[MY340i]

Getting driveway done shortly but not sure what to do
-resin
-concrete / concrete imprint
-block paving
-tiles

Cost not an issue. What would be best suggestion?

[MrManor]

Watching with interest as I’m in the same position, I like the look of resin but not sure of pros and cons.

[Watsey]

Just my opinions...

Resin can look good as long as the base remains stable. I imagine that settled/cracked resin would be difficult to repaint invisibly.

Concrete / imprint - no thanks. To me it looks fake.

Block paving - my preference, easy enough to repair, is often classed as porous if the Local Authority planning requirements are to minimise rainwater runoff. Sealing it makes a big difference in terms of keeping weeds/moss at bay, and makes it a lot easier to clean.

Tiles - no, no, no. There are a couple of houses near mine that have tiled driveways (admittedly one looks very DIY) and they look awful.

[robbiep]

Whatever you do, ask to go see some work that they did 5-10 years ago.

Dodgy ones will go on about customer privacy, etc.
Good ones will be happy to show you their work

[Allworth]

All methods work, is about the effort and quality.
Concrete is classic and there is also an asphalt.
IMHO bricks give a best appearance, but can be hard to maintain, and need an investment to make a good foundation under. Probably most costly effective method is concrete. Block paving is cheapest if it is just to lay a few lines for parking bays, as it may look quite modest it can be still elegant and neat with a good decorations around.

[Pentland]

Just gone through this process after replacing a 35 year old monoblock driveway with….
A monoblock driveway.

Heard too many issues with resin.
Tar looks cheap and dirty
Gravel and stones won’t stay put for long and I’ll bet it’s fun clearing snow off that surface
Last monoblock drive was only being replaced because I wanted it wider

[robbiep]

Originally Posted by Pentland

Just gone through this process after replacing a 35 year old monoblock driveway with….
A monoblock driveway.

Heard too many issues with resin.
Tar looks cheap and dirty
Gravel and stones won’t stay put for long and I’ll bet it’s fun clearing snow off that surface
Last monoblock drive was only being replaced because I wanted it wider

Oh, absolutely agreed - gravel / stones is a terrible idea. My mum had it in Anglesey, a nightmare

[AlwynMike]

As with most things, it's the bsse that's important.
Had tarmac for many years and it was very good, but the base was on ancient sandstone. Can look shabby after 10 years. Happy to jack my cars up on it.
Now got block paving. Endless weeds. Shows the slightest bit of uneven. Easy to repair in case of water main leak!!
There are 2 types of resin. One has stone mixed in, the other has resin poured and then stoned on top. On narrow drives, have seen where tyres gradually darken the surface into tramlines.

[Alscoob]

Tegular paving in the grey works for me..... not my house from Marshalls website

[KRS_SN]

I really like the look of resin driveways. I would probably go with that

[bigjimmer80]

We're about to get ours block paved.

[Troopa340i]

We recently had a quote for a resin driveway. Our driveway fits 2 cars nicely and we were quoted £11k!

Still looking into other options as it's way over our budget. Resin driveways do look great though.

[bishbosh]

Chap up the road from me has just had a resin driveway put in. It looks lovely, but for me I don't know how well it would cope with spillages, i.e. would a bit of used engine oil ruin it?

[MY340i]

Originally Posted by Troopa340i

We recently had a quote for a resin driveway. Our driveway fits 2 cars nicely and we were quoted £11k!

Still looking into other options as it's way over our budget. Resin driveways do look great though.

quote seems steep.

I think your local if I remember correctly? Happy to recommend you a driveway specialist if you want?

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by robbiep

Oh, absolutely agreed - gravel / stones is a terrible idea. My mum had it in Anglesey, a nightmare

One the very few favourite hotels we choose to go back to on a semi-regular basis, gravel works pretty well for them .

[1 AKY]

Block paving. Make sure the foundations are solid, even more so near to the pavement. Get as much ‘sand’ as you can in the joints by brushing it in everyday for the first couple weeks after installation. Then get it sealed ASAP with a couple of solid coats (Smartseal, Resiblock)…..and just maintain it.

[AlanQS]

Resin bound finish is permeable to water.

Resin bonded is not but is cheaper than resin bound.

[Pond]

Originally Posted by 1 AKY

Block paving. Make sure the foundations are solid, even more so near to the pavement. Get as much ‘sand’ as you can in the joints by brushing it in everyday for the first couple weeks after installation. Then get it sealed ASAP with a couple of solid coats (Smartseal, Resiblock)…..and just maintain it.

Then wait a few weeks and watch the weeds grow in the joins. Then you can't get the roots out as they spread under the adjacent pavers. Weeds love sand, as it retains water.
I have blocks on my drive now. They are a nightmare to keep weed free. They also retain all the coolant which my daughter's shite Mini tends to dump on them on a regular basis, so look like a pikey's yard.

I would have gravel again any day, but it only looks good in certain locations. Secret of gravel is to use bigger size stones (and have a good layer of type 2 under) , then they don't get spread all over the neighbouring roads.

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by Pond

Then wait a few weeks and watch the weeds grow in the joins. Then you can't get the roots out as they spread under the adjacent pavers. Weeds love sand, as it retains water.
I have blocks on my drive now. They are a nightmare to keep weed free. They also retain all the coolant which my daughter's shite Mini tends to dump on them on a regular basis, so look like a pikey's yard.

I would have gravel again any day, but it only looks good in certain locations. Secret of gravel is to use bigger size stones (and have a good layer of type 2 under) , then they don't get spread all over the neighbouring roads.

As was said, after the block paving has had time to bed-in (post-vibration settlement; additional sand brushed in to joints; etc) then seal the driveway with two coats of a quality driveway sealer.

The blocks themselves are sealed, the sand in the joints becomes pretty much impermeable, and the driveway is much easier to keep clean (i.e. power washing). Weeds and moss can't really take hold.

In my experience the sealer lasts 3-4 years. My driveway needs deep cleaning, re-sanding, and resealing again, but it's a far easier job now.

[JustChris]

I'd personally go with an option with the least joins. Block paving to me always looks great year 1-3 and then its a fair upkeep with all those edges and gaps in goof old blighty.

I'd personally be having a really good tarmac re laid with some other edging maybe but ETTO Watsey. What do you have now?

[Troopa340i]

Originally Posted by MY340i

quote seems steep.

I think your local if I remember correctly? Happy to recommend you a driveway specialist if you want?

Yup i'm in Eton. Thank you mate appreciate that. We've taken a break from looking at the moment but I will keep you in mind when we come around to it again.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by JustChris

I'd personally go with an option with the least joins. Block paving to me always looks great year 1-3 and then its a fair upkeep with all those edges and gaps in goof old blighty.

I'd personally be having a really good tarmac re laid with some other edging maybe but ETTO Watsey. What do you have now?

I have tarmac which was done in 2 sections - 20 and 30 years ago. The 20 year old part still looks really good and even the 30 year old part is in pretty good shape. I’d estimate that it won’t need redoing for another 20-30 years. No idea about the lifespan of other surfaces, but this seems excellent to me.

I’m just about to get 5-10 sq metres replaced of the 30 year old section, which has been damaged by tree roots (pic attached), but I guess that would be the same for any surface.

And the ‘Suzuki Swift’ is on the 20 year old section!