drainage system (SuDS) compliant, which allows for any surface water to drain through.

With resin bonded drives, you will require planning permission if the surface being installed is greater than 5m². As they don’t allow water to drain through, these larger grey resin driveways can end up costing you a little more.

Grey Resin Driveway Inspiration

The best way to get an idea of what a new resin driveway would look like is to see existing projects. From a slate grey resin driveway to darker shades, you can observe how different edging affects the overall look.

Dual Tone Greys With Aluminium Trim and Paving

Light Grey With Dark Grey Brick Edging

Dual Tone Grey and Yellow With Aluminium Trim and Block Paving

Dual Tone Dark and Light Grey With Aluminium Trim Against Existing Wall With Pattern

Dual Tone Dark and Light Grey With Aluminium Trim and Block Paving

Hopefully these ideas would have given you some inspiration into what your grey resin driveway might look like. There are plenty of aggregates that you can mix and match, either together to form a personalised colour scheme, or to separate and border it with. You can also lay resin on driveways and paths to complete a seamless design. Although resin bound driveways set you back more, they come with drainage ease.