Resin Driveways
Seamless, permeable, hand-trowelled finishes laid on a properly prepared sub-base. Two-week installation, twenty-year lifespan, one-year written workmanship guarantee.
The Service
No filler, no jargon. What you're getting, why you'd want it, and what makes the difference between a good install and a bad one.
What it is
Resin bound surfacing is a UV-stable polyurethane resin hand-trowelled with washed, kiln-dried aggregate at 18mm depth over a permeable base. The result is a seamless, smooth, fully porous surface with no loose stones, no weeds and no puddles, engineered to last 20–25 years on a domestic driveway.
Who it's for
Homeowners who want the kerb appeal of natural stone without the maintenance of gravel, the weeds of block paving or the staining of tarmac. Particularly suited to wider frontages, sweeping curves and properties where a uniform, premium finish lifts the whole house.
When you need it
When your existing driveway is cracked, sunken, weed-ridden or simply dated. Resin can be laid over sound existing tarmac or concrete, but most installations sit best on a freshly excavated and prepared sub-base, that's how you get the 20-year lifespan.
Why it matters
Because resin bound is unforgiving of bad prep. The base, the binder ratio, the trowel pressure and the cure time all have to be right. Done properly, it looks brand new a decade later. Done badly, it loses stone, picks up tyre marks and delaminates within two winters.
What Goes Wrong
We get called in to fix all four of these every month. None of them are accidents, they're predictable consequences of cutting the wrong corner.
When the resin-to-aggregate ratio is wrong or the mix is over-worked, stones release under tyre load and the surface goes patchy within 18–24 months. Almost always traceable to inexperienced installers or cheap binder.
Resin laid on impermeable concrete without drainage holds surface water. Repeated freeze-thaw lifts the resin film and creates blown patches that need full-depth repair.
Cheap UA-grade binders soften in summer heat and scuff under a power-steering twist. UV-stable PU binders cost more per kilo, but they're the only way to keep the finish looking new.
Domestic kits skip the primer, the depth and the proper aggregate gradation. They look acceptable on day one and fail comprehensively within two seasons. There is no shortcut to a 20-year resin driveway.
Our Process
We measure on site, check existing levels and drainage, agree the aggregate blend and email a fully itemised written quote.
Existing surface lifted and removed. Excavated to 150mm, MOT Type 1 laid and compacted in two layers with a 1.5-tonne roller.
Either a 65mm permeable bitmac base or a reinforced concrete slab with linear drainage, depending on ground conditions and falls.
Two-part UV-stable PU resin forced-action mixed with washed, kiln-dried aggregate at the manufacturer-spec ratio. No eyeballing, no shortcuts.
Trowelled flat at 18mm, edges hand-finished, surface left to cure for 6–24 hours depending on weather. Driveway walkable next morning, vehicle-ready in 24 hours.
The Benefits
On a properly prepared base with a UV-stable binder, resin bound stays looking new for two decades. We guarantee the workmanship for one year in writing.
Fully permeable, no planning permission required for front gardens, no flooding contribution, no surface water charges.
Every piece of aggregate is locked in the resin matrix. Nothing washes into your hallway, nothing flicks up at your paintwork.
Wheelchair, pram, mobility scooter, a resin surface is the most accessible domestic driveway finish on the market.
Annual jet wash, occasional weed treatment at the edges. No re-sanding, no re-sealing, no joint maintenance.
A clean, uniform, natural-stone finish that lifts the perceived value of the whole property. Estate agents quote 5–10% uplift on a tidy frontage.
The Detail
Materials, methods, variations, and the small decisions that separate a 20-year driveway from a five-year one.
07910 030085These are not the same product. Resin bound, what we install, is aggregate forced-action mixed through the resin and trowelled flat to give a smooth, permeable surface. Resin bonded is loose aggregate scattered onto a wet resin film, leaving a textured, impermeable, loose-stone finish more suited to footpaths than driveways. Bonded is cheaper. Bound is what you actually want.
We work with the full range of UK-quarried and imported decorative aggregates, Bronze Quartz and Autumn Quartz for warm, golden tones; Silver Birch and Polar White for cool, contemporary finishes; Pewter, Charcoal and Black Basalt for darker contemporary schemes; and bespoke blends for properties wanting something distinctive. Every aggregate is washed and kiln-dried to manufacturer spec, wet aggregate is the single most common cause of premature resin failure.
The visible 18mm of resin and stone gets the attention, but it's the 150mm beneath it that decides the lifespan. We excavate to the right depth, lay and compact MOT Type 1 in two passes, and choose between a permeable bitmac base (for natural drainage) or a reinforced concrete slab with linear drainage (for tight falls or clay ground). Skipping or thinning the sub-base is the single most common shortcut on cheap driveways, and the single most common cause of cracking, sinking and pooling.
Every resin driveway needs a proper edge restraint. We use either flush block-paving edging in a contrasting colour, granite kerb sets for traditional properties, or aluminium edge bars where the resin meets a lawn cleanly. The edge is laid before the resin, not after, anything else flares and lifts within a couple of seasons.
Most of our work is residential, driveways, paths, patios, courtyards, and that's where resin bound shows best. We also install commercial resin for forecourts, communal walkways and apartment-block parking, where build-up depths and aggregate hardness are specified to a higher standard. The principles are identical: proper base, proper mix, proper trowel work.
FAQs
Still have a question? Pick up the phone.
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Where We Work
Durham-based, on the road across the region every week.
Free site survey. Written estimate. No pressure, ever.
Backed by 20+ years' experience and a 1-year workmanship guarantee in writing.
