New Tarmac Driveways In Newbridge
Tarmac suits driveways and laneways as well as commercial areas. It is the most straightforward surface to lay over a large area. There is no minimum driveway size for it. The one practical floor is that you would not put down five metres of it.
At Carlow Builders we lay tarmac driveways in Newbridge as a new installation, dug out and laid from the ground. Where there is existing tarmac or concrete to go over, the tarmac can be laid on top as an overlay instead.
Why Choose Tarmac
Around 20 years is what you get from a well laid tarmac driveway kept up with a tarmac sealer every 5 years. That is the cycle we recommend to people in Newbridge. It is not needed in the first few years.
The sealer is applied by roller in dry weather, never by spray. It soaks in and replaces the bitumen that has been lost, so the colour comes back along with the elasticity and strength. Tarmac paint only sits on top and can flake.
The honest drawback is heat. Tarmac is bitumen bonded, so after four or five days of sun at around 30C it softens. A caravan jack standing on it will then leave an indent unless a board goes under it to spread the load.
Laying A Tarmac Driveway Properly
Whether it is a brand new area or an old driveway being replaced, our contractors follow the same order on every new installation in Newbridge:
- The existing surface and the sub-base underneath it are dug out. All of it comes out.
- Around 150mm of new 804 goes in and is machine rolled with a vibrating roller of around 20 ton.
- Any border is set on top of that base, before any tarmac.
- The tarmacadam is laid hot in two layers, a coarser base (binder) course and then a dense, finer surface (wearing) course on top.
On a domestic driveway that comes to 75-100mm of tarmac in total, over the 804. The total is the figure that matters, whether the job is laid in one course or two.
Once the tarmacking starts it has to be finished in one run, because stopping in the middle leaves a joining line across the surface. You can walk on it straight away. Driving waits 24 hours minimum, and anything heavy duty waits 48 hours.
Around The Driveway: Edging, Borders And Levels
The border is the only colour decision on a tarmac driveway, because the tarmac itself is black. A brighter border defines and lifts the driveway. A more natural one gives a muted feel and a natural contrast against the black. Neither is wrong.
Block paving is the common choice for a border, in red, brindle, charcoal or natural grey. Granite is the other, with cobblestone granite setts coming in three or four styles. We lay samples out on site in Newbridge and you choose.
The entrance takes an edging kerb, because every car coming off the road lands its load there. Without one, dips and bumps form along that line. A paved apron with a matching border is popular there, as a circle or half moon, or squared off.
Levels sit a brick and a half to two bricks below the damp proof course. Standard tarmac is not permeable. We set the falls at around 1:40, 25mm per metre, to channel drains connected to existing drainage or a soakaway, so water never pools.
Questions About Tarmac Driveways
Is tarmac the same thing as asphalt?
Largely, yes. In Ireland asphalt is commonly called tarmac, and tarmacadam is the older word for the same work. We use all three for the one category of job.
How deep is the tarmac on a driveway?
The base (binder) course is 50-60mm deep, a dense asphalt with a 14-20mm aggregate, which gives the strength and bridges over the base beneath. The surface (wearing) course on top of it is 25-30mm deep.
What is SMA?
Stone mastic asphalt, the mix used for the surface course, in 6mm or 10mm. The 6mm closes tightest and resists tyre scuffing best. 10mm is common, but it scuffs more easily. HRA, hot rolled asphalt, is the other named mix people ask about.
Does a tarmac driveway need edging?
Yes. An unretained edge is the first place a tarmac driveway fails, so tarmac should never just end in the middle of nowhere. We finish it into edging kerbs or a block paving border set at the preparation stage. Where no edging is possible, the edge is chamfered down hard.
How long does a new tarmac driveway take?
Most driveways we do in Newbridge take 3 days with a border, a day to dig out and a day to prepare before the tarmac is laid on the third. A small driveway with no border takes 2 days. Recessed covers add a day, and so does kerbing or bordering.
Is the work guaranteed?
Yes, our work is guaranteed. Call 02 222 2222 and we will go through what is covered on your job.
Arrange A Visit For Your Tarmac Driveway
Call 02 222 2222 to arrange a visit and a free estimate on a new tarmac driveway from our tarmac contractors in Newbridge.
We also lay tarmac laneways and commercial tarmac, as well as tar and chip. Where the base under an old driveway is still sound, ask us about driveway resurfacing in Newbridge instead.
