Over the past few years, resin driveways have exploded in popularity, because the permeable surfacing looks absolutely fantastic, does not require as much maintenance as stone flags or gravel, and lacks the issues with standing water that are often the case with conventional concrete or tarmac.
There is an understandable focus on the novelty of the material. Whilst resin has been used for thousands of years, epoxy resin for nearly a century and bound aggregate has long been used as a paving surface, resin driveways are a new, effective approach to the concept.
However, when it comes to a driveway, it is not just about novelty nor is it about the beautiful looks of the aggregate stones and the designs that can be made using them. Instead, it is about the practicalities of living with a resin-bound driveway every single day.
The most common question that gets asked by professional installers is about longevity; how long will a resin drive last?
Whilst the short answer is roughly 15 to 25 years, the long answer depends considerably on a wide range of factors that are unique to each individual homeowner and will affect how much of a sound investment it will be in the cold light of day.
Installation
Resin-bound drives are not really a do-it-yourself job. There are a lot of intricacies that go into mixing, application and distribution of the resin and aggregate, and these can have huge effects on not only the resulting looks but how long it lasts.
Going for a professional installation is inevitably going to lead to better results irrespective of material, but with resin, it is essential to ensure that your drive lasts more than a handful of years.
Quality Of Resin And Aggregates
In the hands of professionals, you get out what you put in, and this means that the quality of the resin and the aggregate materials used in the driveway matter a huge deal when it comes to determining the lifespan of a resin drive.
This is a greater factor than stone flags, concrete or even gravel, as whilst quality matters in all of those cases, the effects of using superior or inferior materials are less pronounced or noticeable.
Maintenance
There is not a lot of maintenance that needs to be done with a resin-bound surface, an occasional power wash and basic cleaning will prevent weeds and moss from growing, which in itself keeps the surface lasting longer.
Weather
The reason why quality resin matters is because of weather resistance. As summer days get hotter, rain storms get more intense and winter nights get more frostbitten, the resin surface needs to avoid melting, being washed away and broken up via the freeze-thaw cycle respectively.
Higher quality resins tend to be described as “UV-stable” and weather-resistant, and this is essential for a long and successful drive.
Usage
The most critical factor for longevity, the more you use your driveway, the quicker it may degrade. As well as this, having a heavier vehicle such as a large 4×4 or a van loaded with heavy equipment is going to lead to greater degradation if this is not factored into the application process.