Resin driveway advice

I've had a few quotes for relaying/extending my driveway and by far the cheapest is a resin quote I've had, so I'm sceptical but hopeful it's an option. My drive currently allows one car so we're extending sideways over/getting rid of the front lawn and making it wide enough for more cars. I've asked what work will be carried out and this was the response...

"We will be going over the tarmac and taking the flags up levelling it off ready to go over with resin"

Does anyone know if this is a pikey style job, or is it a suitable way of doing things? It just sounds a bit basic, but I know nothing about this.

Resin drive covering is nothing but a bodge unless the whole substrate is sound.

The only way to guarantee this is to dig up the existing drive, lay down a good depth of hardcore (properly laid and vibrated down).

If it was me I would get a decent builder to relay the drive properly - where I walk the dogs there are a couple of examples that look pants (there is a big radio ad on local FM for a company near me and I have yet to se something I would be happy with).

Others may have a different experience but for me it's a bodge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK

Resin drive covering is nothing but a bodge unless the whole substrate is sound.

The only way to guarantee this is to dig up the existing drive, lay down a good depth of hardcore (properly laid and vibrated down).

If it was me I would get a decent builder to relay the drive properly - where I walk the dogs there are a couple of examples that look pants (there is a big radio ad on local FM for a company near me and I have yet to se something I would be happy with).

Others may have a different experience but for me it's a bodge.

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Thanks, a friend saw this and thought the same. My fears are realised so I'll get it done by my usually builder; more money but it'll be done correctly.

Was looking at resin as an option. The above sounds like resin bonded rather than resin bound. https://www.sureset.co.uk/about/resi...s-resin-bonded

Our friends had a proper resin bound job done. Cost was on par if not more expensive than block paving. Looks lovely though.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by mangoosian

Was looking at resin as an option. The above sounds like resin bonded rather than resin bound. https://www.sureset.co.uk/about/resi...s-resin-bonded

Our friends had a proper resin bound job done. Cost was on par if not more expensive than block paving. Looks lovely though.

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Similar issues - same smoke and mirrors TBH.

Too thin and wholly reliant on the base drive, which is usually knackered if people are considering this.

I did a similar thing several years ago, I had mine block paved and it’s been a good choice. I was lucky, I have a bricklayer friend who’s a dab hand at block paving, he’s done a few local jobs and he does it to fill in the time when he’s not laying bricks. As with anything, getting the foundations correct is paramount, we dug out a fair depth for mine and laid a base using crushed gravel. After parking cars on it for 9 years nothing’s moved or sunk because it was done properly.

Strongly advise finding someone with good recommendations, you need to see evidence of their work.

Paul

Yeah, don't do it. Subsequent repairs -and there will be some - just don't work.

Yes. It is a pikey style job. It will be cheap, there is a reason. Cars weigh a lot so it is all about the substrate. Take the resin out of the equation.

Thanks all, builder's working on a way we can lower the cost and keep the quality in the work :-) Resin idea officially dumped.

It’s been mentioned above , when we had the big extension done I did similar to you and added block paving to the front . That was laid on a concrete base by the builder and has never moved in several years . A neighbour had a similar cheap job done and that’s been ripped up a couple of times . All I do is jet wash the moss out which is boring at times

If you go for a non-permeable solution Wayne, you need to make sure that it drains away to a lawn/suitable border or you may require planning permission.

https://www.planningportal.co.uk/inf...r_front_garden

We’ve just been through the whole resin driveway malarkey. As already mentioned, the substrate needs to be bang on before any resin is laid down.

The initial builder we used sounds very similar to the guy you’ve been dealing with, he thought it would be ok to just pour the resin on top of our existing crumbling tarmac drive, thankfully a friend of mine who is a very good builder got involved before any major mistakes like this were made. He scraped the old tarmac off, levelled using concrete and hardcore where necessary and then we got a resin company in to lay the surface.

It was a similar job to what you’re are having done, a bit of garden was sacrificed to make the driveway wider, some leveling at the rear of the driveway due to subsidence from a new garage build and some ACO drainage. I think there was around 150 sq mtrs in total and it cost just shy of 14K.

If you need his number just drop me a PM

Avoid a company called DEVCO at all costs though as they’re just bull@@it artists

I had a resin drive down in my old house. Was superb , but I had concrete base reinforced with mesh and with expansion strips laid down first. For the 3 years I was there not one stone came loose. As others have said the base is what's really important here.