Resin Bound Gravel Drive

[Mark Benson]

Any experiences? Next door are doing it at the moment and it looks really good.

Had the boss round to measure up for a quote but I don't really know a lot about it, though I do know it's not cheap, but then neither is replacing the tarmac we currently have.

Is it all in the prep? They seem to be just laying it over the existing tarmac drive (which to be fair doesn't seem to be in bad nick) but ours is shot so will need lifting I suspect.

Has anyone had it done? Are you pleased with it? Any issues? What sort of price per square meter should I expect to pay?

Any and all information welcome.

[Mark Benson]

It's the second type - premixed and about an inch thick, then smoothed over. I'm watching them from my home office window at the moment.

We have a sloping driveway/parking area at the front, it's partly old tarmac (1970s I believe) and gravel we put in when we removed all the vegetation the previous owner had growing across the drive (he was a bit of a privacy freak).

It's probably only about 60m2 but the gravel, although it's laid in recesses 'walks' and I'm sick of weeds etc. It's pretty much drive-in, drive-out so there won't be a lot of turning.

They're feathering the end of the drive which seemed a little odd to me - the head guy said they could lay a proper threshold though, and did advise that we should. There's quite a camber on next door's drive and a stream separating us so drainage shouldn't be a problem for them, but I wouldn't want it laying on top of the old tarmac we have - you can hear 'voids' underneath when you drop anything on parts of the surface (hence why I want to re-lay it).

Edited by Mark Benson on Friday 21st April 15:21

[Mark Benson]

8-P said:

Hi Mark,

Alright? :-)

We are looking to do our drive in a few months time too. 30 year old tarmac has had it.

Ive decided to go block paving because to me, although I know Ill have to keep on top of the moss etc I can live with this because at least I know it can be "fixed" ie take some blocks up and replace if something bad happened. My fear with the surfaces is are of it cracking or degrading or getting damaged at which point itll need doing all again. I may well be wrong, but block paving seems more industrial and likely to survive the test of time.

Hi Andy,

But block paving looks so...... Suburban. :-)

In truth, I just don't like block paving.

We wanted something 'fit and forget' and therefore don't mind paying a bit more if it truly will be that. But if it needs doing every 5 years or isn't hard wearing enough then we'll just re-lay tarmac.

[Mark Benson]

I'll report back when the quote arrives, next door are paying £7k but they're having it all over the place (downsizing baby boomers so splurging everywhere).