How to Lay a Resin Driveway

A resin bound driveway is laid in two stages: first a solid, free-draining base (dig-out, membrane, compacted sub-base, edging and a porous binder course), then the surface itself, dried stone mixed with UV-stable resin in a forced-action mixer and hand-trowelled to at least 18mm. The surface goes down in a day on most drives; the base is where the time, and the long-term result, really goes.

Below is the process we follow on the resin driveways in Wolverhampton and the surrounding area that our team lays, step by step, so you can plan the job and check the quality of the work. It's a job for an experienced crew rather than a weekend project, and we explain why at the end.

Step 1: Survey the Ground and Plan the Drainage

Every install starts with what's already there. If there's a sound existing tarmac or concrete drive, resin can sometimes go straight over it, after cracks are repaired and the surface cleaned. That saves a dig-out, but the drive will then drain only as well as the old surface does.

If the drive needs to be permeable (for planning, or because water is a problem), the old surface comes out and a new permeable base goes in. In England, a new or replacement hard surface over five square metres in a front garden needs planning permission unless it is permeable or the water runs to a lawn or border, as set out in the government's guidance on permeable surfacing of front gardens. Levels are set at this stage too, so the finished drive stays below the damp-proof course and airbricks and falls away from the house.

Step 2: Dig Out and Lay the Sub-Base

For a new permeable drive the ground is excavated to suit the full build-up. The government's guidance on paving front gardens puts a typical permeable driveway construction at around 200 to 250mm deep, including about 150mm of compacted sub-base, and more where the ground is soft. Any soft spots are dug out and refilled.

A geotextile membrane goes on the soil first, to stop the sub-base sinking into it. The sub-base itself is open-graded stone such as Type 3 or 4/20, which has voids between the stones so water can drain through and be stored while it soaks away. Ordinary MOT Type 1 has too many fines for a permeable drive. The sub-base is compacted in layers with a plate compactor or roller; open-graded stone still has to be compacted as hard as any other base, because it carries the cars. Our guide to the resin driveway sub base compares the permeable, non-permeable and overlay options.

Step 3: Fix the Edging

Resin needs a firm edge to finish against and to stop the base spreading. Depending on the design, that's a kerb, a row of setts, or a metal or timber edge restraint, set in concrete to the finished level. The edging also defines the line of the drive, so it's set accurately before anything else goes down.

Step 4: Lay the Porous Binder Course

Resin doesn't go directly onto loose stone. A binder course goes over the sub-base to give a solid, level layer the resin can bond to. For a permeable drive that's open-graded (porous) asphalt or no-fines concrete, both of which let water pass through. It's laid to the finished falls and left to cool or cure before the resin goes on.

Over an existing tarmac or concrete drive, this step is replaced by repairing, cleaning and, where the resin system calls for it, priming the old surface.

Step 5: Choose the Resin and Aggregate

Resin bound driveways use a two-part polyurethane resin. The choice that matters is between UV-stable resin, which holds its colour in sunlight, and cheaper non-UV resin, which goes amber after a few summers. We use UV-stable resin only.

The stone is a blend of dried natural aggregate, commonly with a top size of 6mm or 10mm plus finer fractions that fill the gaps. It has to be completely dry, as moisture in the stone stops the resin bonding properly. The stone size also sets the depth: the layer must be at least three times the largest stone, so 18mm or more for a 6mm blend and, by the same rule, around 30mm for a 10mm blend. Our post on how thick a resin driveway should be goes into the detail.

Step 6: Mix in a Forced-Action Mixer

Resin and hardener are combined first, then mixed with the dried stone in a forced-action mixer (a paddle mixer, not a cement mixer) for a set time, until every stone is evenly coated. Too short and the coating is patchy; too long and the resin starts to cure in the drum. Once mixed, the batch has a limited working time, so the crew works in a steady rhythm of mix, barrow and lay.

Step 7: Spread and Trowel to Depth

Each batch is tipped, screeded to depth and finished by hand with steel trowels into a smooth, even surface. Edges and joins between batches are worked in so the drive reads as one continuous surface. On a driveway the finished layer is at least 18mm with a 6mm blend; laying it thinner is one of the commonest shortcuts and the main reason cheap drives crack and shed stone.

The weather has to be right. Resin isn't laid in rain, on a wet base, or when rain is forecast within 24 hours, and most systems shouldn't go down below about 5°C.

Step 8: Let It Cure

Manufacturers' published timings put a new resin bound drive at roughly 6 to 12 hours before you walk on it and 24 to 48 hours before a car goes on it, in warm, dry weather. Vans and trailers should wait longer, and cold or damp weather pushes every figure up. Rain on the surface in the first few hours can leave a milky bloom, which is why our guide on how long before resin can get wet is worth reading before the day.

Can You Lay a Resin Driveway Yourself?

Small DIY kits are sold for paths, but a driveway is a different job. The resin has a short working time once mixed, so a drive has to be laid by a crew working batch after batch without stopping. It needs a forced-action mixer, a level and compacted base built for vehicles, accurate edging and falls, and trowelling skill to hide every join. Mistakes can't be sanded off: a patch that cures badly has to be cut out.

Most resin driveway failures trace back to the base, the depth or the weather, not the resin itself. For most homeowners the useful part of knowing the process is being able to ask the right questions of a quote.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Laying resin in wet conditions, which can cause surface whitening.

• Laying over a cracked or moving base, so the old cracks come through.

• Laying thinner than three times the largest stone.

• Using non-UV resin outdoors.

• Using damp aggregate, which weakens the bond.

• Building a permeable surface on a Type 1 or sealed base and expecting it to drain.

We lay resin bound driveways across Wolverhampton, the Black Country and south Staffordshire with our own team, from the dig-out to the final trowel, using UV-stable resin at 18mm or more. Every job comes with our 10-year guarantee.