Resin Driveway Installation Guide

Recommend by the Experts

HOW TO LAY RESIN DRIVES – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BASE

Preparing the base for your resin bound surface

Below are the basic instructions that should be followed when having an installation of a resin bound surface. We have installed 100s of Resin bound driveways that have involved full ground works and sub-base preparation and never once have we had a problem following the basic rules below.

Before an install of a resin bound surface, we need to know that the material beneath it is in excellent condition. The long term health of your resin bound paving depends on this. Also, the overall permeability of your resin driveway will depend in part on what lies underneath.

Step 1 - Construction of your Resin bound sub-base

Whether you’re establishing a new sub-base or overlaying an existing surface, the preparation work of the sub-base is key to a long lasting excellent resin bound paving finish. this page is to explain the install and preparation of a new driveway sub base

the 1st job is to remove your current surface, Grass, soil, flags, block paving ect and scrape back or dig down until you hit what the experts called good solid ground.

If a new sub-base is being built up and fitted we advise that your Kerb and edgings are set in place and laid onto a concrete foundation using sand and cement mixed to the correct ratio- 3 sand to 1. This will provide an excellent stable mix and help frame the area of your new resin driveway sub-base, the edging must be proud of your finished sub-base by 15-20mm to give an edge for the resin bound mixture to finish flush up against.

The sub-base itself is made up of 150mm MOT type 1. This would then be rolled down with a vibrating roller and insome cases vibrating plate until the stone has connected and you have a suitable solid surface.

On the top of the compacted MOT type1 stone you then have a few options to consider, concrete or tarmac, they both have their positives and negatives, concrete gives you the ultimate strength while open-textured base coat tarmac gives you the permeability making it suds compliant, The recommended thickness for concrete is 125mm whereas that for tarmac coating is 75mm.

Asphalt/tarmac is a common sub-base for resin bound surfaces, often due to many surfaces previously having it laid way before the installation of the resin-bound. Having a tarmac sub-base is a better option for places which are prone to flooding since it gives high permeability, making your driveway suds compliant.

If you are overlaying on the top of your current surface, you must make sure that all cracks are increased into a “v” shape with a Stihl saw, the surface must be dry and weed free.

The different types of Resins we offer.

Resin Bound (Non UV)

This is an amber coloured polyurethane resin that consists of 2 parts, base and activator
Our Non UV resin kits are mixed with 4 x 25kg bags of stone, in total 100Kg of aggregate is used per mix.
This resin can only be mixed with certain stone colours. beige, silver and black should not be used.
Our installers have around 20minutes of trowel time once the two parts are mixed together with the aggregates. (temperature dependant)

Resin Bound (UV)

UV Resin is a 2 part polyurethane base and activator that contains a built in catalyst to reduce curing times. The part B activator is clear and is modified to prevent colour change by Uv Light when installed.
Our UV resin kits are mixed with 4 x 25kg bags of stone, in total 100Kg of aggregate is used per mix.
Our UV resin in normally used when beige, silver and black colour aggregates are used in the Mix.
Our installers have around 20minutes of trowel time once the two parts are mixed together with the aggregates.
For temperatures below 15C a small amount of catalyst can be added to accelerate the curing time.

Primer C

Used on a concrete sub-base to aid the adhesion between your resin bound and the concrete
Our installers can supply and install the primer on the day of the project, applied with rollers to ensure a strong bond between the surfaces. Within 20 minutes of application the surface will become sticky at which point we install the resin bound surface.
The primer comes in 5 Ltr tins at £24.99 + Vat, coverage depends on how porous the base is, and generally each tin will cover 50Sq. Meters.

Contact our friendly and knowledgeable Resin Install team today to discuss your ideas

Edges

Preparing your edges for your resin install is very straight forward for us, we can install against house walls, Block edging, Pin kerbs, wood, or aluminium beading (Edging profiles). Edging profiles are available in either a straight or a flexible length. They act as a retainer for the resin bound aggregates, provide linear definition and edge protection where needed. Standard lengths of the edging are 2.5 meters.

Depths

All our resin bound installations are installed at a minimum of 15mm to 18mm for driveways and 12mm to 15mm for walkways. We have installed 1000s of projects at these depths and we have never once had a report of cracking. Some companies are happy and willing to install at depths as little as 12mm for driveways, this is a Red Flag and the surface will not last 10 years. Our install teams used a screed sledge to insure a minimum of 15mm to 18mm throughout every installation.

Resin Bound Manhole covers

Manhole covers if required can be supplied and installed by our team to create a seamless surface. The existing manhole covers should be removed and any circular manholes excavated to fit a rectangular recess tray. we use 1 sq meter of resin to bond the manhole cover in place on the day of the install.

Structural cracking

Surface cracking that has occurred can be cut out in a V shape using a still saw during the preparations , the (V) will be cut normaly about 4" inches wide by 1 inch deep, the resin bound material can be used to fill in the cut outs on the day of the install. our resin bound mix is stronger than concrete or tarmac.
Any structural cracking that is beyond repair will require a brand new sub-base installing. if you are not sure and want advice please contact our helpful team. please if possible send a upto date picture of your surrent surface to info@resininstall.co.uk
If you require a same day over lay straigh onto tarmac and concrete unless otherwise agreed, please make sure the surface to be installed onto is cleaned and clear from Oil, Grease, Weeds, Water, Dust or Plaster. We recommend a Jet Wash 24 hrs before.

Resin Bound Patterns and designs

If you would like a design building into your brand new resin bound surface this is no problem as we have a team dedicated solely to this department. There are many different ways to create custom designs; the most popular way is using an aluminium stencil which allows our installers to complete your project on the same day. For more detailed designs, a pre made stencil can be made or purchased then installed onto the sub-base using plugs, screws and washers. (Talk to the Resin Install team about your design ideas)
Some logos won’t be installed using aluminium stencils, they will be completed using pattern formers made of Ply Wood, these are removed the following day and the install can continue with a different colour.
Crushed glass with Ral colours can be used for exact logos and designs.

We Install Resin Bound on behalf of over 400 Trade companies on a subcontract basis Nationwide.

Trade Account Booking and the day of your Resin bound install.

We recommend calling to pencil in your install with your trade account manager, if you have not yet got a trade account please call our office on 01254 492043, when you have a date in mind call and confirm a date as soon as possible. There is usually a 7 to 14 day wait depending on the weather that month Trade only. For the general public on Average within 3 to 4 weeks.

When Calculating the area that requires a resin bound surface installing always add 5% to 10% to the total area needing covering for the simple reason of un even ground, our installs want to give you and your customer a surface that’s as flat at possible with no dips, the extra material is used on 95% of our installs. If we haven’t got enough material to finish the full surface this will leave visible joints and blemishes. As every batch of stone is coloured slightly different.

RESIN BOUND SHOULD NOT BE INSTALLED IN THE RAIN. If it is raining on the day of your install we will have to re arrange for the next available dry day. Your trade account manager will be informed if the weather is going to be raining 3 days before. We have a weather updates 3 times per day for each install, Resin Install use the MET Weather to receive forecasts.

If the weather changes over night and the install is postponed the resin bound material may all ready be on route to your site, you will need to make sure the material is kept safe from theft and dry from the weather.

On Trade Only installs waste removal plans need to be in place, Stone bags, Resin Buckets, and pallets need to be removed and disposed of safely. (Our installers do not take away the waste.)

Resin Install