Resin-bound is the one most people want: the aggregate is mixed with the resin and laid as a smooth, seamless, permeable surface. Resin-bonded is loose aggregate scattered onto a resin layer — rougher underfoot, and not permeable. Bound costs more and is better in almost every respect. When we quote for resin, we mean resin-bound unless you specifically ask otherwise.
Resin-bound laid on a properly permeable sub-base lets water drain straight through, which generally keeps it within permitted development, with no planning application needed. The critical word is “properly”: a permeable surface is no use if the base underneath it isn't. That's why the build-up matters as much as the finish, and it's where cheap resin installations cut corners.
Done correctly, resin resists cracking, weeds and puddling — those are its main advantages over block paving. It can lighten slightly over years of UV exposure, which is normal. The failures you read about online — resin lifting, going brittle, cracking within a couple of years — are nearly always base failures or resin laid in the wrong conditions, not a problem with the material. We're certified resin-bound installers and we guarantee our resin driveways for ten years, which should tell you how confident we are in the way we build them.
