Tarmac and resin are two of the most popular driveway surfaces. Consequently, the two are often mistaken for one another. In reality, each surface possesses a number of qualities that help it stand out from its competitor. This article is going to explain what tarmac and resin are, as well as highlight the contrasting benefits of each, helping you to determine which is the most suitable for your home.

What is Tarmac

Tarmac is a material consisting of broken stone and tar. Tarmac as we know it today was created in the early 20th century and has been a staple of many roads and driveways ever since. It’s dominating tenure as a road and driveway surface is thanks to its many benefits:

• Tarmac is extremely durable, making it excellent at withstanding the force of regular driving.
• Tarmac provides a very flat and even surface, granting cars a smooth and enjoyable driving experience.
• Tarmac can be laid on top of almost any other surface. This enables it to be installed efficiently in almost any location. Laying tarmac on top of other robust surfaces, such as concrete, will propel the durability of the tarmac surface even further.
• Tarmac performs its function superbly and yet is relatively cheap to install compared to other surfaces.

What Is Resin?

Unlike tarmac, resin is an adhesive. This means that resin acts as a ‘glue’ to bind other aggregates together. So while tarmac is in itself the main aggregate used in a tarmac driveway, resin driveways, also known as resin-bound driveways, can be comprised of a variety of different aggregates. This makes resin-bound driveways highly customisable.

This is one of the main benefits of resin over tarmac. Modern driveways go beyond a simple, stable surface and seek to also gain kerb appeal with a unique design. Resin can be used to bind together aggregates such as natural gravel, crushed rock and marble, amongst others. These aggregates come in a wide array of colours, meaning your driveway can be customised in whichever way you like. In addition, resin driveways possess the following features:

• They are very durable and hard wearing
• Resin driveways are permeable, meaning water drains through the surface and finds its way back to its original water source. This makes the resin driveway eco-friendly.
• They can be customised to feature logos and emblems, in addition to various colours.

Which is best for my home?

Both tarmac and resin are great options for use as a driveway surface. Tarmac may be the better option if you’re on a budget, as it is typically the cheaper of the two. However, resin should be your choice if you’re looking to make a statement with your driveway; tarmac is unable to compete with resin’s ability to provide endless colour and design.

Here at UK Surfacings, we offer a wide range of surfacing options for domestic driveways. Our tarmac driveways and resin bound driveways are both high quality solutions, installed with meticulous precision by our expert team. If you’re interested in either of these surfacing options, or to enquire about any of the services we offer, give our team a call today.