Features of driveway "finishes"

[Eshmiel]

There's a sloping concrete apron in front of wor hoose that's of a size to take four motor cars and get their doors open without bashing the others. The concrete is slowly wearing from weather effects. It needs stabilising and perhaps also coating in summick that'll stop further crumble, look better than concrete-crumble and not become a lethal slideway when the frosts, black ice and frozen rain get on it..

I read of resin-based stuffs and also concrete faux cobbles, paving slabs and the like. Various pros & cons are mentioned .... but most info seems to be generated by providers of the stuffs (so is it all just advertising).

Does anyone here have experience of these things? Would you be willing to give a synopsis of the way you chose it, how it was installed and how well its meeting its purpose?

 

[RobinBHM]

If the existing concrete and sub base is sound then you can resin over the top

If the existing concrete has cracks in it because there’s movement than any coating over the top will eventually crack.

I don’t have resin, but I’ve seen a few people with it around the village and our local church has it……it seems to be pretty long lasting from what I’ve seen.

Most of the driveways done around here are block paving and they they all seem to fade within 2 years and end up looking all the same, I don’t why people have them

 

[Tris]

I don't know if it'll cover exactly what you need, but the paving expert website is very useful
https://www.pavingexpert.com/

 

[Jester129]

I've had resin at 2 houses. Be careful, there are 2 ways to apply it:
1. They open buckets of the stuff, pour it out and throw the chips on, spread it out then wacker-plate or roller it. Don't have this type, it's no good!
2. They pour the resin into a type of cement mixer, throw in a measured amount of chips and allow to mix. After a given time, the mixture is emptied into buckets and the chaps actually trowel it onto the given area. Like hot tar, you don't walk on the area for 8 hours to allow it to set. THIS is the best way, it looks great if they throw on some tine glass chips, it gives a terrific sparkle! If done like this, it will last for years and is permeable IF the area is prepared properly by removing concrete etc and putting a sub base down of small stones with sand on top and wacker-plated down. HTH!

 

[Eshmiel]

I've had resin at 2 houses. Be careful, there are 2 ways to apply it:
1. They open buckets of the stuff, pour it out and throw the chips on, spread it out then wacker-plate or roller it. Don't have this type, it's no good!
2. They pour the resin into a type of cement mixer, throw in a measured amount of chips and allow to mix. After a given time, the mixture is emptied into buckets and the chaps actually trowel it onto the given area. Like hot tar, you don't walk on the area for 8 hours to allow it to set. THIS is the best way, it looks great if they throw on some tine glass chips, it gives a terrific sparkle! If done like this, it will last for years and is permeable IF the area is prepared properly by removing concrete etc and putting a sub base down of small stones with sand on top and wacker-plated down. HTH!

Hi Jester,

Exactly the sort of info I was hoping for.

A lot of the manufacturer/installer literature doesn't mention that the permeable (your option 2) type is not suitable for laying on top of existing concrete. This is the point that bothered me as any concrete underneath is not permeable, presumably meaning that the water runs down any slope between the resin stuff and the concrete, perhaps separating the two and so causing the resin stuff to loosen and degrade quickly?

In all events, the water landing on then running down a slope is going to exit the resin stuff at the bottom edge of any area on which its laid, presumably requiring a drainage channel, sump and soakaway.

The alternative resin stuff might, I suppose, work better on top of concrete if it isn't permeable, as the water would run down the top surface to any drainage arrangement; but I do read that its less resilient, needing a lot of redressing of the gravel or whatever is chucked on top of the resin, presumably with more resin too, to the make it all stick together.

***************
Any others got this stuff, on a slope and perhaps also laid on concrete? Your experiences of its history would be very useful and welcome.

 

[Jester129]

Had exactly the scenario at my last place with the resin. On a slope, I was concerned that I would need a drainage channel before the water flooded my neighbours garage! Spoke to the installation bloke and he said there wouldn't be a problem and he was right. Because all of the prep work I mentioned in post #4 with the right sub-base, there was only a problem when the rain hammered down, but everybody had the same problem! HTH.