Resin and block paving are the two finishes we get asked about most for driveways round Surrey, and it nearly always opens with the same question: which is better? There isn't a straight answer. It comes down to the property, how the drive gets used, and what you want it looking like a few years down the line.
Resin bound — the proper mixed-and-trowelled kind, not the loose resin-bonded stuff that scruffs up fast — goes down as a slurry over a permeable base and gets trowelled smooth. It's seamless, it drains straight through itself, and it meets SuDS rules with no extra drainage. Modern look, no real upkeep beyond a sweep, and fine under normal car traffic.
Block paving is laid block by block on a compacted base with kiln-dried sand in the joints. It's the more traditional look, and it's the one to pick if the drive ever takes a point load — a skip, a caravan jack, a removal lorry. The other thing in its favour is repairs: lift a damaged block and drop a new one in. A patched bit of resin, honestly, never quite disappears.
On price they're closer than people expect — per square metre a well-built block drive usually lands within about 10% of a well-built resin one. Where the numbers really move is the prep. If the base underneath has failed, both need that sorting first, and that's where the money goes, whichever surface sits on top.
Our rule of thumb: period property, heavy or shared parking — block paving tends to win. Modern house, normal car traffic — resin is usually the easier one to live with long term. If you're not sure, we'll look at the drive and tell you straight which we'd put down and why.
