Tarmac Information

What is tarmac?

Tarmac is a material used for surfacing roads, driveways and other outdoor surfaces. Patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901, it has been around since the early 1900’s over the last 100 years it’s popularity has surged as a material to use. Commonly used as a road surface, it has become a popular solution for material as a driveway. With varying degrees of correctness it includes a variety of materials including tar-grouted macadam, bituminous surface treatments and modern asphalt concrete.

Where can tarmac be seen

Becoming one of the most common and popular surfacing options tarmac can be seen in a variety of places such as airports, playgrounds, car parks and home drives. With it’s high durability it’s a popular option for airports as it washes down easily and can maintain heavy weights without causing damage. Used in a variety of places tarmac can offer great looks, easy maintenance and can survive heavy weight usage without causing damage of fading.

Why is tarmac a good option

When it comes to a material for use as a drive it is one of the most popular options. Tarmac driveways are one of the best options when it comes to needing a drive that’s highly durable, weather resistant and one that’s made to last. Tarmac has been the option of choice for many years and continues to be a popular choice as a surface solution.

With such extreme durability, the hard wearing surface can cope with some of the heaviest of weights and can withstand most conditions. Offering great value for money it’s a favoured material for many outdoor flooring surfaces, quick and easy to install, tarmac can be laid and complete within a day.

Designed to withstand extreme conditions the surface is long lasting and is made to last years without suffering any damage. Being easy to maintain the surface needs very little to keep it looking great, it is designed to look after itself. With an easy wash-down surface and very little maintenance it makes it perfect for anyone looking for a surface solution that near enough looks after itself. The customisation ability offered by tarmac means you can edge it with stones and bricks and also customise the colour or add paint markings to the surface.

How is tarmac installed?

When it comes to tarmac installation it’s important to choose the best people for the job; being experienced and professional contractors as they have the best equipment. When choosing a contractor make sure you look into their background checking out previous work they’ve carried out and reviews and testimonials they have.

During the installation process they will begin with removing the current surface or drive, clearing the ground thoroughly to ensure none of the previous drive is left behind. In order to achieve the right type of drainage so your drive doesn’t collapse or end up heaved, the installer will ensure the ground has been graded so that it slopes to the sides or bottom, so that water can drain away easily and correctly. To ensure where the water runs they will test water flow using a hose pipe so if if the water runs away how it should.

Once an appropriate slope has been created the ground will be compacted this can be done in a variety of ways although the most popular way is by a twin drum roller. When the ground has undergone compacting the base soil will be covered with coarse and jagged rock, the amount of the rock will depend on the type of soil your ground is, this is a crucial part in the drainage process.

The crushed rock ground will then be packed with subsoil. The size of the aggregate used to create the asphalt usually ranges from ½ inch to ¾ inch. Smaller aggregate is usually used for residential driveways as it gives a smoother appearance, the large the aggregate is the stronger the tarmac is. The best layer of thickness is usually 2 to 3 inches. The tarmac will then be laid, and compacted with a heavy roller and formed at a 45 degree angle at the edges.

Different colours etc..

The great thing about using tarmac is the customisation of it, it can be edged and is available in a range of colours. With a huge range of colours to choose from including the traditional black you can now choose from a range of other colours such as blue, green, red and many more. To give it a more finished and detailed look, especially popular with residential drives they can now be edged with stones and bricks to give them a better overall finished look.