Resin bound driveways are a beautiful alternative to traditional gravel drives the 3-5mm dried aggregate is mixed with high strength resin and trowel levelled to create an incredibly hard-wearing and porous surface. There are many resin driveway colours and even a glitter effect can be applied to the driveway. Despite being comparatively new to the British market, resin bound solutions are becoming more popular every year, based on the ease of install and the ability to achieve the desired effect either through a natural or coloured stone.
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Resin bound gravel comes in all shapes, sizes and materials. It is possible to achieve different colours, due to the number of different natural aggregates available. It is even possible to have an artificially coloured stone, although you must be aware that the colour may gradually chip off over time. By choosing the particular aggregate mix and pattern, you can tailor the aesthetic to your specific needs and tastes.
You can read about our various resin driveway colours here:
How to affect the colour of a resin driveway
The aggregate blend is actually affected at the mixing stage (when aggregates are mixed). Most driveways use natural aggregates, which in the UK normally comes from Derbyshire Aggregates.
Derbyshire Aggregates distribute aggregates, cobbles, pebbles, rockery, stone, rubber chippings, pebble dashing gravel, resin bonded, gravel and rock salt. This dried collection of natural aggregates offers a wide range of colours and sizes which are combined with resin, all the products are naturally sourced.
You’ll need to look through our blends or samples from your chosen installer to see which blend you prefer. You can of course work with your installer to come up with your own unique blend if you so wish.
Resin driveway colour differences
There are subtle differences in all these different colours and these aggregates have different properties. Although the resin needs to look amazing, it also has to be safe and functional. Resin bound gravel needs to be slip-resistant in both wet and dry conditions. Different aggregates have different PSVs. PSV stands for Polished Stone Value, which is a measure to test the aggregates’ ability to resist polishing. The shape and roughness of the gravel needs to be considered as well.
In order to strengthen the stone matrix it is quite common to mix a 2-5mm stone with a 1-3mm stone, so you can create your own blend with different sized stones.
What about UV discolouration?
The two types of resin used for driveways, patios, and pathways are aliphatic polyurethane or aromatic polyurethane aliphatic offers protection from ultraviolet ( UV) rays from the sun and this matters if an area has exposure to the sun.
Aliphatic binders are non-yellowing and are UV stable, which vividly decreases colour fade. It is a class of isocyanate used in the making of light stable coatings, more expensive than Aromatic binders, normally used in the construction of playgrounds, but will cause colours to fade or yellow in UV light, as it is a class of isocyanate which is sensitive to oxidation and prone to degradation in direct sunlight.
If you are going for lighter coloured stone, and want a lighter resin finish, use a resin that offers UV protection. Ensuring the even consistency of resin during a driveway or patio installation is crucial. This will help prevent ‘lifting’ and ‘patches’ appearing.
Overall, yes, it is possible to achieve different colours of resin driveway by using different materials but having a natural aggregate is much more common as it will last longer, and is not prone to fade or chip.
You can purchase coloured stone, virtually any colour you want. Coloured stones are more commonly used for internal quartz carpets, but you can have them installed outdoors as well. Another downside to coloured resin driveways is that as the stone is coloured, it is possible for the colour to be chipped off over time, which means you might end up with say a black stone driveway with white specs where the colour has chipped off. This characteristic is probably the main reason why it is not that common to use a coloured stone, although it has been done.
At Flexflooring, we can provide dozens of colours and finishes to choose from.
- Resin patios: Flexflooring are experts in the supply and installation of quality resin bound paving for both residential and commercial usage. Read more about our resin patios here and see the blends available here.
- Resin driveways: Our driveways offer a permeable, durable and easy to maintain surface that gives that wow factor. Read more about our resin driveways here and see the blends available here.
