Tarmac Driveways
Hot-laid bitumen macadam driveways with crisp block edging, proper falls and a 1-year workmanship guarantee in writing. Cost-effective, fast to install, and engineered to last twenty years.
The Service
No filler, no jargon. What you're getting, why you'd want it, and what makes the difference between a good install and a bad one.
What it is
Tarmac, properly called bitumen macadam, is hot-mixed stone and bitumen binder laid in two layers (base course and wearing course) and compacted with a heavy roller. The result is a smooth, jet-black, jointless driveway surface.
Who it's for
Homeowners who want the cleanest, fastest, most cost-effective driveway upgrade, particularly for long or wide driveways where unit cost matters. Also the right choice for properties where a uniform dark surface complements the architecture better than block or resin.
When you need it
When your existing driveway is cracked, potholed or simply dated. Tarmac can be laid over sound existing tarmac (an overlay) or as a full replacement, the right approach depends on the condition of what's already there.
Why it matters
Because tarmac success comes down to the right binder course depth, the right wearing course gradation and a fast, hot lay before the mix cools. Cheap operators skip the binder layer entirely and lay a thin wearing course over loose stone, that's the kind of work that fails in two winters.
What Goes Wrong
We get called in to fix all four of these every month. None of them are accidents, they're predictable consequences of cutting the wrong corner.
Almost always caused by skipping the binder course or laying the wearing course too thin. Once cracks open, water enters, freezes and the failure spreads exponentially each winter.
Tarmac without a structural edge restraint crumbles at the perimeter under vehicle load. The first pothole is at the edge, every time.
Bad falls leave puddles; standing water softens the binder; oil drips soften it further. A driveway with no fall becomes a sponge, and a stained one.
Anyone offering to lay cold tarmac out of the back of a van is selling failure. Tarmac has to be hot-laid above 100°C and compacted within minutes, cold-laid product is bag-and-bucket repair material, not driveway surfacing.
Our Process
Site measure, drainage and falls check, edging design, and a fully itemised written estimate.
Existing surface lifted, excavated to 200mm, MOT Type 1 compacted in layers with a vibratory roller.
Concrete-haunched block paved edge laid first, the structural perimeter that stops the tarmac crumbling and gives the finished driveway its crisp line.
65mm of 20mm binder course hot-laid and rolled, followed by 25mm of 6mm wearing course hot-laid and rolled within the working window. Both layers hand-finished at the edges.
Heavy roller compaction in multiple passes, edges hand-tamped, surface swept and inspected. Driveway usable next day, fully cured within 30 days.
The Benefits
Lower material and labour cost than block or resin, the best price-per-metre on long, wide or shared driveways without compromising on lifespan.
Most domestic tarmac driveways are completed in 3–4 working days. You're not living with excavation for two weeks.
No joints to weed or re-sand. Easy to keep clean with a jet wash. Wheelchair, pram and mobility-scooter friendly.
Hot-laid tarmac on a proper sub-base with a binder course lasts 20+ years. Workmanship guaranteed in writing for 1 year.
Damage can be cut out and patched with matching hot-laid material, the patch is visible for a season then weathers in.
Handles vans, motorhomes and trailers without issue when the sub-base is correct. Used for commercial forecourts and rural lanes for a reason.
The Detail
Materials, methods, variations, and the small decisions that separate a 20-year driveway from a five-year one.
07939 524241A proper tarmac driveway is laid in two distinct layers. The binder course (sometimes called the base course) is 65mm of 20mm aggregate hot-mixed with bitumen, the structural body of the driveway. The wearing course is 25mm of 6mm aggregate hot-laid on top, the smooth, fine-textured surface you actually see. Operators who skip the binder course and lay only a thin wearing course are saving themselves a day and you a decade of life.
Tarmac must be laid hot, typically delivered at 150°C and worked above 100°C, so the bitumen flows around the aggregate and bonds chemically as it cools. Cold-laid material is essentially gravel coated in cold pour, sold in bags for pothole repair. Any 'driveway' offered using cold-laid product is repair material being mis-sold as paving.
The block paved kerb around the perimeter of a tarmac drive isn't just decorative, it's the structural edge restraint that stops the tarmac crumbling under vehicle load. The blocks are concrete-haunched into a wet bed and laid before the tarmac goes down, then the tarmac is laid tight against them.
Tarmac is impermeable, so falls and drainage must be designed in. We set falls at 1:60 minimum to a linear drain, soakaway or permeable strip. Where SuDS compliance is required (front gardens over 5m² draining to the road), we either install a permeable strip at the perimeter or specify a permeable tarmac wearing course.
If your existing tarmac is structurally sound, no significant cracks, no movement, decent falls, a 25mm wearing-course overlay can give it another 10–15 years of life at a fraction of the replacement cost. If the existing base is failing, an overlay is throwing money away. We'll tell you straight which one your driveway needs.
FAQs
Still have a question? Pick up the phone.
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Where We Work
Durham-based, on the road across the region every week.
Free site survey. Written estimate. No pressure, ever.
Backed by 20+ years' experience and a 1-year workmanship guarantee in writing.
