Overlaying is the fastest, cheapest route to a new resin bound driveway — but only when the existing surface is genuinely sound. Cutting that corner on a failing base is the single biggest cause of premature failure.
When an overlay works
Sound concrete or tarmac with no significant cracking, no ponding water and good falls to the road or a soakaway is a strong overlay candidate. We drill test cores and probe joints on every survey to confirm.
When it doesn't
Cracked or lifting concrete, tarmac that has slumped at the edges, or any base sitting on made-up ground with poor bearing capacity is a full-dig site. Overlaying a failing base transfers every existing defect to the new resin surface within 2–3 years.
The specialist test
Beyond visual inspection, we test drainage by flooding a section for 10 minutes and monitoring absorption. Where the existing surface is impermeable, we specify perimeter or line drains before laying the permeable resin bound overlay.
