Why Choose Resin For Your Patio Project
If you’re thinking about installing a new patio at home, you’re probably considering your paving options. Find out how a resin patio can make all the difference to your budget, installation times, ongoing maintenance, and how resin surfaces compare to traditional paving slabs or block paving.
Resin Patios Explained
Resin patios are patios paved with SureSet’s permeable resin bound paving. The paving is a mix of natural or recycled aggregates mixed with a resin partly derived from plant extracts. The mix forms a 3D matrix with tiny pores that the water drains through to the ground or drainage system below the surface. When installed, the mix is trowelled to ensure a beautifully even finish.
The Benefits Of Resin Surfaces
Resin surfaces have many benefits. Every one of those benefits is a good reason to choose SureSet for your patio project.
Permeability and SuDS Compliance
The first benefit we’ll look at goes a long way to answering the question, “Is resin good for a patio?” Resin patios are permeable, which makes them SuDS (sustainable urban drainage systems) compliant. This means two things. First, rainwater, snowmelt, and other forms of water drain through the surface, so you don’t need to worry about puddles, pools, slipping hazards, or your patio flooding in heavy rain.
Second, because our resin bound products are permeable, they’re SuDS compliant, so you don’t need planning permission for your patio project from your local council.
Durable and Sustainable
Durability and sustainability are more benefits of resin patios. SureSet’s resin bound paving has a 21-year-guarantee. Care for your patio properly, and you can enjoy your little piece of heaven for decades. Weather resistance also contributes to durability. SureSet’s paving products can withstand extreme cold and heat, and they won’t discolour after long-term exposure to the sun’s UV rays.
Resin surfaces are an excellent choice if you’re looking for sustainability. Our aggregates are sourced sustainably, whether they’re made from natural stone or recycled materials such as glass or shells. Our proprietary resin is derived partly from plant extracts. Combined, they’re SuDS compliant (as mentioned above), so your resin bound patio will play a role in combating urban flooding.
Fast and Easy Installation
Resin bound patios are fast and easy to install as they have quick laying and setting times. You can install your patio yourself, although the best results come with professional installation by one of SureSet’s approved installers.
Professional installers can install your resin patio in less than 24 hours. You can start using your patio 6 to 8 hours after installation, although you might prefer to wait 24 hours for the resin-aggregate mix to cure fully.
Low Maintenance
Another big benefit of choosing a resin surface is that they’re wonderfully low maintenance. You shouldn’t have any trouble with weeds growing through a properly installed SureSet patio, and you won’t need to do much cleaning apart from regular sweeping and the occasional pressure wash. Please refer to our maintenance guide for more information on how to clean a resin patio.
Cost Effectiveness
While the cost of installing a resin patio depends on various factors, this paving option is cost effective. As a general guideline, you can expect to pay between £70-£90 per square metre for a large SureSet patio. Of course, the real cost could be higher or lower, depending on the size of the area, base condition, choice of aggregate, and the complexity of the design.
A Safe, Non-slip Surface
Last but not least, SureSet resin surfaces are smooth yet non-slip, making them great for prams, wheelchair users, and people with mobility issues. If need be, installing a ramp for improved access is easy. It’s unlikely you’ll have a problem with moss or algae growing on your patio surface, although if any does appear, it’s easy to remove. The permeability of the paving also means you won’t need to worry about puddles of water freezing and forming slippery ice patches. This makes SureSet an ideal choice if your patio is near your swimming pool too.
Resin Patios Compared To Paving Slabs
With these benefits in mind, let’s take a look at how resin patios compare with paving slabs or block paving.
One of the biggest issues with paving slabs or block paving is that this option isn’t permeable. Apart from potentially contributing to urban flooding and allowing puddles to form when it rains on your patio, you’ll need to obtain planning permission if the area is larger than five square metres.
As for durability and sustainability, paving slabs are hard-wearing and can last for as long as 20 years. However, being laid on a base of sharp sand means paving slabs are prone to displacement and settlement and are likely to form hollows and ridges over time. Apart from the lack of permeability, many types of paving slabs are sustainable, given their sources.
Long installation times is one of the big downsides of choosing paving slabs for your patio. On average, it takes between 5 and 7 working days to install a paving slab patio.
Compared to resin patios, paving slab patios are high maintenance. The paving slabs are not stain resistant, and some are likely to discolour over time. What’s more, block paving patios are prone to weed growth, so you’ll spend more money, time, and effort keeping your patio clean and free of weeds growing between the stones.
The average cost of installing a paving slab patio is £60 per square metre, although various factors may result in a lower or higher cost for your project. Even though a resin surface potentially could be more expensive to install, you’ll have significantly lower aftercare and maintenance costs, so you’ll save in the long run.
Lastly, a block paving patio poses more slipping and tripping hazards. Paving slabs can become extremely slippery when wet, and because they stay wet or damp for longer than permeable resin surfaces it’s easier for algae and moss to grow on them. In winter, puddles can freeze and form patches of ice. When you take the ridges and hollows formed by subsidence and settlement into account you’ll find additional slipping and tripping hazards.
Choose A Resin Patio
As you can see, the benefits of a resin patio far outweigh those of patios paved with block paving. Contact us and find out how SureSet can make your patio project a reality.
