gabby247

Driveway options ?resin bound

Gabby Wong
4 years ago

We’re planning on getting the driveway redone, and we’re wondering what people think of resin bound driveways...?

Also does anyone have an idea about cost per m2?
We don’t want a loose driveway have gravel currently that drives me insane, but do want one that allows good drainage and is relatively low maintenance...

We like the look of block paved drives as well, but they always look tatty as soon as you get weeds growing and don’t want to be spraying loads of weed killer...

Are there other good alternatives?
It’s a relatively large driveway so also slightly concerned it’s going to be crazy expensive!

Comments (56)

  • Sonia
    4 years ago

    Gabby there’s an interesting discussion on MoneySavingExpert forum about resin gravel which may be of interest. I don’t know how to share the link but worth a look. One person paid £5000 for 130 square metres. Another said £40 plus per sq.m if that’s any help?


  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Ok so both those figures are about £40/m2
    Part of me almost feels as though it’s worth the investment as we’re hopefully not moving for a long time?
    I wonder how that £40/m2 compares to paving...

    And yes I did consider the grids you can put down, but it wouldn’t stop people walking on the stones and then getting stuck and being walked into the house which is one of the main things...

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  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    The cracking isn’t reassuring- I suspect you’re right about the quality of the work !

    Maybe if We got relatively large blocks - less room for weeds to grow?
    Hmmmm need to get some quotes and see I think!

  • Helen B
    4 years ago

    Our resin bound driveway was about £40/m2 and we love it. We get so many compliments on it. 4 years after laying it, it looks just like it did on the first day.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    That’s really good to hear! Glad you’re still just as pleased with it Helen!

  • Anthony (Beano)
    4 years ago

    I think with the right house colour drive colour they look fantastic, cracking will only be due to bad preparation work so I’d do a lot of research into ho to use when you decide to do with or not :-) the prep work is everything in a good job so don’t necessarily just go with the cheapest

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Seeing as you’ve brought colour into it Beano, what do you think would work?? ;-)

    Definitely agree about prep being probably the most important factor! (Other than whether we can afford it! Lol!)

  • Anthony (Beano)
    4 years ago

    Ohh....that’s always tricky suggesting for others but I think possibly a light sand colour


    along these lines possibly




  • Victoria
    4 years ago

    Resin bound drive been down 4 years. Never been cleaned or weeded. No cracks, drains brilliantly. Can’t remember cost.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Looks great Victoria!

    And yes, I was thinking a light colour too Beano! Either Sandy or slightly whiter and more similar to the colour of the current gravel... think I’ll just need to check samples against the redness of the bricks!

  • Suzanne C
    4 years ago

    Gabby, resin bound is beautiful, however there are cheaper options that may be worth considering. This is the back of our garden with a second driveway. We needed something practical that didn’t have small stones, something you can drive on and turn the wheels, and options of cycling and using a pram on it. We used the leaf blower and no stones were lifted! We used a core gravel mesh system with weed membrane and onyx stones that were 20mm. My husband wanted cheap and practical and I wanted pretty. So this was the one we chose. It was under 1k. We did it ourselves in a couple of days. The stones are in front of the gate.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    oh wow! That does look really good Suzanne, I'm guessing because they're larger stones you don't have the problem with it getting picked up in shoes etc?

  • Suzanne C
    4 years ago

    No problems with shoes. My only gripe is it’s not fun walking on it with bare feet!

  • Suzanne C
    4 years ago

    I even did this around the side of the house, without core gravel mesh system and it looks ok, we needed a quick hit and it made such a difference. You can see the onyx stones in more detail.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Being bigger is it ok with prams etc? I know you mentioned it before... I'm guessing the mesh helps a lot!

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I must say @Suzanne C, having had a gravel driveway for the last 6 years and it having annoyed me constantly... you're making me reconsider having it redone in gravel again! LOL!

  • Suzanne C
    4 years ago

    If you are driving or cycling, have the mesh, but just a small path would be fine without as long as you have something solid path underneath. I couldn’t do small stone gravel as that would just annoy me...
    It’s also marble based - so hard wearing and keeps it colour compared to a soft stone gravel.
    It was the cheapest pretty. If we had lots of spare cash we would have had resin bound drive. Sadly we bought a house aka ‘the money pit’ where everything needed to be replaced!

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    We're nearing the end of a pretty major extension/overhaul of the entire place! And whilst we have funded most of it from remortgaging..... well, as you say... houses are money pits and this will be coming from savings! We'd rather pay a bit extra (within reason) for what we want, or save to do so... But equally if we can find a much cheaper option that we still like - it'd be that every time without a doubt!!

    Don't want to pay for a temporary fix that needs to be redone in a year or 2!

    but next will then be the patio and garden etc etc etc..

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    I wouldn't recommend block paving. We have it on our drive. round to the back of the house and the patio is block paving too. It is the bane of my life since I am the person who is constantly digging the weeds out of it. I hate it with a vengeance and can't wait to get rid of it. We are also looking at resin driveways or printed concrete, anything that doesn't have all the joins in for the weeds to grow.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    That is definitely my worry Doe! We’ll see how the quotes come in for the Resin, it may be back to gravel, but larger gravel

  • Tani H-S
    4 years ago

    Hi Gabby, we also have that dilemma and it will be the very last thing to be done on our house!
    We have a large driveway (fits 2 vans on the front plus a car further up) and it’s currently concrete which is all cracked. Issue with ours is that is slopes away from the house so we can’t have gravel systems.

    We got a price for the resin bound which was about £3k (but included digging up the bottom section of concrete and drain so it wouldn’t make it even higher)

    I also got a tarmac price and that was not much cheaper!!! Ridiculous. I thought tarmac would have been cheaper.

    Grid systems work fine BUT you still have to be careful of weeds as the still grow without soil on top of stones and the grids are expensive so you can end up paying the same as the resin in the end.

    Block paving is also a no no from me having had one previously as I was always having to jetwash and weed it.

    The only options I can see for ours are either resin bound (which can be put onto concrete) or larger paving in Indian slate grouped with a resin grout so weeds don’t come through. I haven’t got a price for the latter yet as not sure if the concrete would need digging up or not first so would be super expensive.

    Oh there is also imprinted concrete?? Not sure how durable/cost efficient that is so might be worth getting some prices from a few specialists local to you.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Well first guy came over to give us a quote, so we’ll see what they come back with... plus the builders people of course... £3000 is painful but probably bearable... had a friend locally who had quotes come in (for a much smaller driveway + a v small amount of landscaping) all around the £10,000 mark! Which is just unacceptable for a driveway!

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    We had a garden landscape company about 5 years ago gave us a quote to Tarmac the drive up to side entrance then Indian stove paving across the patio - £10,000 ??? How can that be possible? We were paying for the Indian stone ourselves as well.
    £3000 for the drive I could live with. Would be interested in your quotes Gabby - our drive fits 3 cars but I would go right across the front of the house as well. Our neighbour also has block paving, has it jet washed and cleaned then weed killer sprayed on every year, within 2 months it's back to square one.

  • jessa61
    4 years ago

    Now I've never had a resin driveway so can't comment from personal experience but what I always wonder is what happens if you get say an oil leak from a car? With brick, you can just change the bricks but with resin would it be permanently stained and so you would have to change the whole thing? Maybe it is worth asking any company about stains?

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    So we've had 2 quotes back...


    Guy 1 (can't remember if + or inc VAT)

    - Resin £10,500

    - Block - £6,000

    - Gravel - £4,700


    Guy 2 (all + VAT!)

    - Resin - £14,300

    - Block - £9,900-10,470 depending on type of paving

    - Gravel - £6,400


    So I think Resin is out!.... Now considering the option of getting a quote for the builders to just level the space (there's a bit that needs to be done) and then do gravel ourselves like @Suzanne C did! Out of curiosity where did you buy yours from? It looks lovely!



  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    And I agree @Tani H-S I was surprised that tarmac wasn't much cheaper too! 2nd guy quoted it at £10,800 + VAT!

  • Sonia
    4 years ago

    Gabby I wonder if porcelain could be used for a drive? It’s very strong, but I suppose a car or two is pretty heavy so it may crack, as sandstone will. Just a thought. I’ll have a google!


  • Sonia
    4 years ago

    Porcelain pavers can be used and some sellers say large format tiles can also be used, but I wouldn’t take their word for it! Popular is the US, but pavers are small and could have the weed problem you get from concrete pavers. Oh well!

  • Suzanne C
    4 years ago

    Gabby, we purchased it from a local garden centre but the second time we did it along the pathway we bought a couple of bags from gravelmaster. We bought the core gravel, terram, and sharp sand online.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    @Sonia thank you for looking! It's very kind.. Yea, I think I'd worry about larger ones cracking and I suspect smaller ones would still be expensive and get weeds!


    Thanks @Suzanne C I may need to look up how to lay a gravel driveway!

  • Patrina
    4 years ago

    @Doe Stewart love your active hate of Block paving. My drive is block paved and it is difficult to keep it weed free. In fact I was out there yesterday pulling weeds. I have committed myself to pulling one weed per day every evening I pull up to the drive. Big commitment I know but weeds do make your property seem unkept. I have no idea how safe chemically resin bound drives are but I'd rather avoid any drive with any addditional chemicals. Maybe someone on here can shed some light on wether resin and their curing agents are carcinogenic.

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    Hi Patrina, how good are you, 1 weed per day. I go out for a couple hours at a time, it's very therapeutic but such a chore. I'm sure the weeds pop up while I'm asleep. Two houses over the road have tarmac driveways, I can almost hear the smugness when they come over to speak to me while I'm on my hands and knees digging between the bricks. We have just had new windows and the house painted, looks a mess because of the drive. Can't wait to get shut of it.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    wow...I imagined block paved would be bad.. but Definitely can't be dealing with all of that!


    It's interesting as the drivewaypeople were all... "if it's done properly, it's not a problem....."Not convinced I believe them!

  • Patrina
    4 years ago

    Nope definately not easy to maintain although mine does not look too bad but that is because im tenacious. Gabby I got a quote for £800 a few years back to power wash and seal it which I was told would last a few years. I decide to stick with weed pulling. If the solution was not gonna be permanent. Why bother

  • Tani H-S
    4 years ago

    I know I briefly mentioned imprinted concrete above in some suggestions - but have any of you had it?
    Interesting to know the price compared to all the others that Gabby had quoted.
    Is this something you have looked at Gabby?
    I have a feeling it would crack over time though like our drive has :0/

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    We had our drive pressure washed, new sand brushed in between the bricks and sealed - lasted less than 12 months, total waste of money. We have also had contractors tell us that if the drive is done properly again in block paving then we won't have the problem? There are lots of block paved drives in my area, not one of them without weeds. Myself and 3 of my neighbours all have block paving, we all day the same - never again.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    We didn't get a quote for imprinted concrete @Tani H-S although I've seen some that look ok, I think a lot of them don't look as good. plus not great for drainage etc. which is one of the things I liked about resin, I didn't ask for the tarmac quote either, but he through it in the email as well.


    Wow! that must have been so disappointing @Doe Stewart, and I'm with you... I know I wouldn't be as good as @Patrina is!

  • Tani H-S
    4 years ago

    @Doe perhaps the others have had a resin filler rather than a sand mix put in between the slabs instead?
    I had that put in my patio as they said it allows drainage but weeds can’t grow in it. Might be work finding out for the future?

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    Hi Tani H-S - yes could be right. Resin filler was not on offer for the block paving only sharp sand. All the neighbours driveways are the same, all done by different contractors but filled in with sand.

  • Ann Jones
    4 years ago

    I have had my large drive done with imprinted concrete it's a lovely soft grey but you can choose any colour or design. I went with this option as a neighbour had his done 12 years ago and had no problems, it's had a couple of washes in the 12 years. It all depends on the company you use and their reputation. I cost me about £6000 and provides plenty of room for 3 cars. Hope this helps

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    @Ann Jones. Lovely to hear about your imprinted concrete - quite a few of them in my neighbourhood, more than resin bound drives. That sounds like a good option.

  • Avril
    4 years ago

    I really wouldn’t go with imprinted concrete. I spent a lot of money on my drive and regretted it hugely.
    You have to have expansion joins which are unsightly but necessary to stop cracking. Problem is the cracks can still happen so I ended up with huge crack which ran almost vertical to expansion join and also a number of smaller cracks in other places. My neighbour had there’s done same time. They haven’t had significant cracking although much smaller area but colour has faded and stained with oil.Tarmac centre with a gravel edging and granite setts can look very smart and that’s what I would choose over imprinted concrete or block paving if you don’t want the upkeep.

  • Doe Stewart
    4 years ago

    Hi @debzip, thank you for your experience with printed concrete. I have 2 neighbours with Tarmac driveways with brick edging all the way round - they have been down about 10 years and look as good as new. Something to consider.

  • Gabby Wong
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks everyone! It’s amazing how much people’s experience varies!

    Has given me lots to consider! I suspect if we want to get it done soon, we’ll have to do a diy job... or else wait till probably next year. But then next year we also wanna sort the garden etc so much to do, so little money!

    Unfortunately we definitely don’t have the funds for a fancy driveway right now! My dreams of just getting it all done and dusted are rapidly fading!

  • PRO
    HMS Decorative Surfacing Limited
    4 years ago

    Hi Gabby, I just wanted to introduce ourselves briefly - we are HMS Decorative Surfacing Limited; a national installer of resin bound and bonded paving, having been installing commercially and for local authority/housing developers etc for over 10 years. Prior preparation and other contributing factors can indeed alter the cost of your final installation, however if you'd like to email or call me directly i'd be very pleased to offer you an indicative rate. sales@hmslimited.co.uk or 01858 881 111, thanks, Laura.

  • Spamnation
    2 years ago

    Victoria, you mentioned youve had resin down a few years. I wondered where you’re located and if you’d share the tradesperson info; I’m London based. Many thanks

  • Picasso
    2 years ago

    Thanks everyone for this. I’m trying to work out what to do with my drive and this is very helpful. Thank you.

  • Doe Stewart
    2 years ago

    Hi everyone, well, we bit the bullet, had our drive laid with tarmac and charcoal brick edging. The tarmac they use now let's water soak through. We are happy with it and even better, no more picking weeds out of block paving 😊

  • Picasso
    2 years ago

    I need to bite the bullet now!

    Why don’t people put Pathclear on block paving please?

  • Doe Stewart
    2 years ago

    I tried that, worked for couple of months and then the weeds starting growing through again. Had it professionally cleaned and sand brushed in, looked fine but within a short time the weeds came back.

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