What is resin bound paving, and is it right for my drive?

These two products are confused constantly, sold interchangeably, and behave completely differently. Knowing which one you are being quoted for, and what base it is going on, is most of what protects you here — because the surface layer is thin and every failure comes from what is under it.

Safety

Step by step

1. Learn the difference between the two.Resin bound: aggregate and resin mixed together in a forced-action mixer and trowelled out as a solid, permeable, smooth-textured layer typically 15 to 18mm thick. Resin bonded: resin applied to a base and dry aggregate scattered onto it, giving a rougher, loose-looking, non-permeable surface. They look similar in photographs and are not the same product.
2. Ask what base is being proposed.Both need a rigid, sound base — porous asphalt or a permeable concrete for a bound permeable system, or sound existing tarmac or concrete. Resin over a flexible base like block paving or compacted stone will crack. If a quote does not describe the base, that is the question to ask before the price.
3. Check the permeability claim against the whole build-up.Resin bound is permeable, but water then has to go somewhere. A permeable surface over impermeable concrete simply moves the puddle to the edge. Genuine permeability needs a permeable base and a sub-base that can store and release water — which is also what makes it relevant to the rules on hard surfacing at the front of a property.
4. Ask about the aggregate and the resin.UV-stable resin matters — cheaper resins yellow noticeably within a couple of years. Aggregate should be washed, dried and graded; damp aggregate is the commonest cause of a failed batch. Ask for the specification in writing.
5. Understand the weather constraint.It cannot be laid in rain, on a damp base, or below the resin's minimum temperature, and it needs a dry curing window afterwards. An installer offering to lay in November drizzle is telling you something about their standards.
6. Think about how it will look in five years.It stays looking new for a long time if it is kept swept and free of organic debris. Under trees, or where leaf litter is left to break down on it, moss and algae colonise the surface texture and it needs cleaning like any other surface.
7. Get the drainage designed as part of the job.Where the water goes at the edges, whether a channel drain is needed at the threshold, and what happens at the boundary with the highway. This is the part most likely to be left out of a quote and most likely to cause the problem.

Common mistakes

• Buying resin bound and being given resin bonded — They are different products at different prices with different properties, and the confusion is common enough that it is worth having the term written into the quote.
• Laying over an unsuitable base to save money — The surface is 15 to 18mm thick. It has no ability to bridge movement, so anything that moves underneath cracks it, and a cracked resin surface cannot be patched invisibly.
• Assuming permeable means no drainage design needed — Permeable means water goes down rather than across. It still has to be stored and released, and the sub-base and the ground have to be capable of that.
• Treating it as a DIY job — Working time, mixing equipment and weather tolerance are all outside what a domestic setup can manage, and there is no partial recovery from a failed pour.

Alternatives

• Block paving: More joints, more maintenance and more weeds, but individual blocks can be lifted for a service repair and replaced. If anything is ever likely to be dug up under the drive, this is a serious advantage.
• Tarmac: Cheapest per square metre for a large drive, quick to lay, and it needs a proper base like everything else. Softens in strong sun and marks under point loads such as a motorbike stand or a caravan jockey wheel.
• Gravel with a stabilising grid: Genuinely permeable, cheap, easy to repair and reversible. Noisy, migrates without a grid and edging, and needs topping up. The grid deals with most of the objections.
• Concrete: Extremely durable and completely impermeable, which is the planning problem at the front of a property. Needs proper joints and reinforcement to avoid cracking.

Questions people ask