Resin bound driveway
Kippax, Leeds
Resin bound driveways in Leeds and across Yorkshire
A smooth, joint-free surface of natural stone held in clear resin. Laid on a permeable base, it lets rain drain straight through, so it suits drives that puddle and front gardens where the planning rules on drainage apply.
We promise to reply to every enquiry within the hour.
Who it suits
Resin bound is a good fit if your drive floods after rain, if the old concrete or tarmac has cracked and sunk, or if you’re tired of gravel spreading onto the pavement and into the house. You get one even surface in the colour you choose, with no joints for weeds to push through and no loose stones.
It suits most family drives. Where the ground underneath is poor, the base has to be put right first, and you’ll hear that from us at the site visit, not halfway through the job.
What’s included, from dig-out to finish
Our own employed team does every part of the job, so nothing is handed to another firm partway through. A resin bound driveway from us includes:
- digging out the old surface and the ground beneath it, to a depth of 230mm
- any drainage the drive needs, such as a channel drain where it slopes towards the house or garage
- a new sub-base of MOT Type 3, laid and compacted in layers. Type 3 has most of the fine material taken out, so it stays porous and lets water drain through
- a 60mm base of open-graded tarmac or porous concrete on top of the Type 3, for the resin to bond to. It lets water through too
- edging to hold the surface in, often a block border in a contrasting colour
- mixing the resin and stone on site and trowelling it out smooth and even
- walking round the finished drive with you
Materials and brands
Resin bound is small natural stones mixed with a clear resin and spread by hand. The colour comes from the stone itself, so the blend you choose is what goes down. Blends run from silver and grey through to buff and gold, and a border or a band in a second colour breaks up a big area, as you’ll see in the jobs below.
We use Vuba and Daltex resin bound systems. The resin has to be UV-stable for outdoor use: resins that aren’t can darken or yellow in sunlight, which shows most on pale stone.
Drainage and planning
Laid on a permeable base, resin bound lets rain pass through the surface and soak away below instead of running off. That matters for planning.
In England, paving more than five square metres of a front garden with a surface water can’t drain through needs planning permission, unless the rain runs off onto a lawn or border. Permeable surfacing needs no permission at all. The Planning Portal explains the rule.
Where the ground underneath drains badly, we deal with it as part of the groundwork rather than leaving the water to find its own way. If you need a new or wider dropped kerb, we make the application to the council for you. We build the crossing as well, unless the council uses its own approved contractor, and our town pages explain each council’s rules.
Time on site
Most drives take us 3 to 5 days, and most of that is groundwork. Once the base is ready the resin goes down quickly, but it needs dry weather, so the forecast can move the day. Your written quote gives the start date we’ve agreed with you.
The guarantee
15 year structural guarantee on driveways.
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Resin bound questions
What's the difference between resin bound and resin bonded?
Resin bound mixes the stone into the resin before it goes down, so every stone is held all the way through and water drains through the gaps between them.
Resin bonded is a coat of resin with loose stone scattered over it. The surface doesn't let water through, and any stone that isn't stuck down comes loose. They look alike on the day they're laid, so ask which one you're being quoted for.
Do I need planning permission for a resin bound driveway?
Not if it's permeable. Resin bound on a permeable base lets the rain through, so a front garden of any size can be surfaced without an application. The rule only catches surfaces water can't get through, over five square metres, that don't drain to a lawn or border.
Flats, listed buildings and areas under an Article 4 direction can have extra rules, so check with your council if any of those apply to you.
Can you lay resin over my old drive?
Sometimes. Sound, level concrete or tarmac can act as the base, but cracks in it tend to come back through the resin, and resin over a surface that doesn't drain won't drain either, which brings the planning rule back in.
We look at the old drive at the site visit and tell you plainly whether it can stay or has to come out.
How do we look after it?
Sweep it now and then so leaves and grit don't build up, and wash it down with a hose or a pressure washer on a low setting. Weeds and moss can only grow in dirt sitting on top, so a swept drive stays clear. Wipe up oil spills quickly.
How soon can we park on it?
Give it 24 hours before anyone walks on it, and 48 hours before you drive on it. We'll tell you the exact times on the day we lay it.
Can we match the colour to the house?
There are plenty of stone blends to choose from, and a border or bands in a second colour can pick up the brick, the door or the garage. Look through our driveway projects for ideas, then talk colours with us at the site visit.