Driveways made of resin offer a surface that is water-draining, pliable, long-lasting, smooth, and simple to maintain. In addition to having amazing aesthetic appeal, resin-bound covering is one of the most popular options for driveways today because of these qualities. But what are the prices of resin driveways?
For resin driveways, it is challenging to provide a price per square metre because every project has entirely different concerns and requirements. In general, however, a resin driveway costs from about €50 per square metre and higher, depending on the size of the area, the type of aggregate, and the existing floor.
So how much exactly does a resin drive cost? A resin-bound driveway’s price will rely on the responses to a number of inquiries, such as:
- What is the area’s size?
- The aggregate’s dimensions and the necessary depth
- What kind of driveway surface do you have right now?
- Which resin—UV stable or not—do you prefer?
- Do you need to put in site edging?
- How is the installation area organised?
Cost factors for resin drives are described.
What is the area’s size?
Regardless of size, a portion of the cost of a resin drive is constant, including transportation expenses to and from the location. As a result, as the area grows, the square metre rate lowers, and as the area shrinks, the rate increases.
What are the aggregate’s dimensions and depth?
Aggregates come in a variety of sizes that are offered on the market. These are available in aggregate sizes ranging from 1-2 mm to 10 mm. A 2–5mm aggregate would be installed at a depth of 15mm, whereas a 10mm aggregate would need to be installed at 30mm, according to the general rule that the depth must be three times the greatest aggregate size. Driveways are typically laid at a depth of 15mm with an aggregate size variation of 1 to 5 mm.
What kind of driveway surface do you have right now?
Your current driveway surface will affect another resin driveway cost element. This is most likely the most significant cost factor. The amount of preparation, surface repair, cleaning, and levelling necessary for the drive’s sub-base will need to be taken into consideration. A asphalt driveway, a concrete drive, block pavement, or even a grassy space, are all possible. All of these will necessitate some level of planning.
Before laying porous asphalt on a grassed or stone surface, the area would need to be dug and a compacted stone base built. This work frequently has a higher cost than resin-bound surface work. See the example of excavation below.
The price of covering the previous overlay with resin
Your current surface might have a significant impact on the cost of your resin driveway. The resin and aggregate combination can be applied on top of an existing concrete or tarmac drive, path, or patio without removing the existing surface.
Prior to overlay, it’s crucial that the current base is in good shape. This includes having no significant weeds, potholes, or cracks. You should discuss preparation, cleaning, and other issues with the technician before you begin the installation.
The following is an estimate of the price for a 15-mm UV stable resin overlay:
cost of installation and area (m2).
- 0 – 40 €65
- 40-100 EUR 55
- 100 + €50
Installing a resin driveway over block paving will cost more.
If your driveway is block paved, you should discuss your options with the installation of your resin driveway. Resin prices largely stay the same and are influenced by the size of the drive. Your installer will have to determine if it is possible to install over the concrete or if you will need to remove the concrete first and construct a new sub-base. Before resin bound could be laid, there would need to be some preparation work, such as excavating and installing compact stone before laying an asphalt basis, if there is a grassed or stoned area underneath. Before resin bonded could be placed, all of this work would need to be completed, and the cost of doing so will probably be at least equal to the cost of the resin.
Are UV-stable or non-UV-stable resins required?
There are two resins on the market, as you might have guessed, and the one you choose will determine how much a resin drive will cost. The metre rate for non-UV resin will be significantly lower if you’re trying to save money because it costs around half as much as UV resin. Are you merely searching for something useful and not too concerned about colour change, or do you want to preserve your aggregate from discoloration?
You must be prepared for the surface to turn yellow over time if you use a non-UV glue. Using a yellow or golden stone is not always an issue, but you will notice it if you leave, let’s say, a planter on the driveway and relocate it later. You can see its previous location.
The UV glue is used in about 95% of Askeatonpaving‘s Stonex installations.
Do you need to put in site edging?
You’ll discover that you’ll require some kind of edge control if you want to retain a tidy and high-quality finish. This might be nearly any kind of existing edge, including a wall, paving slabs, wood, or bricks. These can be inserted even when there are no corners. See the illustration of an edge below.
How is the installation area organised?
Some driveways could have odd designs, which makes it challenging to apply a smooth, even finish in some places.
It will be necessary to examine the area’s layout to ensure that we can provide the highest-quality installation.
Is SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system) resin-bound legal?
The majority of surfaces in the natural world are porous or permeable. In other words, precipitation that collects on grass, earth, sand, etc. will eventually drain through the surface and return to the water table.
Similar to natural surfaces, man-made surfaces can or cannot act similarly. Concrete is a prime example of a surface that does not react in this way. Surfaces made of concrete frequently have a fall to a drainage system to remove surface water. Therefore, one must consider the management of that water for these kinds of surfaces.
Water will be able to infiltrate through an SUDS-compliant surface and return to the water table. A resin-bound driveway, which is typically put at a thickness of 16 to 18 millimetres, will allow water to seep through the tiny pores between the stones, through the sub-base beneath, and back into the water table.
Naturally, if you installed a resin-bound surface over a concrete surface, water would infiltrate through the resin-bound surface but be unable to flow through the concrete and would either sit on the surface or drain in the direction of the fall.
Resin-bound surfaces are frequently put over concrete or older, impermeable asphalt, which renders the surface non-compliant with SUDS. Normally, a build up of 150–200mm of well–compacted, non–frost susceptible stone, followed by 60–70mm of AC14 open surface asphalt max 100–150 psi, and then 16–18mm of resin–bound stone, is the ideal construction to ensure the system is SUDS compliant. If you have a concrete drive, you would need to break the concrete out, dig out the surface, and install as directed in order to make it SUDS compliant. Since this would need extensive preparation work and be expensive, many resin-bound surfaces are put on concrete bases or other equivalent substrates. It’s an economics case.
Do not confuse resin bonded surfaces with resin bound surfaces, which, with the proper base, are SUDS compliant. For a surface that is resin-bonded, a sub-base is coated with resin, and the aggregate is then dispersed throughout it. A resin-bonded surface cannot ever be SUDS compliant because that resin layer will not permit water to move through it.
This is why it is so challenging to provide an accurate price for a resin driveway. Give us a call right away, though, and we’ll go over your options and price range with you.
What does a resin driveway cost from the installer’s perspective, and how will your quote be broken down?
When quoting a resin bound surface, an installer should provide a number of cost factors when asked “how expensive are resin driveways?”
The elements that would make up your quote are as follows:
Cost of preparation work
Here, the cost spectrum might be quite broad. There is a lot of work required if the client wishes to convert a grassy area into a resin-bound surface. Before the resin can be applied, there are costs associated with clearing the area, laying a stone basis, hiring an asphalt business to lay the structural base, putting some edging, etc.
Alternately, the client can have a concrete drive covered in cracks and weeds, etc. All of this must be resolved, cracks must be repaired, and a skilled installation will probably wish to grind the concrete surface to enhance the key. Therefore, depending on your existing surface, preparation expenditures will vary substantially.
The price of the supplies is
The price of the raw ingredients will have a big impact on how much your resin drive will ultimately cost. A resin-bound drive typically consists of aggregate stone mix (often a combination of two different stone sizes), polyurethane resin, and sand (and maybe a polymer). Installers may also prime the surface with polyurethane or epoxy if the resin-bound surface is placed over concrete. Typically supplied in 25kg bags, the aggregate has been completely dried to remove moisture. This stone is made in Dublin by a small number of specialised suppliers. The cost of aggregates varies, and different aggregates have distinct qualities such angularity, slip resistance, and roughness.
Typically, the resin is either an aromatic or aliphatic polyurethane (PU). The price of the former is almost three times that of the later. They are UV stable, aliphatics. This indicates that the resin won’t begin to turn yellow in intense sunlight. If you have, say, a grey stone, aromatics will start to become a golden yellow instead, which is not what you want. Despite the fact that aromatics are losing favour due to this characteristic, it is important to determine which resin is being utilised. There are high-quality resins and low-quality resins, just like any other product.
Sand is often added to the mixture at a rate of around 6.25% to strengthen the matrix. When the mix is bound with resin, it has the effect of increasing the surface area of the mixture and hence the strength. A fine polymer can be added to the surface to give it a gritty appearance and increase slip resistance if you are concerned about how slippery the surface might be.
labour charges
Of course, the price of installing a resin driveway depends on the amount of labour needed to do the job. The installer will most likely have 3 or 4 employees for a drive of ordinary size. There should be at least one worker wheelbarrowing the mix to the one or two men who will be trowelling the mixdown and at least one worker on the mixer making sure the aggregate to stone ratio is correct. Because the installers must maintain the edge moist, otherwise you will wind up with lines through the surface, the number of men or women trowelling will probably depend on the shape and size of the drive. To polish the surface, some installers could also use a hover trowel. The cost of labour can range from about €100 to €200 per day depending on factors like skill levels.
Other expenses that will affect the price of your resin driveway include
The van mileage, delivery of the materials to the site, provision and installation of edging to finish against, overnight lodging and subsistence costs for staff when travelling far distances, hiring of some plant if not owned by the company, and waste disposal are additional expenses the installation company needs to take into account (i.e. if a dig out is required).
It should be clear that there are numerous resin drive cost considerations to be made. The size of the area affects per square metre rates since some of these costs are set regardless of the size of the area and some are connected to area (like materials).
FAQs on resin drive prices
We understand that selecting a resin driveway requires asking a lot of questions. Here are some of the most often asked questions about resin driveways in the hopes that they will assist you decide whether to build one at your residence or place of business. The following are the primary inquiries about resin driveways:
How long does a resin drive last? Will it endure?
You should include this when calculating the price of a resin driveway and determine how much you’ll save over time because a resin driveway is quite sturdy and will last and maintain its appearance for many years. This is so that any holes that may otherwise allow weeds and other rubbish to grow beneath the surface are sealed by the glue that is attached to the surface on top of the pre-existing tarmac or concrete. Even though you could find that tiny airborne seedlings can establish roots, with the appropriate treatment, they can be simply removed or eliminated.
Polyurethane resin and natural or coloured aggregates are combined to create surfaces that are resin-bound (not epoxy). A high-quality polyurethane is resistant to cracking because it permits some flexural movement in the surface (freeze and thaw effects). Resin-bound surfaces are not totally crack resistant, it must be stated, nevertheless (as often claimed). The surface depends on its structural sub-base, therefore if you notice any cracking, it’s very probable that there has been some sort of ground movement in the sub-base. For this reason, it’s crucial to ensure that the surface is properly prepared and that there hasn’t been any ground movement. It’s very likely that the resin is the cause of your surface crumbling, which occurs when stones break off readily and the surface occasionally turns chewy. Not all of the resins available on the market are of the same calibre.
Our resin driveways, as previously mentioned, are UV light resistant. Aliphatic resin and aromatic resin are the two different forms of resin. Although more expensive, aliphatics do not quickly deteriorate because to their resistance to UV radiation. A less expensive aromatic resin can be used by your installation. The surface will turn yellow over time if the installer used an aromatic resin, and if you lay something on it and leave it in the sun for a few weeks, like a plant pot, you will notice a noticeable colour difference when you move it. Your resin driveway will endure for many years with careful maintenance, which making it an excellent option for homeowners. They can live for more than 25 years if preserved in outstanding condition. Askeaton Paving offers a two-year warranty on all of its surfaces against faulty components and/or workmanship. If there is any kind of installation-related issue, it will most certainly manifest itself within a year, if not sooner.
Buyer beware: Some businesses provide a 10-year or longer guarantee on a surface free from cracks. No installer can guarantee that a rogue tree root or ground movement won’t cause any surface fracturing, and they are quite unlikely to reinstall a surface if the fracture occurs for this reason, so make sure you read any tiny print. Beware of installers who offer resin driveways for less than they usually charge; you get what you pay for!
Why is resin such a wonderful material choice?
When evaluating a new driveway, resin bound checks several boxes because of its incredible versatility. It contains anti-slip properties that can be improved by adding polymers or crushed glass to the mixture, so it won’t cause any unsteadiness underfoot during the rainier months. It retains its style and texture while being strong and long-lasting. Driveways made of resin are much simpler to maintain than those made of other materials.
Resin-bound driveways are slightly more expensive than other solutions, but their visual appeal is the main factor in homeowners’ decisions. A resin driveway can significantly modernise an outdated drive. There is a tonne of potential for creativity, and we can assist you in selecting the ideal natural or coloured stone.
Is it possible to lay a resin driveway over block paving?
As was previously mentioned, for the majority of properties, we are allowed to construct a resin driveway on top of the majority of structural sub-bases (not grass). In order to prevent fractures or other damage that can develop over time, it is best to prepare the block paving in advance. Therefore, before installing the resin-bound paving, we frequently tried to consolidate and strengthen any paving. Although we would make sure it was prepped prior, it can be utilised as a base. The quick and easy minor preparation work will lower the price of installing a resin driveway. Because resin-bound does not need extensive excavation or invasive work that takes time and effort to complete, it is much simpler to lay. If we believed there was a good risk the sub-base may shift or move over time, we would not want to install over the block paving, therefore we would need to check the surface.
Is it possible to set up a resin drive over tarmac?
The ideal sub base for a resin driveway is porous tarmac.
This would be the sub-base to use when starting from scratch. It is best to lay a resin-bound driveway over permeable macadam over a compacted stone base. Since water should be able to infiltrate back through the surface into the water table rather than drain away, this type of surface is considered an SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system). However, there are still many outdated tarmac drives that can be used for installation as long as they are structurally intact. These ancient tarmac or concrete surfaces are not porous, so depending on how the driveway is laid out, drainage may be an issue. We would always advise priming this kind of surface with a resin beforehand to promote adhesion.
How long does a resin driveway take to set up?
Although the setting procedure doesn’t take very long, it’s best to give the resin 48 hours to set and 72 hours for larger cars before using the driveway. The optimal amount of time for people who need to walk on the service is overnight, and the absolute minimum is eight hours to guarantee that it is well established and bound. Once established, it will last for countless years of walking and driving without being disruptive.
How is a resin driveway maintained?
Since resin will typically take care of itself, maintaining a resin driveway is not too difficult. Although it will occasionally need a pressure wash to remove any surface filth and keep it free of debris, other than that, it is frequently relatively manageable. The best approach to clean it is with a jet wash, which is preferable. A powerful garden hose can be used in its place if you don’t have access to a jet wash.
In order to minimise snow accumulation, many customers in the winter ask if they can sprinkle rock salt or grit on the surface. Yes, it is the answer. This is a safe procedure because the salt would not harm the drive.
Other strategies to maintain the wonderful quality of your resin driveway:
- When parked on the drive, try to avoid dry steering. Tyre markings are typically left behind, however they can be eliminated. It’s best to fully avoid them, though. Additionally, if you have turning circles, you might want to think about installing at a deeper depth than usual.
- Don’t throw big, heavy things on the drive. Even though the drive is designed to withstand cars and other big vehicles, skips and other large, sharp-edged objects can scratch the surface. Don’t, for example, drag a skip or any other heavy object across the surface.
- Prevent the spilling of cement, plaster, and petroleum products. You can remove these. However, if they are neglected for a while, they will stain.
What a resin driveway offers in terms of benefits
The following are some of the greatest advantages of a resin driveway that you may anticipate:
- High durability – It can be layered over existing tarmac or concrete, is quite durable, and will wear well. It has a maximum 25-year life.
- If built on permeable macadam, water will be able to seep back into the water table.
- Versatility: It is offered in a range of designs and hues to suit your preferences.
- It is also possible to mix and combine your choices.
- It has a good appearance and is beautiful. It improves the value of your property and is slick and stylish. It has a luxurious and expensive appearance and exudes wealth.
- Low upkeep – other than power washing to keep the resin clean, caring for the driveway doesn’t need much.
- To guarantee that you can resume living as normally as possible, it causes the least amount of inconvenience and hassle and can be completed rather fast.
- Better traction for vehicles and pedestrians is better for anyone with a mobility problem. It guarantees that you can walk more steadily on it and is wheelchair-accessible.
- It is in fact 10 times more environmentally friendly than concrete. It’s crucial to understand that we are making the best decisions for the earth in our rapidly changing environment.
- It is a wonderful option for summer because UV rays won’t harm or degrade it (if using the correct resin).
- Planning authorization is not needed for resin driveways.
It’s time to modernise
Have we addressed all of your pressing inquiries? So, we hope. We will inspect the area before installing your resin driveway. By doing so, we will be better able to determine what has to be done and estimate the resin driveway cost. In general, the resin can be applied directly on top of tarmac or concrete that has already been installed in your driveway or other area with very minimum preparation. If you are considering selling your home, the new design will surely increase its worth and make it appear highly appealing to potential buyers. Resin bound driveways will prevent weeds from sprouting up in the cracks between the stones, which is a common occurrence with ordinary driveways. This will save time and money on weed control efforts and ensure that the resin bound surface is flawless.
If you want to improve your home with a resin driveway, please contact us right away to learn more about your options and to chat with a member of our helpful team about what will work best for you and your property.
