Reply to: [mumsnet] Resin Drives

[mattster]

The problem with concrete is that it’s not permeable. Driveways must be made of a permeable material for it to be legal (as far as my research has found).

The only other materials I’ve found is block paving, gravel or tarmac. I would really like to have our driveway to be relaid with concrete but I don’t think we’ll be able to find a company to do that for us. It will probably be tarmac with a gravel top.

Actually you can get concrete that is sufficiently permeable to avoid the various drainage planning requirements, but a little more cost as you might expect. The problem with tarmac is that it always looks naff, to me at least.
We went for the cheapest option at the time, which was shingle. Not without its drawbacks, but it is well installed on a membrane and 6 inches of well compacted type 1, and we've had no issues other than the odd bit of shingle going into the road. Stuff does grow in it a bit, but is easily pulled out as the roots have nothing to cling on to. I also like the look of it, and the fact that I can hear when anyone pulls into the drive.

[lukemg]

hmmm, just had our old block paving (looked like I am Legend's high street every summer) replaced with tarmac. The resin looks good but hearing bad reports on wear over time so keeping it for patio and pathways. Looks good to me, with proper edging stones as opposed to the old way they used to chuck it down. I won't have blocks or paving again, bastard gaps with moss and everything growing through. PIC seems to have gone out of fashion, can look ok if done well.
If you are in the market and north west, check out paul brookes, it's like the army invading when they turn up but they don't mess about.

[Halo Jones]

I have non permeable sealed paving so no weeds

i have pebble boarders to act as attenuation/ soak away

and for the large area I have an ACO / slot drain to take the run off

that will appease most councils

[vetran]

Oh, right. It’s just that I was reading this: https://assets.publishing.service.go...ontgardens.pdf

(We don’t have much of a front garden, but this might have an impact).

This is the council, they have decided permeable is the way forward so computer / planner says no. If you don't have permeable they will screw you with retrospective planning permission.

From 1 October 2008 the permitted development rights (see Glossary) that allow householders to pave their front garden with hardstanding without planning permission have changed in order to reduce the impact of this type of development on flooding and on pollution of watercourses. You will not need planning permission if a new or replacement driveway of any size uses permeable (or porous) surfacing, such as gravel, permeable concrete block paving or porous asphalt, or if the rainwater is directed to a lawn or border to drain naturally

Mine drains partially to a soakaway (the bit that was changed) so I don't need permeable paving.

Now a soakaway is a hole filled with rubble that holds the water until it soaks away. This maintains the water table close to naturally (the size of your roof and driveway has been rained on fairly consistently for millennia (ignoring recent snowflake tears.) The water just goes back via a below ground soakaway instead of historically woods or scrub land.

Fix that and you comply.

The problem is that we cover our driveways with solid material so instead of it soaking back slowly it rushes into the road drains or sewers and floods them. Then some poor sod who bought a house on a flood plain the planning office took a brown envelope to approve and their insurance company gets shafted, things are said at the club and donations are held back! You get the picture.

[cojak]

IANAB! etc.

It has to have a method of drainage that doesn't rely on public sewers.

it doesn't have to be permeable - if you go for permeable you will spend spring & summer applying napalm like chemicals to your drive.

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project...-driveways.htm

If its on a slope a permeable driveway may not absorb the water fast enough. So if it slopes to the road you need to stop it discharging on the road.

If it slopes towards your house stop it pooling near the house.

A suitably sized soakaway with drains should be sufficient.

Oh, right. It’s just that I was reading this: https://assets.publishing.service.go...ontgardens.pdf

(We don’t have much of a front garden, but this might have an impact).

[vetran]

The problem with concrete is that it’s not permeable. Driveways must be made of a permeable material for it to be legal (as far as my research has found).

The only other materials I’ve found is block paving, gravel or tarmac. I would really like to have our driveway to be relaid with concrete but I don’t think we’ll be able to find a company to do that for us. It will probably be tarmac with a gravel top.

IANAB! etc.

It has to have a method of drainage that doesn't rely on public sewers.

it doesn't have to be permeable - if you go for permeable you will spend spring & summer applying napalm like chemicals to your drive.

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project...-driveways.htm

If its on a slope a permeable driveway may not absorb the water fast enough. So if it slopes to the road you need to stop it discharging on the road.

If it slopes towards your house stop it pooling near the house.

A suitably sized soakaway with drains should be sufficient.

[OwlHoot]

having had driveways of various types I would only bother with two now.

If it's inclined, concrete as that is best for icy conditions.
If it's flat, tarmac.

Everything else is sh1te and will result in dangerous conditions, or weeds growing through (block paving I'm looking at you).

^ This,

Especially dandelions, which will infest and take over any drive not comprising at least a foot of reinforced solid concrete, and with massive turnip-shaped roots that regenerate the detestable weeds within days, hours sometimes, however often one tries to pull them out!

[cojak]

having had driveways of various types I would only bother with two now.

If it's inclined, concrete as that is best for icy conditions.
If it's flat, tarmac.

Everything else is sh1te and will result in dangerous conditions, or weeds growing through (block paving I'm looking at you).

The problem with concrete is that it’s not permeable. Driveways must be made of a permeable material for it to be legal (as far as my research has found).

The only other materials I’ve found is block paving, gravel or tarmac. I would really like to have our driveway to be relaid with concrete but I don’t think we’ll be able to find a company to do that for us. It will probably be tarmac with a gravel top.

[OwlHoot]

Quite a few groundworks firms round where we live and they're all showing off their resin drive jobs more than anything else of late. Cheap dodgy driveway jobs are a stereotype (normally linked to certain ethnic groups) but it looks nice.

Has anyone got one? What exactly is it and what's the benefit over gravel/brick/etc?

They must get terribly sticky in the summer.

Mind you, on the plus side, small creatures may get entombed in them when they partially melt during a baking hot day, and in 100 million years some visiting aliens may dig up your drive and have a chance to study the fossils of insects that are around today!

[Lance]

having had driveways of various types I would only bother with two now.

If it's inclined, concrete as that is best for icy conditions.
If it's flat, tarmac.

Everything else is sh1te and will result in dangerous conditions, or weeds growing through (block paving I'm looking at you).

[Halo Jones]

Just go for a sealed paving with suitable slots drains, will cost more but is the better long term solution & not slippery

[northernladuk]

Be very careful with your research. There is resin bonded and resin bound.

Resin bound is where it's all mixed together, thrown on and smoothed out which will slippery in the wet and treacherous in ice.
Resin bonded is where a layer of resin is applied and the material is thrown on top. It's thinner and better grip but it is liable to stuff growing through it.

I found this out because next door but two neighbours wife had her arm in a sling last month slipping on bound one but it's a cheap job that's been smoothed to a mirror finish and it's on an incline. Didn't do their research properly. Just picked one of the many leaflets that come through our doors that looked nice. And it does look super cool but you can just see from the shine from the slightest moisture it's gonna be a problem.

If you are going for a reputable company they should be happy to tell you where they've done them and you can go have look.

And has been pointed out, if the company doesn't mention run off specifically then walk away. Not mentioning indicated they are just layering resin on, not creating a drive which is different if you get me.

[WTFH]

shouldn't they be built on a slight incline anyway for drainage, like concrete and tarmac?

You'd hope so, or better yet, domed, so the water runs off either side.

[DaveB]

shouldn't they be built on a slight incline anyway for drainage, like concrete and tarmac?

anyway Greta says we'll never get frost again.

Modern resins are permeable anyway, so as long as the substrate is also permeable (not laying over concrete etc) then it will be fine.

[d000hg]

Ice rink in winter as the water has nowhere to go.

shouldn't they be built on a slight incline anyway for drainage, like concrete and tarmac?

anyway Greta says we'll never get frost again.