Tarmac driveways have always been a popular option for commercial properties, but more and more domestic properties are turning to Tarmac in the last 5 or so years due to its longevity and cost.

If you are looking for practicality at a great price that will last for many years, then Tarmac is the right solution for you.

Tarmac or Tarmacadam as its officially know because of its creators John McAdam who created the method for crushing stone and Edgar Hooley created the solution that actaully made it stick, Edgar went on to start the company Tar Macadam Syndicate Ltd and then made what we all now know as Tarmac today.

This widely used surfacing solution really shines and provides the best option when the area to be covered requires a solid hard surface over a large area such as tennis courts, larger driveways with garages, storage areas, pathways or a combination of all of them.

Tarmac surfaces have proven to be a very effective surfacing solution however the time it typically takes to lay is not far different to other surfacing methods so costs are about equal with other surface options, for example laying Tarmac compared to block paving, there is now very little difference in both labour time and costs.

Are tarmac driveways expensive?

Typically, tarmac provides one of the lowest cost driveway solutions available as both the time to lay a tarmac driveway and the materials to do the job are considered to be lower, however the difference in both cost and time-to-lay between other solutions is nearly the same with the current markets inflation for materials.

Is tarmac a good choice for driveways?

Tarmac provides a robust and durable surface and is a very easy to lay material. It also provides exceptional resilience to heavy vehicles passing over it which makes tarmac a great option for domestic and commercial driveways.

How long does a tarmac drive typically last?

With tarmac being very durable and weather resistant, Tar-McAdam will tend to last around 15 years in most cases if maintained correctly and taken care of.

What Tarmac options are there?

The Tarmac options available through David Newnhams Building & Surfacing include:

• Dense Bituminous Macadam (DBM) (6mm & 10mm)
• Stone mastic asphalt (SMA)
• Asphalt

If you choose the popular DBM option, and depending on your choice of finish, our Tarmac surfaces are laid on a sub-base followed by either a 10mm DBM open finish or 6mm for a tight finish.

Here at David Newnham Building & Surfacing, no matter if your project is for domestic or commercial purposes we always use our trusted supplier of aggregate, which is Aggregate Industries.

What colour tarmac can you get?

Tarmac today is available in two main colours, these include the most popular option, Black and the less popular option of Red. The reason Red is less popular is due to its cost as the process to make the Red tarmac is around 3 times higher compared to its black counterpart.

What type of finish should I consider?

When it comes to laying a Tarmac surface, setting a solid foundation is one part of the process, but applying a border and paving finish for granit sets is also something that should be considered as part of the project. Our surfacing expert will discuss all of these options with you.

The 5 golden rules for driveways:

• Containment
• Sub-base materials & ground conditions are suitable.
• Drainage & surface water dispersion.
• Damp Proof Course (DPC) of your building or property, ensure a suitable solution like an ACO channel for drainage and damp break.
• Surface & finish thicknesses are suitable for the volume of traffic and vehicle weights.