You’ve made the decision to transform your drive and you’ve settled on resin. First of all, congratulations, we might be biased, but we’re big resin fans! Now that you’re committed to resin and you’ve done some research, you’re wondering whether you should be choosing resin bound, or resin bonded? Well let us help.
The major difference between resin bound and resin bonded is the way that drive is laid. When you get a resin bound drive then the resin and the aggregate stone mix that give the drive its colour and texture are mixed together before they are laid. When you get a resin bonded drive the resin is laid on your drive first, then the aggregate stone is added afterwards.
Both ways of laying a resin drive will be incredibly strong and sturdy, and both will look fantastic. A resin bound drive has a smoother surface, whereas the resin bonded option has a more traditional gravel finish.
The real difference between the two though is the permeability of the surface. Resin bound drives are permeable thanks to the way the resin and aggregate are mixed together. This makes them SuDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) compliant, so they don’t need planning permission, and means that they have many practical advantages when it comes to their maintenance and longevity.
Resin bonded drives are not permeable. This means that even though they have advantages over traditional driveway materials in terms of finish and maintenance, when compared to a resin bound drive they aren’t quite as good. Because resin bonded drives have a resin base with aggregate poured on top they can wear more easily than their counterpart, particularly if they receive a lot of traffic with your car driving over the same place and being parked in the exact same place every day. This can lead to some of the aggregate stone wearing away from the surface, and in extreme cases, bald patches in your drive. Whilst this is a risk too with a resin bound drive, it is a significantly smaller risk.
Resin bound drives and resin bonded drives both have their advantages, with resin bonded being slightly cheaper, but resin bound being permeable for example, and we’ve gone into more detail about each of the types of resin drive here for those interested, but ultimately the decision as to which type of resin drive is best suited for your home is one that only you can make. Hopefully with our help, you’re armed with a little more knowledge than you were before, so you can make the best decision for you.
