Resin is a great driveway material. A resin driveway is low maintenance, quick to install, durable, SUDS compliant, eco-friendly, highly customisable and weed resistant. That’s a lot of positives, which makes resin driveways so popular.
However, nothing is perfect. There are cons. Common disadvantages of resin driveways include sustainability to stains, fading, slipperiness, installation cost and repair difficulties.
Every driveway material has its pros and cons. So, this is not news. The point of this article is to give you the information you need to make the right decisions.
For example, do the disadvantages of a resin driveway trump the advantages? Is a resin driveway good enough for your needs?
That’s the question this article will help you answer. There is just one thing. We’ll focus on resin driveway disadvantages alone. We won’t explore the advantages. However, we will discuss how to resolve those disadvantages. Let’s get started.
Slipperiness and Safety Concerns
Resin driveways get slippery when wet. It is a big safety hazard for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles.
Imagine the driveway is in an area with a lot of rainfall. Think about the UK’s weather. The rain is almost always falling. So, the resin driveway will be wet several times throughout the year.
There are solutions. Here are a few ways to make a resin driveway less slippery. You can treat the resin driveway with an anti-slip coating. Another option is to spread a layer of finely crushed grass over the driveway’s surface. This must be done during installation before the resin driveway cures and dries.
There is something else that you should know. A resin bound driveway is permeable. Water drains through it. So, there is no pooling and the driveway dries quickly. This indirectly reduces slipperiness and safety concerns.
Susceptibility to Stains and Fading
When we spend money on a new driveway, we want it to look good for as long as possible. You are probably the same way. This is one of the biggest disadvantages of resin driveways. They are too susceptible to stains and fading.
A driveway should be stain-resistant. Oil and grease spills, tyre marks, sunlight, etc come with the territory. A driveway should be able to withstand them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Resin driveways are too susceptible to stains and fading.
There are solutions. You can get a cleaning solution for the stains and spills. For this to work, you must always act fast before the stain sets in and becomes difficult to remove. You have to clean a resin driveway frequently. This can be frustrating.
Another option is to repaint and reseal the resin driveway. Obviously, this is a corrective measure for breathing new life into a driveway that has already lost its look. Still, it’s a viable solution alongside other repairs.
Now, let’s move on to preventive measures. Your best bets are dark-coloured and UV-resistant types of resin. Darker colours are more resistant to stains. They also don’t fade as fast. UV-resistant resin also won’t fade.
Durability Issues
Resin driveways are durable. A well-installed and well-maintained resin driveway will easily last up to 25 years. However, this is small compared to the lifespan of some other driveway materials.
Plus, resin is not an ideal material for heavy-duty usage and cold weather. Once heavy-duty vehicles and extreme temperatures are involved, a resin driveway will start to crack. So, you will end up spending a lot of money on repairs.
Resin driveway repairs are usually difficult and expensive. That’s the next disadvantage (of resin driveway) that we will discuss.
There are some ways to resolve these durability issues. For example, you could use high-quality resin with high tensile strength. However, even this can only do so much.
So, you still have to protect the resin driveway from heavy-duty vehicles like vans, motorhomes, trucks and trailers. You should avoid installing a resin driveway in extremely cold areas. Resin doesn’t like the cold.
Finally, it’s important to install the resin driveway properly. The sub-base, aggregate-to-resin ratio and weather conditions during installation must be perfect. The resin driveway must also cure properly before you start using it.
Difficulty in Repair
Minor problems like small holes, chips and cracks are easy to fix. You can even do it yourself. All you need is a resin repair kit. Check your local store or the internet.
Now, here is the complicated part. Any medium or large-scale damage needs professional attention. If you attempt DIY repair, you could end up causing more damage. Even ill-experienced and impatient professionals can further damage a resin driveway while trying to fix it.
Repairs must also be swift. You have to act quickly before the damage worsens. Naturally, repair costs will increase alongside the extent of the damage.
So, how do you manage this disadvantage of resin driveways? Proper installation and management. It’s that simple. If a resin driveway is well-installed and well-managed, it won’t get damaged easily. Therefore, you won’t have to repair it that often. You must also try to fix issues quickly before they get worse.
Cost of Installation and Repairs
Resin driveways are relatively expensive to install and repair. There are lots of more affordable driveway materials. Examples include asphalt, gravel, block paving and concrete.
Installation cost depends on material quality, driveway size and shape, and the condition of the site. However, when all factors are equal, a resin driveway costs more than the other four. There are a few reasons for this.
Firstly, a resin driveway requires professional installation. It also requires a specific installation condition. Humidity and temperature must be perfect and the site must be level. On the other hand, anybody with DIY experience can install and repair asphalt, gravel, block paving and concrete driveways.
Secondly, supply costs are also higher. Finally, there is no regulatory body for resin driveway installation. So, you will be relying on the installer’s integrity. You should vet installers thoroughly and ask for a warranty.
Environmental Impact and Drainage Concerns
Resin driveways are environmentally friendly and SUDS compliant. Here are some crucial details.
- A resin driveway can be made from recycled materials.
- Driveways made with recyclable resin can be recycled.
- Natural resin, aka plant-based resin, is biodegradable and renewable.
- A resin driveway is permeable. Therefore, rainwater can drain through. So, the risk of erosion is lower.
These are advantages, right? Yet, we are supposed to be discussing the disadvantages of resin driveways. So, let’s discuss those details again.
- Most resin driveways can’t be recycled. What about the recyclable ones? The options are limited. For example, epoxy resin is only recyclable once.
- Many resin driveways are made with polyester or epoxy resin. These two are not natural/plant-based. They are produced from crude oil. Therefore, they are not biodegradable or renewable.
- Only resin bound driveways are permeable. Resin bonded driveways are not. You must also use large stones (for the aggregate) and build the driveway on porous soil. Permeability reduces with smaller aggregates. With non-porous soil or subbase, rainwater can’t drain. So, erosion becomes a problem.
- Liquid resin is toxic. It’s harmful to plants and wildlife. Liquid resin can leak into the soil and waterways. So, until the resin dries and cures, it is dangerous to the environment.
Maintenance Requirements
Resin is a low-maintenance driveway material. However, there are other driveway materials that are much easier to maintain. Therefore, we can consider maintenance requirements another disadvantage of resin driveways.
It’s not just about what to do but also how to do it. For example, you already know that resin driveways need frequent cleaning because of their susceptibility to stains. Cleaning is the “what to do”. Now, let’s talk about how to do it.
You can’t use harsh cleaning solutions, items or techniques on a resin driveway. Use a mild detergent, warm water, soft cloth or brush and gentle scrubs. Harsher cleaning materials and methods can damage the sealant and surface of a resin driveway.
There will be times when you need more firepower. When that happens, a pressure washer is permitted. However, you should only use it at low pressure.
You also have to reseal a resin driveway every 2 to 3 years. This costs money, especially since it involves hiring a professional. It’s not a good idea to do it yourself.
Conclusion
Resin driveways are great. If not, they wouldn’t be so popular. However, as I said earlier, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. Plus, other driveway materials might be better for you and your needs.
That’s why everything we have discussed so far is relative. A resin driveway is slippery, susceptible to stains and colour fades, high maintenance, difficult to repair, expensive to install and repair and not very durable or eco-friendly compared to some other types of driveways.
Comparison is the keyword. That’s why you need to read about these other driveway materials. Start with the pros and cons of resin driveways. We only discussed the cons (in this article), remember? So, read about the pros, too. Then, proceed to other driveway materials.
Do a little more research. That’s how you will find the best driveway material for you.
