Every resin bound colour blend we lay, the two stone sizes, and how resin bound differs from resin bonded. Compare them before your free survey.
Honey, gold and bronze tones suit Bath stone, red brick and traditional homes.
A blend of honey, amber and gold rounded quartz.
Warm golden rounded pea gravel with a soft, natural look.
Bronze, rust and gold stones mixed for a rich, earthy finish.
A pale sandy beige blend of fine aggregate.
Light beige and cream stones for a soft, bright surface.
Pale and grey blends brighten a frontage and suit modern and rendered homes.
White and pale grey angular flint for a crisp, bright finish.
Silver grey granite chips with a clean, contemporary look.
Strong colours make a statement and hide everyday marks well.
Black basalt chips for a sleek, modern surface.
Red granite chips for a warm, bold finish.
Soft pink granite for a gentle, warm tone.
Green and grey granite, often used for paths and garden features.
Blends of natural stone in a wider range of colours. Enlarge a sample to see a finished driveway in that blend.
Pale golden and cream stones.
Dark charcoal, grey and black stones with lighter flecks.
Light off-white tones with warm grey highlights.
Warm cream and coffee-brown tones with darker flecks.
Warm brown and rust tones with grey and pale stones.
Golden beige tones with contrasting darker stones.
Warm brown and pinkish tones with pale highlights.
Pale grey tones with light marble highlights.
Warm red-brown and amber tones.
Rich brown and golden stones with darker accents.
Charcoal-grey tones with lighter grey flecks.
Mixed grey stones with darker slate-like tones.
Amber and golden stones with darker charcoal flecks.
Green-grey tones with pale and warm contrasting stones.
A deep black finish with subtle reflective highlights.
A balanced mix of grey, white and darker stones.
Warm honey-gold and buff tones.
Silver-grey tones with occasional warm highlights.
Golden-brown stones mixed with cream highlights.
Pale cream and white tones with subtle grey highlights.
A crisp mix of white, grey and dark stones.
Pale stones with golden and brown accents.
Warm sand and golden tones with pale highlights.
Soft pale-grey and cream tones.
Light golden tones mixed with pale cream stones.
Rounded brown and golden stones with darker flecks.
Rust-red, gold and pale contrasting stones.
A mix of mid-grey and darker stones with pale highlights.
Most blends come in two stone sizes. The size changes the texture underfoot more than the colour.
Smaller stones give a smoother, finer surface, popular for patios and paths.
Shown in Autumn Quartz.
Larger stones give more texture and grip, a common choice for driveways.
Shown in Autumn Quartz.
The two names sound alike but give very different surfaces.
Stones are fully mixed with resin and trowelled smooth, giving a smooth, joint-free surface that water can pass through.
Smooth, porous and comfortable underfoot. This is what we lay for driveways.
A layer of resin is spread on the base and loose stones are scattered on top, leaving a rougher, gravel-like texture.
Not porous, and loose stones can come away over time.
The names are close, but one is a mixed stone layer and the other is loose stone stuck to the top.
| Resin bound | Resin bonded | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Stone and resin mixed together and trowelled smooth | Resin spread on the base and loose stone scattered on top |
| Feel underfoot | Smooth and even | Rough, like gravel |
| Rain | Drains through the surface | Runs off the surface |
| Loose stones | None, every stone is coated | Some come away over time |
| Typical use | Driveways, paths and patios | Light-use areas and decorative strips |
The layers under the surface matter as much as the finish. Depths, drainage and reinforcement are set for each site at the survey.
Coated stones form a continuous, open-textured layer on a porous asphalt base, so rain passes through the whole build-up and soaks away below.
Laid over sound concrete or tarmac, the resin layer is still porous, but the base below is not. Rain is led to a channel drain or soakaway instead, so a porous top alone does not make the whole drive permeable.
A thin dressing of loose stone on a film of resin over a dense base. It looks like gravel but is a different, non-porous surface.
Illustrations, not to scale. Layer depths and drainage are designed for each site.
A few things we talk through at every survey.
A sound tarmac or concrete base can sometimes be reused. A cracked or uneven one has to be fixed first, or the cracks come through.
Light colours need a UV-stable resin so they do not yellow in the sun.
1-3 mm gives a finer finish for paths and patios; 2-5 mm has more grip and texture for driveways.
Blends look different indoors, in shade and when wet. Look at a real sample outside before you decide.
FAQ
Resin bound surfacing is porous, so water can pass through it. Whether the whole driveway drains properly depends on the base underneath and where the water goes, so we check drainage and planning for your property at the survey.
Sometimes. A sound, level tarmac or concrete base can be reused, but a cracked or uneven one has to be repaired or replaced first. We assess the existing surface at the free survey.
Light blends need a UV-stable resin to keep their colour in sunlight. Ask which resin is being used before you choose a pale colour.
No. The colour swatches in the first sections are illustrations made to show each option clearly. The natural stone blends are shown as real stone samples with example driveways. Photos of real driveways we have laid are in our recent work.
Free site visit, free written quote, no obligation. Smart Paving Bristol covers driveways, patios and paving across Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Booking your free survey takes under a minute.
