Resin vs block paving — which is right for you?

Two of the most popular driveway surfaces, both hard-wearing, but they look, behave and age quite differently. Here's a side-by-side to help you work out which suits your home.

The look

Resin bound is smooth, seamless and contemporary — a flat, continuous surface with no joints, in a wide range of blended colours. Block paving is more traditional — individual blocks laid to a pattern, with defined edges and the option of borders and detailing. Resin for clean and modern; block for classic and characterful.

Drainage

This is where resin has the edge. A resin bound drive is fully permeable, so water drains straight through and it usually stays inside permitted development with no separate soakaway. Standard block paving sheds water and needs drainage designed in, though permeable block systems are available.

Maintenance

Resin is very low-maintenance — an occasional rinse, and no joints for weeds to take hold in. Block paving needs a little more: weeds can appear in the joints, and the jointing sand wants topping up now and then. Neither is hard work, but resin is the more hands-off of the two.

Repairs

Block paving has the advantage here. If a section settles or a block is damaged, we lift and relay the affected blocks with no visible patch. Resin can be repaired too, but matching a patch into a seamless surface is harder, so it suits homes where the ground is stable.

Cost

The two sit in a similar bracket, and the real figure depends on the area, the groundworks and the finish. Resin's permeability can save on drainage; block paving's repairability can save money later. We'll give you an itemised price for each at the site visit if you're weighing them up.

Still deciding?

A lot of it comes down to your house, your ground and your taste. Book a site visit and we'll go through both against your actual property, with the pros and cons for your situation.