Stabilizers & Binders

Binders and stabilizers that lock loose material in place. These products spray or pour onto mulch, pea gravel, decomposed granite or decorative stone and cure into a flexible matrix that holds the material together while still letting water drain through.

These are not sealers. A sealer coats and protects a hard surface. A binder holds loose aggregate together while leaving it permeable, which is a different chemistry and a different job.

What They Solve

• Mulch washing out of beds and onto walkways every time it rains
• Pea gravel migrating off a path and into the lawn
• Decomposed granite paths rutting and tracking indoors
• Decorative stone scattering under foot traffic or a blower

Permeable, Not Sealed

The point of a binder is that it holds material without sealing the surface. Water still passes through to the soil beneath, so plants are not starved and water does not pond and run off. That is what separates a stabilizer from pouring resin over gravel.

• Apply to clean, dry material, debris under the binder weakens the bond
• Most need a dry cure window, check the forecast
• Coverage varies a lot with material size and porosity
• Two part resin binders are stronger and suit driveways and higher traffic

Choosing Between Them

Single part liquid binders are simpler, spray or pour on, and suit mulch beds and light foot traffic paths. Two part resin binders are considerably stronger, cure harder, and are what you want for a driveway, a heavily used path or bound gravel that has to take vehicle weight.

• Mulch stabilizer: keeps bark and rubber mulch in beds
• Rock and gravel binder: pea gravel, decorative stone, light paths
• Path stabilizer: decomposed granite and crushed stone walkways
• Two part resin: bound aggregate surfaces and vehicular traffic