What is the difference between resin bound and resin bonded?

Resin bound has every stone coated with resin and trowelled as a solid, permeable layer. Resin bonded scatters loose stone onto a resin-coated surface — it is not permeable and it sheds stone. We install resin bound only.

Can resin be laid over my existing driveway?

Yes, if the existing tarmac or concrete is structurally sound, well drained and free of movement. If it is cracked or sunken, the resin will crack in the same places. We inspect before quoting and tell you honestly.

Is a resin driveway permeable enough to avoid planning permission?

A resin bound surface laid over a permeable base drains freely through the whole construction, which satisfies the rules on front garden surfacing. Over solid concrete the surface is porous but the base is not, so drainage must be designed in.

Does resin bound get slippery?

The exposed aggregate texture gives good grip in the wet. Algae can make any shaded surface slippery over time, so a yearly wash keeps it as it should be. Anti-slip aggregate can be specified for steeper drives.

Will the colour fade?

The aggregate itself does not fade. Cheaper non-UV-stable resins can yellow over a few years, which is why we specify UV-stable systems on any drive where colour matters.

How long does a resin driveway take to install?

If the base is sound, the resin itself is normally a one-day job. A full new build-up including excavation, sub-base and permeable base course usually takes four to seven working days in total.

Driveways

Resin Bound Driveways in Guildford

A seamless, permeable surface trowelled by hand over a prepared base — smooth to walk on, free-draining and entirely joint-free.

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Resin bound has become the most requested driveway finish in Guildford, and for good reason: it is permeable, weed-free, wheel-friendly and available in a palette no other surface can match. It is also the surface most often installed badly, because everything depends on the base underneath and the mixing discipline on the day.

Resin bound, not resin bonded

The two are frequently confused and they are not the same product. Resin bound means every aggregate particle is coated in resin in a forced-action mixer and the mix is trowelled out as a solid 15–18mm layer. It is permeable, smooth and durable.

Resin bonded means resin is squeegeed onto a surface and loose stone is scattered over it. It looks like tarmac with grit on top, it is not permeable, and it sheds stone. We install resin bound systems only.

Resin bound driveway installed in Guildford by Guildford Driveways & Patios

Why homeowners choose it

The surface is continuous, so there are no joints for weeds and no blocks to sink individually. It drains through itself at a rate far exceeding UK rainfall, which means no puddles and, on a front garden, no planning issue. And because it is trowelled, it can follow curves, thresholds and awkward shapes that block paving has to be cut around.

Fully permeable — SuDS compliant with no soakaway needed on a suitable base
Seamless and weed-free
Smooth for wheelchairs, pushchairs and bicycles
UV-stable resins available that resist yellowing

Aggregates and colour

Resin bound is normally laid using 1–3mm dried aggregate, blended to your chosen colour. Natural gravels give a warm, traditional look; marble and quartz blends read brighter and more contemporary; darker basalt blends hide dirt well on a busy drive.

We always recommend seeing a sample board outdoors, wet, against your brickwork. Colours look very different in a showroom and after a Surrey rain shower.

Golden and autumn gravel blends — traditional, warm, forgiving
Silver and grey quartz — crisp against render and modern glazing
Bronze and copper blends — flatter red and multi-stock brickwork
Charcoal blends — contemporary and low-maintenance in appearance

The base is everything

Resin bound is a wearing surface, not a structural one. It must be laid on a sound, rigid base: either new open-graded permeable asphalt over a clean-stone sub-base, or an existing concrete or tarmac surface that is genuinely in good condition.

Where a client has an old drive, we assess honestly. Sound tarmac with minor surface wear is an excellent base once cleaned and prepared. Cracked, sunken or moving surfaces are not, and resin laid over them will simply crack in the same places. In that case we excavate and build a new permeable base first.

On a new build-up we excavate 200–250mm, membrane, compact clean angular stone, then lay a permeable base course. That combination keeps the whole construction free-draining rather than trapping water under a permeable surface.

Installation and weather

Aggregate and resin are mixed on site in measured batches for a fixed time — under-mixing leaves dry patches, over-batching means material cures in the mixer. Each batch is trowelled into the previous one while still workable so the surface stays seamless.

It must be laid dry and above roughly 5°C. We do not lay resin in rain or into a cold snap, and we will move a date rather than compromise a finish. Most drives are trowelled in a single day and are walkable within six hours, drivable in 24–48 hours depending on temperature.

Maintenance, repairs and lifespan

Maintenance is a stiff brush and an occasional rinse. Because the surface is porous, keep leaf litter and moss off it so the pores stay open; a light pressure wash once a year is plenty.

Damage is repairable: a failed or stained area can be cut out and new material trowelled in, though a perfect colour match on a weathered drive is not guaranteed. A well-installed resin bound driveway on a sound base should give fifteen to twenty years.

How we build it

The installation process, step by step.

01
Base assessment
We test and inspect the existing surface, or design a new permeable build-up.
02
Groundwork
Excavation, membrane and clean-stone sub-base where a new base is needed.
03
Base course
Open-graded permeable asphalt laid and rolled, or existing surface prepared and repaired.
04
Edging and detailing
Edge restraints, thresholds, channel drains and manhole recessing set to level.
05
Mixing and trowelling
Measured batches mixed on site and hand-trowelled to a seamless 15–18mm.
06
Cure and hand-over
Walkable in hours, drivable in 24–48, and we walk the finished drive with you.

Recent work

Resin Driveways projects across Guildford & Surrey

Work completed across Guildford, Godalming, Woking, Farnham, Cranleigh, Haslemere, Shalford, Merrow, Burpham, Ash, Normandy, Ripley and the surrounding Surrey villages.

“From the first visit to the final clean-up the communication was excellent. The resin drive has completely changed the front of the house and neighbours keep asking who did it.”

Kyle Maribel

Woking, Surrey · Resin bound driveway · Google Review

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