Resin only product for small front garden.

[navyeye]

Hi, I’m really hoping someone can help me out here, I am not a builder / landscaper etc. I have been thinking about ways to make my front garden a bit nicer; we have only just bought the house and the inside needs lots of attention so our money will be going there for the time being. The front is really depressing and I can’t stand it so I just need to do something cheaply until next summer when we will sort it out properly (probably a resin drive (if we win lottery, tarmac if we don’t!), part turf and some flower beds).

Anyway for now we have a load of pea shingle looking stones; they are scattered around a circle of lawn and get everywhere, I have some OCD tendencies so it drives me crazy they way it scatters. I guesstimate there is less than 2m2 of stone about 3� deep. I’ve had a read around and also looked on this site and I know and understand that resin systems are not a DIY job. However, most of this seems to relate to driveways and longevity.

I’ve looked at the ronacrete tree stuff as that seems smaller scale and also other ronacrete products; would this be ok for a DIY, is there anything you’d suggest? I’ve also looked at sureset and they have DIY kits listed on ebay but these include the aggregate – I’m after the glue only. I’ve also found some American products, “gravel-lok� and “klingstone paths� which seem quite straight forward, just need a UK version really.

Currently under the shingle there is concrete. I only need this to last 12-18months tops as the front will definitely be landscaped properly by then. If it maters we aren’t novice DIYers, I taught myself to plaster (practicing using all the walls we subsequently knocked down!) and my boyfriend is good with woodstuff, plumbing, bricklaying etc. We aren’t diy-ers who list Ikea flat packing successfully as our top jobs, maybe second to top!
Thanks for any advice.

[seanandruby]

Maybe a photo would tell us more. maybe bag the shingle up and expose the concrete, if it,s sound you could put a scatter coat resin base on it. or just leave it till you have the time. Is the shingle too high? Maybe that is why it is migrating, try and lower it a little so that it is contained. Keep the grass cut and it will look tidy. It,s hard to know what you want, or what will please you, as everyone has their own ideas.

[navyeye]

Thanks Sean for replying, I just want it to stay put! I think it's made worse by the fact that I look after children so there are a lot of people coming to my house everyday and the children pick them up etc.

I will take a picture for you in the morning, I don't think it's too high, it's not higher than the drive and about 2-3" deep.

[seanandruby]

I apologise i thought the shingle was already there when you moved in. Shingle is a nightmare to keep in place, especially with kids running about. Maybe you could put a flag border around the shingle to keep it in place and keep it seperate from the grass?

[Injured]

You couldnt use resin with the gravel you already have as the water in it would react with the resin and stop it hardening, it changes the chemical reaction, as you have to mix the resin with a hardner. It has to be kiln dried aggregate with resin.

[simeonronacrete]

Hi there

Injured is right; unless the aggregate is clean, dry and dust free - and the right size - it isn't going to work. The mixed aggregate/resin would crack and break up, plus the resin would foam on contact with the moisture, leaving it weak and unattractive.

You'll need to remove and replace all the aggregate if you want to mix it with one of our resins.

Good luck.