The resin bound aggregate is hand trowelled to create a smooth and seamless finish without any loose stone. A resin bound system delivers a permeable, durable, seamless and anti-slip surface. It is low maintenance and easy to clean. Resin bound systems are porous, meeting the requirements of the sustainable urban drainage system (SUDs).

Resin bonded gravel is a system where the resin is spread across the base, and then aggregate is scattered onto it. A resin bonded system delivers a non-permeable single stone layer surface. The stone only adheres to the resin on one side therefore, has the potential for the stone to become loose. A resin bonded system gives the appearance of loose gravel, however, has a much shorter life span than a resin bound system. Resin bonded systems are non porous and therefore not a SUDs compliant solution.

The simple answer is no. The reason for this is because there will be movement in these types of surfaces that will potentially cause the resin bound surfacing to prematurely crack. Adding to this it would be impossible to guarantee the product as we would have no idea of the subbase build up. This is required to ensure the system is laid correctly. Another factor is that you would be laying a porous surface over a non porous base which then poses problems relating to drainage.

What ground work and base prep is needed before Resin is installed? For a driveway we would recommend excavation of 300mm then the following base build up to be constructed: Geotextile membrane, 220mm type 3 MOT, 60mm AC14mm open texture base course tarmac. This will then leave a 18mm resin surface application based on a 5/6mm aggregate. The finished level of the surface must be 150mm from DPC (Damp course).

Typical installation depths vary from 12mm to 24mm depending on the size of the aggregate used and the thickness at which it is laid is dependent on usage and types of trafficking. The exact composition, ratio of various size aggregates, resin percentage and thickness etc. have been carefully devised and tested to ensure there stability and long term performance. The sub base build up will be different for each project, but as with all construction, strength comes from an appropriate sub base, please call for detailed sub base requirements for your project.

Once the resin bound is mixed and laid the surface can normally receive light foot traffic after approximately 4-6 hours weather dependent (i.e. 4-6 hours at 20°c). The curing process can be accelerated by adding catalyst. We also recommend that traffic is kept off the surface overnight and vehicular traffic only after 24 hours, however this will be dictated by temperatures on the day of installation.

UV stable polyurethanes maintain their clear colour and are not affected by UV radiation, whereas Non-UV polyurethanes after time can change in colour to a darker brown colour when exposed to UV light. We suggest for resin bound driveways that UV stable is the best.

The most popular months for laying resin are March through to October. Once the temperatures drop below 5°c we do not recommend installing resin on a large scale. This is because it will take longer for the resin to cure as it is colder and then there is also a risk of frost and other moisture forming problems such as dew points and mist/fog. This will then ruin the curing process and in some cases it can cause the resin to foam. We also must take into account the daylight factor, so therefore any larger resin installations should be carried out in the spring. However, depending on the temperatures it is possible for the smaller resin installations to be carried out.

Yes, resin bound is low maintenance and easy to clean. We suggest to our clients the best way to clean their driveway would be to use a jet wash. As resin bound is permeable this allows the water to flow through the surface making it very easy to clean.