Tarmac Repairs In Town
On a tarmac repair in Town, a patch always remains slightly visible, however neatly we seal its edges. Where two or three separate areas have sunk and each one is patched on its own, the driveway ends up looking like a patchwork quilt.
What Tarmac Repair Work Do We Cover In Town?
Our tarmac contractors take on the repairs below across Town. Which one suits a drive depends on how much of it has gone.
- Single patch repairs on an otherwise sound tarmac driveway
- Several sunken areas, reinforced and then overlaid across the whole drive
- Patched drives blended with a tarmac sealer over the whole surface
- Sections cut out and patched after diesel or oil was left to sit
Tarmac Repairs Compared With The Alternatives
Where several areas of a drive in Town have sunk, we recommend reinforcing the weak areas and then resurfacing the whole driveway. That overlay is a one day job. Done that way, the drive looks as good as new.
The middle option is to cut out and bitumen bond seal each patch, then put a tarmac sealer over the whole surface to help blend them in. It improves the look. It will not be perfect.
Cold, bagged tarmac finishes fairly open and is not a driveway product. We only use it for small strips behind edging kerbs against a pavement. A tarmac driveway is not a DIY job. It needs rollers and at least three people, and it is messy.
The Build-Up Under A Tarmac Repair
Every patch repair we carry out in Town follows the same order. There is no other way of doing it.
- Cut out the patch.
- Put in a new base / wearing course.
- Lay the topping course over it.
- Bitumen bond seal the edges of the cut-out box to the surrounding surface.
The base course, also called the binder course, goes in 50-60mm deep, a dense asphalt with a 14-20mm aggregate. The surface course, or topping course, is laid on top at 25-30mm deep.
A domestic tarmac driveway carries 75-100mm of tarmac in total, over around 150mm of 804. Each area our contractors open up is laid in one run, because stopping part way leaves a joining line.
What Goes With A Tarmac Repair
An unretained tarmac edge is a vulnerable spot and it fails there first. On a tarmac driveway in Town, an edging kerb or a block paving border retains that edge. Where neither is possible, we chamfer the edge down hard.
Tarmac paint only sits on top and can flake, so we use a tarmac sealer. It soaks into the aggregate and replaces lost bitumen, bringing back colour and elasticity. It goes on every 5 years by roller, never spray, in dry weather.
If diesel or oil is spilt on the drive, soak it up straight away with clay cat litter, dry sand or sawdust before it penetrates. Left to sit, that section becomes a patch repair.
After four or five days of sun at around 30C, tarmac softens. Point loads such as caravan jacks then leave scuffs and indents, so put a board under the jack to spread the load.
Common Tarmac Repair Questions
Is tarmac the same as asphalt?
For this work, yes. In Ireland asphalt is commonly called tarmac, and tarmacadam is the other word used here for the same job. Whichever name you use, we repair it the same way.
What is SMA?
SMA is stone mastic asphalt, the mix we lay as the surface course. We use 6mm or 10mm SMA. The 6mm closes tightest and resists tyre scuffing best.
How soon can I drive on a repaired tarmac driveway?
You can walk on it immediately. Give it 24 hours minimum before driving on it, and 48 hours for anything heavy duty.
Do I need an edging kerb at the entrance to my driveway?
Yes. A driveway entrance without an edging kerb develops dips and bumps along the entrance line, from wheels coming off the road. A kerb there takes that load instead of the tarmac behind it.
Is the repair work guaranteed?
Yes. Our work is guaranteed on every tarmac repair we carry out in Town.
Book A Tarmac Repair Quote In Town
Call 0123 456 7890 to book a free quote for a tarmac repair in Town, or send your details through the call-back form. Our tarmac contractors will look at the drive and tell you whether a patch or a full overlay is the right repair.
If the drive needs digging out and replacing, Tarmac Co also lays new tarmac driveways in Town.