Tarmac Driveway Resurfacing In Newbridge
A tarmac overlay on a driveway in Newbridge is normally finished in one day. You can walk on it as soon as we have rolled it, but leave it 24 hours before you drive on it.
We lay the new tarmacadam straight over the driveway that is already there, so the old surface stays in place underneath the new one.
Driveway Resurfacing Work We Do In Newbridge
Resurfacing and surface redressing mean the same job, which in Ireland is called an overlay. These are the overlay jobs Carlow Builders does on driveways in Newbridge.
A straightforward overlay has the edge chipped out, re-bedded and a new tarmac surface laid on top. Where several areas have sunk, the weak areas are reinforced first and then the whole driveway is resurfaced.
Driveway Resurfacing Compared With The Alternatives
Against patching, the difference is how the drive looks afterwards. A proper patch stays slightly visible, and two or three of them leave the driveway looking like a patchwork quilt. Reinforcing weak spots and resurfacing the whole driveway gets it looking good as new.
An overlay needs a surface in good standing. Where a driveway in Newbridge is sinking, or a garden is being converted, we lay a new installation, with the old base taken out, a new base machine rolled and geotextile fabric laid before the new surface.
How A Tarmac Overlay Is Laid
Resurfacing adds height, so levels are the constraint. Where they are tight we chip out the perimeters, so the surface finishes level with whatever it meets. Against the house it stays a brick and a half to two bricks below the damp proof course.
A bitumen sealer on the existing base gives adhesion, then the asphalt is laid and rolled in. Our surface course on a Newbridge driveway is 6mm or 10mm stone mastic asphalt (SMA). Of the two, the 6mm closes tightest and resists tyre scuffing best.
The new surface will not need a tarmac sealer in the first few years. After that we recommend one every five years, applied by roller in dry weather and never sprayed, which brings the colour and elasticity back into the aggregate.
Borders, Edging And Drainage For A Driveway Overlay
A border can be fitted on an overlay too, with the edge chipped out and a block paving or granite border set before we lay the tarmac inside it. Border colours that suit a tarmac drive are red, brindle, charcoal and natural grey.
An unretained tarmac edge is the first place to fail, so where no edging is possible we chamfer the edge down hard. At the entrance of a Newbridge driveway, an edging kerb takes the load of every car arriving.
Water must never pool on the new tarmac, so we set the falls to channel drains running into your existing drainage or into a soakaway.
Driveway Resurfacing Questions From Newbridge Customers
Can you lay new tarmac over my old concrete driveway?
Yes, as long as the concrete is in good standing. We lay overlays over existing tarmac and concrete, or any other existing hard standing.
Can my old tarmac be lifted and put back?
No. Tarmac cannot be lifted and relaid. A damaged area is cut out, a new base and wearing course go in with a topping course over them, and the cut edges are bitumen bond sealed to the surface around them. That is the only proper repair.
Get A Free Estimate For A Tarmac Overlay
Call 02 222 2222 to book a free estimate for a tarmac overlay. Our tarmac contractors in Newbridge will look at the driveway you have now, because what is already there decides between an overlay and a new installation. Every overlay we lay is guaranteed.
If your driveway is sinking, Carlow Builders also lays new installations, so take a look at our new tarmac driveways before you ring 02 222 2222.
