Everything You Need to Know About Tarmac Driveways

Although your driveway is often the first thing visitors see, its appearance and quality is frequently overlooked by property owners.

Granted, your driveway isn't where you spend much of your time - it's not where you eat, relax or sleep - but it's still the first thing you see as you approach your home and the last thing you see when you leave.

It's not just the aesthetic, though; a low quality driveway is more susceptible to damage from adverse weather or weight bearing. The existing driveway surface might become cracked, which invites weeds and other unsightly pests.

If your existing driveway has fallen into disrepair, it not only looks terrible but it's often no longer fit for purpose. If you plan to sell your property any time in the future, an attractive and functional driveway can make a huge difference to "kerb appeal", which is a big draw for many perspective buyers.

MAM Contracting is proud to say we provide the highest quality tarmac driveways in the country. After years of experience, we're well acquainted with tarmac and its many benefits - read on to find out more.
 

What is tarmac?

Tarmac is essentially broken stones that are pressed together tightly. In the past, tarmac was mixed with cement, aggregate, and tar, but nowadays (in spite of the name) tarmac does not contain tar.

A smooth, silky finish is achieved by compacting the materials with steam rollers and coating them with finer broken stones.

What are the benefits of a tarmac driveway?

There are many benefits of using this durable and functional material for your driveway, including:
 

It's strong

Tarmac is one of the strongest materials on the market; there's a reason it's the go-to for roads, car parks and even airports all over the country. It can withstand enormous amounts of weight and isn't remotely affected by the weather.

Tarmac is also skid resistant making it safe to use in all kinds of conditions.
 

It's recyclable

In terms of recycling, tarmac is superior to concrete as it can be reused indefinitely. You can literally use it over and over again without losing a single piece. For those of us who care about the environment, this is great news.
 

It looks fantastic

Tarmac surface is smooth, neat and pristine. It looks immaculate in front of your home.

What's more, tarmac is very neutral-looking, meaning it can be easily customised according to your personal style - block paving round the edges, flowers and trees surrounding it... the possibilities are endless.
 

It's easy to maintain

Unlike other driveway solutions, such as concrete or gravel driveways, the tarmac surface has no cracks or joints. This means it won't produce weeds, and should your driveway begin to look tired all you need to do is call MAM Contracting and we can add another layer on top. Your driveway will look as good as new in no time at all.
 

It's quick to lay

It's easy and fast to lay tarmac, especially if you're an experienced specialist contractor like MAM. Compared to other solutions, such as block paving or monoblocking, tarmac is particularly quick and non-disruptive to your life and home.
 

It's cost effective

Tarmac is known for being extremely affordable to buy, install and maintain. Tarmac is a great solution for your home or business if you're looking for something economical.
 

What is the process of laying a tarmac driveway?

Tarmac driveways are constructed by excavating the base, laying kerbs or edging stones, compacting a sub-base of aggregate, laying a compacted binder course, and then compacting a topcoat.

It is possible to pour tarmac over almost any surface without having to perform in-depth bedding or resurfacing work first. This makes it a quick and non-invasive procedure. Hot mix tarmac is poured onto your chosen surface, flattened, smoothed, and allowed to cool.
 

How do I repair a tarmac driveway?

It's impossible to conduct repair work by yourself using cold lay tarmac, however we would never recommend this.

All too often we see damage to tarmac driveways caused by shoddy repair work, and ultimately the client has had to pay for a professional driveway installer to come in and reverse the problem.

At MAM Contracting, we offer a contract repair service for your new tarmac driveway. This means that should there be any problems with your driveway in the future, we will be there to rectify the issue quickly, efficiently and effectively.
 

Tarmac driveway vs Concrete driveway

If you're planning on installing a new driveway, you might be asking yourself "should I go for concrete or tarmac?", here are a few things to consider:

• Appearance: There are more design options available for concrete driveways, however tarmac driveways are much more stain resistant.

• Maintenance: Your tarmac driveway will need to be resealed every once in a while, whereas concrete can be left to its own devices. However, concrete is more susceptible to weed growth.

• Repairs: A tarmac drive is very easily and quickly repaired, whereas it might be easier to replace a concrete driveway rather than fix it.

• Lifespan: If properly maintained, concrete driveways can last 40+ years, whereas tarmac tends to last around 20-30.

• Cost: The average tarmac driveway cost is much lower than for concrete driveways.

How much does a tarmac driveway cost?

The cost of your tarmac driveway depends on a few variables. Tarmac driveway cost factors include:

• Size of the driveway

• The scope of the project i.e. if proper excavation is needed

• The condition of the current driveway

Give our friendly team at MAM a call to discuss your circumstances and we can outline the costs involved.
 

Get in touch

As a friendly local and reliable business, our client-focused approach has earned us a reputation as one of the best contractors in Scotland. Our team will be with you every step of the way, from the initial consultation to the completion of your driveway.

Don't hesitate to contact us on 01764 654703 today.