Block paving, resin or tarmac: which driveway suits your house?
By Terry O'Reilly, owner, 17 years on the tools. Updated . 4 min read.
For most Milton Keynes houses, block paving is the safe choice: it lasts 25 years plus, suits the brick, and can be lifted and relaid if the water board ever digs it up. Resin bound is the smooth, no-weeds, no-puddles option and costs the most. Tarmac is the lowest cost and best for big drives with a lot of turning.
What is the difference between block paving, resin and tarmac?
Block paving is individual concrete or clay blocks laid in a pattern on a bed of sand over 200mm to 250mm of compacted stone, held in by edging set in concrete. It is what most drives in Milton Keynes are, and for good reason. Patterns and borders can be matched to the house, and if a block ever chips or the water board digs a hole, the same blocks go back and you cannot see the join.
Resin bound is small stones mixed with a clear resin and trowelled by hand over a solid base. It sets into one smooth surface with no joints, so there are no weeds, no loose stone and no puddles, because rain drains straight through it. You can usually walk on it the next day and park on it about 48 hours after we finish.
Tarmac is laid hot and rolled flat. It is quick, hard wearing and the lowest cost of the three. We edge it in block so it looks finished rather than like a car park. It suits large drives and anywhere cars turn a lot.
How do they compare on cost, time and lifespan?
| Driveway | Cost band | Time on site | Lasts | Upkeep | Rain drains through? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block paving | Middle | 2 to 3 days | 25 years plus | Sweep, wash when needed, reseal every 3 to 5 years | Only with a permeable paving system |
| Resin bound | Higher | 2 days | 15 to 20 years | Sweep and rinse; an occasional low-pressure wash | Yes, straight through |
| Tarmac | Lower | 1 to 2 days | 15 years plus | Nothing for years | No, needs a soakaway or a fall to the lawn |
Swipe the table sideways to see all of it.
There are no prices in that table. A photo on WhatsApp gets you a rough idea, and the written price comes after Terry's free visit, once he has measured and seen what is underneath. What moves the price of a two-car drive is on the cost guide and in our guides to block paving costs and resin costs.
Which driveway suits which house?
A 1930s to 1960s semi in Bletchley or Wolverton with a small front. Block paving in brindle or charcoal with a contrasting border. It suits the brick, and a two-car drive on a small front is the job that makes the biggest difference to a street.
A newer detached house on one of the estates. Either. Charcoal or silver grey block looks sharp against render and pale brick. Resin bound in a warm stone colour is popular where people want a clean, modern look and never want to pull a weed again.
An older house in Stony Stratford or Newport Pagnell. Natural stone or brindle block. Both towns have conservation areas in the centre, so check before you change the front of the house. Our planning permission guide covers it.
A big drive with three cars and a turning space. Tarmac with a block edge, or block paving if you want it to last longest. Resin bound over that area is the most expensive of the three and is better kept for the part you see from the house.
Would you rather just ask Terry?
A photo and a question on WhatsApp gets a straight answer, usually the same day.
What about weeds, puddles and moss?
Block paving gets weeds in the joints if it is left. A sweep and a wash when it needs it keep it down, and a full clean, re-sand and reseal every 3 to 5 years keeps the joints tight, and I explain how in how to clean and reseal block paving.
Resin bound has no joints, so there is nowhere for a weed to root. It is porous, so rain drains through it rather than sitting on it. Moss can grow on any surface that stays damp and shaded; a stiff brush sorts it.
Tarmac does not grow weeds but it does hold water if it is not laid with a gentle slope, and it can soften in a very hot summer under a caravan jack or a motorbike stand. Tell me if you have one and we put a pad in.
Which one is the safest choice if you are not sure?
Block paving. It lasts the longest, it suits nearly every house in Milton Keynes, and it is the only one of the three that goes back invisibly after gas, water or electric works. Most of the drives on our work page are block for that reason, and it is what I would put on my own house.
Pick resin if a smooth, seamless look matters more to you than the price. Pick tarmac if the area is large and you want it done in a day or two for the least money.
What should I ask before choosing?
- What is under the old surface? If it is sound, resin can go over it. If it is cracked or sinking, everything comes out and 200mm to 250mm of compacted stone goes in.
- Where does the rain go now? A surface that drains through avoids the planning question altogether.
- Will anyone need to dig it up? Gas, water and electricity all run under the front garden. Block paving goes back invisibly; the others do not.
- How much do you want to look after it? Resin: sweep and rinse. Tarmac: nothing. Block: sweep, wash when needed, and reseal every 3 to 5 years.
I talk through all four on the visit and will tell you if the one you had in mind is wrong for the house. You can read what other people say about that on our reviews page.
