Are Resin Bound Gravel Cheaper Than Paving?

When building a house, you want the best value for money for your investment. You will also want the best for your driveway and the entire outdoor space in general. Therefore, the cost of different driveway options will be one of the factors you consider. Resin bound gravel and traditional block paving are quite popular choices especially for their aesthetics and durability.

This guide examines what it will cost to install them. Resin bound surfaces are made using a mixture of washed and kiln-dried decorative aggregate and a specially formulated polyurethane-based resin binder to create a fully permeable surface. They are created by preparing a base and then applying the binder and aggregate mixture.

It is important you make the right choice for your resin driveway even as real estate agents believe that upgrading the exterior of your home can increase its value by 10% or even as much as 20% especially if the outdoor space can be used for other activities in the summer months.

Block Paving uses bricks, stones and sometimes concrete paving blocks and is actually known to be quite an expensive option because of two main factors.

Materials: Because block pavers are generally made of cut stone or concrete. They can be an expensive material and quite difficult to work with. Expertise is also required to lay these blocks which come in a variety of shapes to ensure an even surface. You can also incur additional cost as some of the blocks will require sealing after a while. Additionally, there is an option for recycled blocks because it is visually appealing but this also comes at an extra cost.

Labor: As hinted above, expertise is required and so it means labour will not really be cheap. Additionally, land preparation and the fact that it has to be done carefully either by one person or a small team, means it may take several days to complete which adds to the cost. Asides this, the maintenance costs of block paving can be quite high. This includes perioding releveling of the surface, surface resealing, regular clearing of the spaces between the blocks and purchase of occasional weed killing sprays.

Again, the type of stone you choose will influence the cost of your driveway. The more expensive the stone, the more your driveway will cost.

Block paving is no doubt a good choice owing to its durability, hardwearing and aesthetics but all these come at a quite high cost.

Factors effecting the resin bound gravel:

Choice of material: Your choice of stone will affect the overall cost of your driveway. The more expensive the stone, the more expensive the driveway. Additionally, there are majorly two types of resin- the UV stale and the Non-UV stable resin.

With the UV stable resin, sunlight will not cause your driveway to discolor or fade but they are generally more expensive.

Base of the project: If you need to install a new sub-base for the project, it will cost more especially where there is need for land preparation, digging and excavation.

Labor: The major factors that determine the cost of labour are- size of the driveway, complexity of design, excavation requirement, etc.

The advantage you have overtime with the resin bound surface over block paving is its low maintenance requirement. Resin gravel does not need periodic surface resealing or releveling as long as the base was installed correctly. Only a simple brush or jet wash is required to keep your driveway looking as good as new. Of course, this means it gives you the best value for money across its lifetime.

Costs of Resin Bound Gravel and Block Paving

If there is an existing surface such as block-paved, concrete or tarmac surface, this can be excavated especially if it is not suitable enough to be used as a base. The blocks removed from a block paved surface can be recycled and used as edging around the installation.

However, with all things being equal block paving tends to come in at between £45 and £70 per square metre. Resin bound driveways will start at around £40 per square metre. It is significantly more expensive than gravel, concrete or asphalt - but the advantages are clear on both of these driveway types.

How Is A Resin Gravel Surface Prepared?

A resin bound surface is prepared by mixing the stone aggregates with a suitable resin binder. This creates a smooth, flat, flexible yet durable resin surface. With resin bound surfacing, you have unlimited design options owing to the hundreds of different colors of aggregate stones available. These can be expertly blended according to the desire of the user.

Resin bound surfaces unlike most block paving options can be adapted into any kind of awkward shape. They are also SUDS compliant eliminating the need for a secondary drainage channel construction which further reduces overall installation cost.

While the costs may seem similar, the other factors mentioned above such as time needed for installation, ease of installation, maintenance requirement, design options and SUDS compliant requirement will help you make a choice. Therefore, we will recommend a resin gravel over block paving because it gives you the best value for money over time.

Reach out to us today for a no obligation quote with the best comparative costs for your gravel installation. You can call our helplines 0808 273 7505 to get more information.