Resin or Blocked Paving Driveway..Thoughts Please

nursemolly

Hi, I am looking to get my front garden turned into a drive way in the spring and wondered what was the best to go for, resin or blocked paving.
I would be grateful for your thoughts
Many thanks

MikeJXE

The way to go where I live seem to be a block paving edging and tarmac infill

IAMIAM

Block Paving = Weeds and Jet Washing - Every Year - Every Month - Every Day 

Martin_the_Unjust

Block paving needs more maintenance.

_Sam_

We are going for granite gravel. Neighbours have resin, it looks neat but to my taste a bit too neat, artificial in a sense. In any case it looks very different from block paving so I would suggest to go see some examples and if you like the look.  

FreeBear

IAMIAM said:

Block Paving = Weeds and Jet Washing - Every Year - Every Month - Every Day 

No it doesn't.

My block paved driveway has been down for little over a year now. Not had to do any jet washing or weeding. Got one block that has cracked (ham fisted scaffolder lobbing clamps around) - Will lift and replace that one block once the weather warms up.

Impermeable driveways may well need planning permission (not all resin surfaces are permeable). Resin surfaces are not easy to patch if an area gets damaged.

Regardless of which type of surface you go for, preparation is key. You need a good solid base of at least 150mm of compacted MOT1 or crusher runs. If you get ~100mm of random brick rubble just chucked in, expect ruts & hollows to form within 5 years.

Paving Expert is a good site to research your options and how a job should be done.

EssexExile

I like the look of (most) resin drives but I'd never have one. There's one near us that was done about 20 years ago, it still looks good. Better than new really because when they are new, as Sam said above, they look too neat. Then there is another one near us that was laid a couple of years ago, it was always trouble and in need of repair. Now it's gone. I just wouldn't risk all that money in the hope of getting the first sort and not the second sort.

I have tarmac with block paving edges as mentioned by Mike above. It never looks great, but it never looks awful.

housebuyer143

FreeBear said:

IAMIAM said:

Block Paving = Weeds and Jet Washing - Every Year - Every Month - Every Day 

No it doesn't.

My block paved driveway has been down for little over a year now. Not had to do any jet washing or weeding. Got one block that has cracked (ham fisted scaffolder lobbing clamps around) - Will lift and replace that one block once the weather warms up.

Impermeable driveways may well need planning permission (not all resin surfaces are permeable). Resin surfaces are not easy to patch if an area gets damaged.

Regardless of which type of surface you go for, preparation is key. You need a good solid base of at least 150mm of compacted MOT1 or crusher runs. If you get ~100mm of random brick rubble just chucked in, expect ruts & hollows to form within 5 years.

Paving Expert is a good site to research your options and how a job should be done.

Only a year. They do need to be jet washed, and they do get weeds after a few years. When you jet wash them you need to then brush in sand. 

They are not maintenance free. 

silvercar

Neighbours have resin. Fitted three years ago, it has now worn away in patches. 

Nobbie1967

What about stamped concrete? Saw a nice one done near me. Virtually no maintenance and probably less risk of it breaking up like resin can.

EssexExile

Nobbie1967 said:

What about stamped concrete? Saw a nice one done near me. Virtually no maintenance and probably less risk of it breaking up like resin can.

I don't understand stamped concrete. It's obviously concrete pretending to be something else, why not use something else and stop pretending?