Where tarmac makes the most sense
On a big area — a long drive, a farm approach, a business yard — tarmac wins on cost per square metre and it wins on speed. A drive that would take four days in block paving can be surfaced in one, and the whole area is trafficable within hours.
It needs edge restraint to last, which is where cheap jobs cut corners. We either lay against existing kerbs and walls or install a concrete edging or block soldier course, so the tarmac has something solid to be compacted against instead of feathering away at the perimeter.
- Base course and 20–25mm wearing course, both rolled hot
- Concrete edging or block border to restrain the edges
- Falls set to shed water away from the house and off the highway
- Optional red or green pigmented wearing course
- Trafficable the same day, fully cured within a fortnight
