Tarmac Driveways in Woodford Green and Loughton
Tarmac is the most cost effective way to surface a driveway, and on larger areas nothing else comes close on price per square metre. Laid properly it gives you a clean, level, seamless finish with no joints for weeds to get into, and it can be driven on within a day.
We lay new tarmac drives, resurface tired ones and take on commercial areas across Woodford Green, Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell and Loughton.
New Drives and Resurfacing
If the base under your existing drive is sound, resurfacing is often all it needs. A fresh wearing course over a prepared surface costs a fraction of a full rebuild and lasts well. If the base has gone, patching over it just moves the problem a year down the road, and we will tell you which of the two you are looking at.
For new drives we dig out, build the sub-base and lay the tarmac in layers, base course first then the wearing course on top. Single layer jobs are quicker and cheaper. They also fail sooner, which is the trade off worth understanding before you compare quotes.
Available in standard black or red, and we can edge it with block paving or kerbing if you want something less plain at the boundary.
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Why Choose a Tarmac Driveway?
Tarmac driveways are a popular option across Wembley, Finchley and Watford due to their strength, flexibility and clean appearance. Ideal for both residential and commercial use, they offer reliable performance at competitive prices.
Best Value on Larger Areas
The cost gap between tarmac and block paving widens with every square metre. On a long drive or a parking area it is not close.
Takes Heavy Use
Handles vans, deliveries and daily turning without breaking up, provided the base underneath was built for it.
Quick to Lay
Most domestic drives go down in a day or two, and you can usually park on it the following day.
Easy to Repair and Extend
Patched, resurfaced or extended without disturbing the rest.
No Joints
A single seamless surface, so nothing for weeds to root into and nothing to sink unevenly.
Low Maintenance
An occasional sweep and the odd weed at the edges. That is about it.
Our Tarmac Driveway Installation Process
1. Site inspection and quote We look at what is there and whether the existing base can be kept, which is the difference between a resurface and a full rebuild. Written quote either way.
2. Excavation or planing Old surface out and dug to depth on a new drive. On a resurface we plane off the top layer instead and keep the base you have already paid for.
3. Sub-base Type 1 laid and compacted in layers, with the falls set so water runs off the drive and away from the house rather than towards it.
4. Edging Edge restraints or kerbing set in concrete. Tarmac laid without an edge crumbles away at the sides within a couple of winters.
5. Laying and compaction Base course then wearing course, laid hot and rolled while it is still up to temperature. Getting it rolled before it cools is the whole job.
6. Finishing Edges tidied, joints sealed where the new surface meets existing ones, and markings or sealant applied if the job calls for it.
Tarmac and Front Garden Drainage
This matters more for tarmac than for most surfaces, because tarmac is not permeable. Water lands on it and has to go somewhere.
In England, paving over more than five square metres of front garden has needed planning permission since 2008 unless the water drains onto a lawn, border or soakaway rather than running out onto the road. With tarmac that means the falls have to be planned in properly, usually towards a soakaway, a planted area or a drainage channel across the entrance.
We work this out at the quote stage. If a quote you have had elsewhere does not mention drainage at all, it is worth asking why.
How long before I can drive on it? Usually 24 to 48 hours. It stays slightly soft for a few weeks, so avoid turning the wheels of a parked car and keep motorbike stands and caravan legs off it in hot weather.
Can you lay tarmac over my old drive? Sometimes, if the base is sound and the levels allow it. If the existing surface is cracked or moving, laying over it just hides the problem. We will tell you which yours is.
Does it get laid in winter? It can, but not in heavy rain or a hard frost. Tarmac needs to go down hot and be rolled before it cools, and cold wet ground makes that difficult. We would rather move a date than lay it badly.
Why is one quote so much cheaper? Usually depth. A single thin layer over a shallow base costs half as much and lasts a quarter as long. Ask any quote you get to state the excavation depth and the number of layers.