Totton is characterised by a large post-war expansion on the low-lying Test estuary edge, which shapes how Resin Bonded Surfacing gets specified here: aggregate broadcast and rolled onto a resin adhesive layer, giving a textured, gravel-like finish. What that means on the ground in Totton is flat sites with genuinely nowhere for surface water to run to naturally. Where it earns its keep is larger areas and verges being resurfaced over an already sound, level base; the honest caveat is that it keeps more texture underfoot than resin bound, which suits some frontages better than others. There is also flat, low-lying ground where rainwater has nowhere to drain away naturally to plan around.
About Resin Bonded Surfacing
Resin bonded surfacing works differently to resin bound: a resin adhesive is spread over the prepared base and the aggregate is then broadcast and rolled onto that wet layer, so only the underside of each stone is bonded and the top surface keeps its natural, textured, gravel-like appearance and grip. It is generally laid in a single layer rather than the full-depth mix used for resin bound, which makes it a economical option for covering larger areas, verges, and pathways where the fully smooth resin-bound look isn’t essential. The finish is more textured underfoot than resin bound and, because it is a thinner system, it is usually specified over a genuinely sound and level existing base rather than as a full standalone rebuild.
Best suited to: larger areas, verges, and pathways being resurfaced over an already sound, level base
Less suited to: a fully smooth barefoot-friendly finish, or sites needing a full structural rebuild rather than a resurface
Ground & property in Totton
Totton grew rapidly after the war on the low-lying edge of the Test estuary, and its flat sites genuinely have nowhere for surface water to run to naturally — which makes how a driveway handles rainwater a bigger factor here than almost anywhere else in the catchment.
Coastal / flood note: flat, low-lying ground with nowhere for surface water to drain naturally