Resin Bound Driveways

[smithyithy]

Anyone have one or any experience with this?



A relative mentioned it to me as a option for replacing their tired tarmac U-shaped driveway. I quite like it, has the appearance of gravel without the noise and uneven-ness.

[smithyithy]

Crumpet said:

I have one, although it was only finished at the weekend and I haven't seen it in person yet. Looks fantastic in the photos I've seen and my wife's very happy with it so far.

What information are you looking for in particular? There are some quite dubious colour choices available so I'm hoping I've picked the right one!

Well they haven't looked into it in much detail yet, they've just commented that their current drive wants replacing and I spotted a resig one while walking the dog so mentioned it to them to which they seemed interested.

I think one of the questions would be water - their current tarmac puddles quite a lot now probably due to age, so I imagine a new base material will be required, but how does the resin handle heavy water flow? As they're not porous at all are they?

Also on that point, are they slippy? I've read that sand can be added to the mixture to increase grip, is this something you did or considered?

Costs we can find online really, but I understand they're quite low maintenance?

I'm not sure what colour they'd go for, they mentioned that they liked the white finish. It's a small tudor-style house so white might suit it, it's not a huge drive either, only really big enough for two cars.

[smithyithy]

Rowley Birkin said:

Resin bound - Aggregate is mixed with resin adhesive and the mixture is then trowelled / floated onto the substrate. The finish is uniform, a bit shiny and permeable. As the surface drains at the substrate level it's possible for puddles to form in the gravel, which can then go green or freeze. Price varies, but it was upwards of £40/m when I last checked.

Resin bonded - Resin is spread on the substrate and gravel is then scattered onto it. The result is a drive that looks like gravel and is not shiny or slippery. It is impermeable, so water drains at the surface. Some aggregate breakage can occur in areas of heavy wear, e.g. turning areas. The surface is like very aggressive sandpaper, so children don't enjoy falling over on it. It's cheaper than resin bound at £20/m and upwards.

Whichever you go for, make sure you get a quality contractor. There are plenty of cowboys about. Also be careful with aggregate selection, some of them are prone to having iron deposits that then create rust spot on the drive.

The latter is like 'surface dressing' on roads where bitumen, resin etc is sprayed down then the aggregate is laid on top and rolled / pressed in.

For the OP I was just referring to the former, where the resin and aggregate are mixed together before laying. Certainly will be more expensive but gives a much cleaner, tidier finish.