Resin-bound stone carpet

How it's made

Grains of 2 to 6 mm, white Carrara, beige, grey, black or mixed. We dry them, mix them with resin on site, pour and trowel by hand, usually 1.5 to 2 cm thick. It cures in about a day, depending on the temperature.

Bound or bonded

People mix them up. Resin-bound means the stones are fully mixed with the resin, so the surface is smooth and water drains through the tiny gaps. Resin-bonded means resin on the ground with loose stones scattered on top, rougher, and stones come away over time. Ask which one a quote is for, the price and lifespan aren't the same.

Drainage and grip

Water drains through, so fewer puddles and less ice. The rounded stones grip under bare feet, pale grains stay cool, and with no joints there are no weeds. It can also go over an old concrete terrace without breaking it up, which is handy on a lot of farmhouse renovations.

The resin

Outside, the resin has to stand up to the sun. Cheaper aromatic resins yellow, and a white carpet goes cream in a few summers. Aliphatic polyurethane stays the same colour. In full sun, ask which resin it is.

Underneath

A sound base, concrete, a good old terrace or asphalt. Not straight on earth or gravel. Cracks come through, so we repair them first. On a flat slab that doesn't drain it still needs a 1 to 2% fall to an outlet.

Edges

Steps get a metal or stone nosing. Round a pool it can run up to stone coping, and a border of paving frames a terrace well.

Weather

The resin needs dry weather and the right temperature. Rain or a cold night on a fresh surface can leave it cloudy or soft, so in the Aube we lay between spring and autumn and check the forecast first. You can walk on it the next day.

Call +33 7 45 20 76 39 or see all our services.