The Complete Guide to Resin Bound Driveways

A drive is a statement about your home and modern alternatives give your home an aesthetically pleasing update. Resin bound driveways are durable, permeable and low maintenance, meaning you’ll spend less time on looking after them and more time enjoying their benefits. They can even be made fully bespoke, featuring desired patterns and shapes to suit any design.

This article will look at what a resin bound driveway is, along with its benefits and drawbacks. It will also look at what costs you can expect to pay and several points to take note of before you install a resin bound driveway.

What Is a Resin Bound Driveway?

A resin bound driveway is a mixture of aggregate stones and resin. The mixture gives it flexible properties that makes it permeable, allowing water to drain, while also retaining an anti-slip surface. The surface is completely uniform and easy to look after, which is why it has grown in popularity over the last few years.

It’s important not to get confused between a resin bonded driveway and a resin bound driveway. A resin bonded system consists of a resin layer with loose stones scattered on top of it. A resin bound driveway mixes the resin and the aggregate together before it’s laid. By mixing the materials together first, it provides a form of drainage, which a resin bonded driveway does not have.

For more information, see our guide on the differences between resin bonded and bound driveways.

Resin Bound Driveway Benefits

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are important when it comes to external surfaces. They allow rainwater to seep through and prevent water pooling on the ground. A resin bound driveway is a permeable surface, which counts as one of these systems. Because they allow for drainage, no planning permission is required to lay a resin bound driveway. This only needs to be sought if your driveway doesn’t allow for drainage as water run-off will potentially overload drains on the road.

The weight limit for a resin bound driveway is up to 400 tonnes per cm², which is fairly impressive. This will house cars and vans quite comfortably as it’s also hardwearing. The surface is mixed with resin beforehand which means there are no loose chippings, so your driveway won’t be slowly disappearing onto the pavement and road like regular gravel drives.

The other main benefit to a resin bound driveway is that they are low maintenance with a non-slip surface. The mixture of materials provides grip without compromising quality. For regular cleaning, the resin drive will only need a power wash from time to time. You won’t need to worry about weeds poking through, like with block paving, or growing in holes, like in tarmac.

Additionally, resin bound driveways are able to be personalised in many different ways. Various colour options are available and bespoke patterns can be incorporated into the design of your drive, giving you a customised edge over your neighbours.

Resin Bound Driveway Drawbacks

You have to take the rough with the smooth with anything. Resin bound driveways are not simple to install and are much more expensive than alternatives. They also come in two types: UV stable and non-UV stable. While non-UV stable is much cheaper, it fades in colour when exposed to the sun. It’s also hard, which makes it brittle and prone to cracking. Any items, like plant pots or cars, left on the drive can cause differences in shading as a non-UV stable drive becomes discoloured, leaving you with a multicoloured, patchy drive that’s not as pleasant to look at.

The main disadvantage to a resin bound driveway is that it needs at least 72 hours to fully cure before you can use it. You should be able to walk on it after several hours, but car use should be avoided until the resin has fully set. Because of this, it needs to be kept dry when it’s being laid and cured. Any moisture that makes its way into the drive will hinder its finish.

This kind of drive promotes the growth of moss. While they allow for water to drain through and no weeds, they can trap moisture, which is the perfect place for moss to grow. This is why they require a pressure wash from time to time, otherwise you can end up with a slippery surface.

How Much Do Resin Bound Driveways Cost?

The main element that will affect how much your new drive will cost is its size and shape. If your existing surface isn’t level, this will need to be factored in as well. It’s best to completely remove your existing drive before a new one is laid, so you should consider how much it will cost to get a level sub-base as well as the resin bound driveway.

A new sub-base can cost around £70 per m². When you think of the size of your drive, you can appreciate that this can be a hefty cost; however, it won’t be as much as the resin drive. A resin bound driveway can cost in the area of £110 per m². This will depend if you’ve gone for UV stable resin, which can be almost double the price of non-UV stable resin, and how large your drive is.

It’s also worth considering the labour costs. This can add £100-£200 a day to your total bill, depending on experience. If you’ve opted for a fancy design or bespoke styling, this could easily cost you more. Some companies will quote for both labour and materials together, so it’s important this is always a cost that you consider.

What To Consider Before Installing a Resin Bound Driveway

A resin bound driveway needs to be laid relatively quickly and the edges need to be kept wet as the job is performed to avoid discoloured lines appearing on the finished product. Additionally, your sub-base needs to be in good nick first. An uneven surface or an existing drive that’s of poor quality will need to be cleared and levelled prior to any installation taking place. This can mean additional costs.

The depth of a resin bound driveway is usually around 18mm. This is so it can bear the weight of vehicles and heavy loads. The surface is quite flexible, which means it can support relatively heavy items, but it is susceptible to scratches from sharp, weighty objects. If you’re having resin bound aggregate fitted on footpaths and steps, this can be 15mm in depth instead.

You also need to think about what sort of edging you’ll need. There are many kinds available and they’ll affect the overall appearance of your resin bound driveway. They can vary by size, shape and colour and can complement the finish. You can find edging in the form of bricks, paving slabs or your existing walls.

While you can have a resin bound driveway fitted on top of an existing drive, this can provide problems. If you’re laying on top of concrete, this will limit the drainage properties of the resin drive. In high temperatures, concrete moves as well, which will then cause cracks in your newly laid driveway. Overlaying a new drive on top of an existing one is cheaper, but if your base isn’t solid enough, you’ll see issues later down the line.