Just like any other home improvement project, remodeling your driveway is thrilling. However, this also implies that before you get your hands filthy and start working on it, you need to make a few choices. The choice of driveway to put at your residence is one of the choices you must make. Ashdown Driveways offers the best choices…
We offer a high quality and variety of landscaping & groundworks services including paths, patios, driveways, brickwork, drainage & concrete work
TAR AND CHIP
WHAT IS TAR AND CHIP?
Tar-and-chip pavement resembles asphalt in appearance but is installed differently. The surface is covered with a series of layers of gravel, hot liquid bituminous asphalt, and additional loose stone. Compared to simple gravel, this mixture of hot liquid asphalt and stone chips has a more stable surface. The procedure involves pouring hot, molten tar over a gravel base to create a thin asphalt foundation. After that, loose, crushed stone layers are compacted on top of it. Finally, you are presented with a spectacular driveway that has a rough texture. The crushed stones can also be altered to fit your surroundings.
BENEFITS OF TAR AND CHIP
1. Cost- Efficient
Since the paving surface is made from liquid asphalt and stone, it is usually not expensive.
2. Requires easy maintenance
You can easily maintain the driveway just by occasionally replacing displaced stones. You won’t even need sealing since small cracks can easily be hidden with crushed stones.
3. More durable compared to gravel
Tar and chip driveways can last up to 12 years even without maintaining the layering or sealing.
The Texture
Despite having a rougher surface than blacktop, tar and chip gives the ideal amount of traction all year round.
HOW TO MAINTAIN A TAR AND CHIP DRIVEWAY
You must perform just minimum routine maintenance if you have a tar and chip driveway. No constant sealing, for instance, is necessary. But during the cold, snowy months, problems could happen. The top layer of stone may become damaged when you use a snowplow to clean the driveway. Make sure the plow rides only a little above the ground in order to prevent this. After that, you can use a shovel to remove the leftover film. Waiting for the snow to melt naturally is the best option. Additionally, this issue won’t arise at all if you complete the job using a shovel or a snowblower.
How long does a driveway with chips and sealant last?
Typically, low-traffic driveways have tar and chip seal installed. However, if they are maintained and there is little traffic, a chip and seal driveway can last up to 15 years and still look fantastic! In order to keep it lasting longer, make sure to maintain it.
TARMAC
What is tarmac?
Roads, driveways, and other outside surfaces are covered with tarmac. It is now a well-liked choice for material as a driveway because it is frequently utilized as a road surface. It contains a variety of materials with varied degrees of accuracy, such as tar-grouted macadam, bituminous surface treatments, and contemporary asphalt concrete.
The alternatives are more expensive
Tarmac doesn’t require a bedding layer. Bedding ensures asphalt and concrete surfaces will be perfectly levelled, but you can pour tarmac directly on the ground surface and have the same level of perfection.
Tarmac is extremely durable
Tarmac doesn’t mind temperature changes. Furthermore, you will not have problems with extreme weather either. You can rely on the tarmac during hail, heavy rain, snow, or draught.
Shorter Drying Time
Out of the three most popular driveway material choices, tarmac takes the least time to dry. It only takes two days to dry up.
Reliable During Heavy Traffic
Are you running a home business? Don’t worry, your business will be easily accessible by car. Even if you are expecting a lot of traffic or heavier vehicles, the tarmac can hold its shape without a problem.
Tarmac Installation and Maintenance
Since it doesn’t require the bedding layer, installation time is much shorter. It is easy to maintain. Let us imagine that after some time you notice a dent in your driveway or a crack. This can be easily fixed by your contractor. They can simply pour another tarmac layer on top and your driveway will be as good as new.
5 Advantages of a Beautiful Tarmac Driveway for your House
1. Easy maintenance
The driveway that needs the least maintenance is one made of tarmac. It only takes a quick sweep or a quick spray to get rid of the leaves.
Even if it only makes up a small portion of your garden, a lovely, well-kept path may significantly alter how you perceive it as a whole. You can enjoy a neat yard with less time spent on it by selecting a driveway with a low-maintenance surface.
2. Added value to your home
a beautiful garden is immediately a positive point for the value of your home! a beautiful driveway that crosses a perfectly landscaped garden can be a determining factor in the appreciation of your home.
4. Daily comfort
Whether it is to go or come back from work, go out for some shopping, or go for a walk with family or friends, we travel very regularly on our driveway if it leads outside. As long as it rains or is damaged, an alley can quickly bring issues: dirt, falls, disastrous appearance … Having your driveway redone with a draining coating is the way to avoid all these inconveniences, summer, like winter.
To the untrained eye Tarmac and asphalt seem to be the same. But in fact, asphalt’s constituents are crushed gravel and bitumen (refined from crude oil), whereas Tarmac uses natural tar (Tarmac is also a brand name). Driveway installers generally use asphalt more than Tarmac as its more convenient, but most people use the terms interchangeably. For the purposes of this article, we’ll use the term ‘Tarmac’ to mean both types.
Tarmac is one of the cheapest and most popular driveway surfaces, both in material and installation costs. In fact, the following table shows how the price compares with other common surface finishes.
A Tarmac Driveway Can Stand Out for These 6 Reasons!
1. A Tarmac Driveway is durable and long-lasting.
The tarmac’s popularity can be attributed to its strength, durability, and long lifespan. A driveway installation ought to have the same strength, longevity, and durability. Tarmac can endure significant volumes of traffic, therefore leaving your car there every day will not quickly wear out your tarmac driveway.
2. Installing a Tarmac Driveway is quick and simple.
A tarmac driveway installation often requires little preparation and is a good option for an overlay.
3. Driveways made on tarmac are adaptable.
With a simple aesthetic, a tarmac driveway can look fantastic. The mere presence of a tarmac driveway enhances the appearance of your front garden.
4. Affordable
A driveway made of tarmac is more affordable than other driveway surfacing options.
5. Simple to repair
It will begin to wear out over time, just like any other driveway surface. However, tarmac resurfacing and crack repair are both simple and inexpensive to do.
