What is a real gravel resin bound surface?

Naturally occuring gravel, shingle and crushed granite are mixed with a specially formulated clear UV stable aliphatic polymer resin to form a mixture which is poured and then hand-trowelled to a smooth surface

 

We can overlay an existing tarmac or concrete driveway or path with resin-bound gravel. And we won't need to excavate. A resin strongly sets the gravel in place. End result: a gorgeous gravel drive without the usual loose chippings.

Or for your newly prepared driveway footings we can use porous asphalt over laid with resin bound gravel so complying with the SUDS regulations

Why choose a natural stone driveway?

To match your house and garden

We have a wide choice of gravel and shingle aggregate colours. In pinks, greys, corn colours and blueish pebbly colours.

Golden shingle - looks great with sandstone for a rural feel

Derbyshire cream - to complement the natural stone of the county

Warm cream and honey pebbles - for a soft Cornish feel

Silver Grey or blueish gravel - for a crisp contemporary stylish look.

Red granite - for a modern bungalow

Peall - pale grey for a spiritual enclave

Whether you live in a townhouse, contemporary new build, a stone cottage or a modern bungalow, you'll find the right driveway for you.

Easy underfoot: disabled access

You get the look of gravel without loose stones straying into your home or car. And the smooth surface is ideal for wheelchairs, pushchairs and toddlers' tricycles.

Hardwearing and easy to look after

Resin-bound stone surfaces are very practical and easy to maintain:

Resists chemicals The hardwearing resin is extremely resistant to most chemicals including petrol, diesel & oil.

Wards off weeds Unlike with block paving, you can easily brush weeds away. That's because their roots can only grow a few millimetres.

Drains well Water filters through the semi-porous surface treatment.

Easy to clean You can clean the surface with a power-washer without damaging it. Our Aftercare Sheet advises you about nozzle distance and settings.

Camouflaging drain covers We can replaced old drain covers with inset lid covers filled with the resin-bound mixture.

Colour fast and UV stable The resin bound surface encapsulates and protects the gravel in a resin coating so the colour of your drive will always remain bright

Quick and clean to lay

We can lay the mixture straight onto your concrete or tarmac drive. This means you get your new natural stone gravel-look drive laid fast, simply and cleanly. We can complete most jobs within 1 or 2 days. And the resin only takes a few hours to dry, so you can quickly get back to using your drive the next day.

Note: if you are widening your drive or it needs major repairs, we will need to do groundwork.

What footings or base do we need?

A tarmac or concrete drive

We can lay the resin-bound surface treatment straight on to an existing tarmac or concrete base. But this base needs to be single 'slabs' of pavement, with few, if any joints.

Not flag stones or paving stones or loose gravel

We can't lay straight onto paving stones or setts or any other surface that has discrete units with joints between each. That's because this extremely tough resin needs a firm monolithic base or it may crack. We cannot lay onto loose gravel.

For a newly prepared driveway foundation

For a newly prepared driveway, we can use porous asphalt which can be laid straight onto packed-down hardcore, scalpings [Type 1 stone or MOT 1] or crushed concrete and brick.

 

Download a specification 'Clearstone Spec - 1 Permeable Private Driveway.pdf'

What is the difference between a 'Bound' and 'Bonded' resin surface?

What is resin bound (or “trowelled”) paving?

Resin bound paving is made from gravel, shingle or crushed granite coated with a clear UV-stable polymer resin. To ensure that each aggregate particle is completely coated in resin, the two elements are pushed through a force-action mix process to form a cold-pour mixture. The mixture is then poured and hand-trowelled to form a smooth, accurate surface with no loose stones.

What is resin bonded (or “scattercoat”) paving?

Resin bonded paving is made by sprinkling loose aggregate onto resin. It’s a great, low-cost option for redevelopment projects or for giving a driveway an instant facelift. However, it’s not as durable as resin bound paving: the bonded aggregate particles may loosen over time and the surface is not as easy to clean.