The Pros & Cons to a Resin Bound Driveway vs Concrete
If you are looking to refresh your driveway, deciding which materials to use can be a tricky decision. With a range of materials available including popular concrete and resin bound options, you need to know a bit about these driveway surfaces and how they compare in order to decide which is best suited to your property and your wallet.
The Pros & Cons of a Resin Bound Driveway
Resin bonded surfacing has become increasingly popular in recent years. Offering a cost effective and highly customisable finish, along with the promise of little maintenance and hard-wearing finish, UV stable resin bound surfacing are the ideal choice for many property owners. The finish of resin bound driveways imitates a loose gravel finish but provides a hard, long wearing surface.
Professional installation of a UV stable resin bound driveway will include advice and installation of a permeable sub base to sit under the permeable resin top layer, meaning the resin driveway come with sustainable urban drainage systems as part of the design without the need for loose stones. This helps to increase the life of your driveway as well as eliminate puddles and wet feet!
Resin bound driveway cost is more expensive than the traditional concrete driveway and is more comparable with block paving. Resin driveways may not be the best choice for those which will incur heavy usage or a lot of traffic. Commercial properties and areas which hold lorries, trucks and vans may find the resin driveway becomes damaged more quickly than a concrete driveway. To find out more about our resin driveway cost and options, visit our resin driveways page.
The Pros & Cons of a Concrete Driveway
Concrete has been a staple driveway material for decades, offering a durable, versatile, smooth surface which can outlast many other finishes. While many clients may immediately think of resin bound system when it comes to personalisation and choice of driveway design, concrete driveways can be highly personalised too. Available in a wide range of colours, designs and even replicated imagery to create a unique feature for your property.
While concrete driveways have increased longevity and durability for most circumstances, they are subject to damage from the cold, and require regular maintenance and repairs throughout their life. Discover more about our concrete driveway services and concrete driveway repair services.
For driveways in need of a new top layer or surface, concrete driveway resurfacing offers an economical and fast way to give your driveway new life and a clean finish.
Comparison Chart of Resin Bound & Concrete Driveways
Comparing concrete and resin bound surface materials? Use our handy chart to quickly see the main differences between the two and decide which is the best choice for you.
If you have any questions or require assistance in deciding which driveway surface to choose, speak to our friendly team for expert advice.
| Resin Bound Driveway | Concrete Driveway | |
|---|---|---|
| Versatility | Highly customisable finish with wide range of colours, designs, and personalisation options. | Concrete driveways can be designed and cut to form patterns and is available with a large choice of designs, and colours including custom images, plus imprinting for texture. |
| Look & Finish | Grip finish to prevent trips and falls, plus make parking easier in cold and wet weather. | Commonly seen as a standard grey smooth finish, but also available in textured imprinted styles to mimic cobbles and other stone. |
| Maintenance | Low maintenance, brush with a broom routinely and jet wash at regular intervals. Ensure moss is not allowed to grow as this will be unsightly and cause a slip hazard. | Low maintenance, brush with a broom routinely and jet wash at regular intervals. May require resealing in time under the advice of a concrete driveway supplier. |
| Durability | Resistant to weeds, sinking and cracks. Heavy vehicles and other heavy objects such as skips are not advised to be parked on resin bound driveways.
Can be subject to stains and marks as with any external ground surface. Resistant to many chemicals but solvent spillage may soften the resin and cause damage. |
Highly durable driveway materials, used widely in commercial and domestic settings. Subject to damage from extreme cold and stains from engine oil and chemicals. Attend to these immediately to prevent this and maintain your driveway.
Not advised for heavy loads and sharp-edged units such as skips or containers. Subject to cracks in time which can easily be repaired. |
| Longevity | Resin bound driveway guarantees vary in length. If maintained as advised by the manufacturer and it remains damage free, a resin bound driveway may last upwards of 20 years. Patch repairs can be carried out if surface becomes damaged. | If well maintained with cracks and damage being attended to in a timely manner, concrete driveways may last over 35 years. |
<h4>Get a Quote for Your Driveway Today from Axtell Surfacing
If you are looking for a new driveway, Axtell Surfacing have over 20 years’ experience in laying and repairing driveways across Surrey and West Sussex.
We offer a range of property surfacing services including:
Our friendly team are on hand to assist with advice for your project whether it’s commercial or domestic, large or small. For advice and quotations on a new surface using resin or concrete, driveway repairs, replacement and finishes, our experts can provide you with a quotation tailored to your project, including any base works or repairs which may be necessary, drainage, personalisation and much more.
Find out more about our driveway services and get a quote from Axtell Surfacing.
