Resin Compared with Other Driveways

Resin vs block paving

Block paving has a traditional, patterned look that sits comfortably against period property, and individual blocks can be lifted and relaid — genuinely useful if a service run has to be dug up or a section settles.

Against that, jointing sand washes out, weeds take hold in the joints, and blocks can sink or lift over time if the base was not right. Resin gives a flat, joint-free surface with nothing to weed, but a patch repair is harder to hide.

• Choose block paving if you value the pattern, or expect to lift sections
• Choose resin if you want low upkeep and a clean, continuous surface

Resin vs tarmac

Tarmac is usually the cheapest way to cover a large area quickly, and it is hard-wearing. It is also plain, and it ages: edges fret, patches show, and older drives soften and mark in hot weather.

Resin costs more per square metre but offers a far wider choice of appearance and drains through rather than shedding water to a fall. Where a tarmac base is still sound, resin can often be laid straight over it, which narrows the cost gap.

Resin vs gravel

Loose gravel is inexpensive, drains well and is easy to lay. The problems are practical: stone migrates onto paths and roads, it is awkward for pushchairs, bins and wheelchairs, and it needs topping up.

Resin bound is essentially gravel that stays put. Same natural stone look, none of the scatter — at a higher price and with a base that has to be prepared properly.

Drainage

Resin bound and loose gravel both let water through. Block paving depends on jointing and falls, unless permeable blocks and a permeable build-up are used. Standard tarmac sheds water, which has to be taken somewhere.

Repairs

Block paving repairs best — lift, fix, relay. Tarmac patches are visible and often fret at the edges. Resin can be cut out and re-laid, though the new stone will look fresher than the weathered surface around it.

Cost considerations

Roughly speaking, gravel is cheapest, then tarmac, then resin and block paving in a similar range depending on groundwork. But the base does more to the final figure than the surface choice does — see our cost page.

So which is right?

If your drive is heavily shaded, you plan to dig it up for building work, or budget is the deciding factor, resin may not be the sensible choice — and we will say so. Where you want a clean, low-maintenance surface that drains properly, it is hard to beat.