Ware

Tarmac Driveways in Ware

Tarmac laid hot in two courses and rolled, over a base built for what it carries. Free survey, a fixed written price, and you only pay when you're happy with the work.

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Tarmac Driveways in Ware, explained

Tarmac is usually the sensible answer when the area is large, the budget is real, and you want one continuous surface with nothing to maintain between the joints. What it is not is the cheap option that happens to look like the expensive one. A tarmac drive laid badly shows you inside a winter, and it shows you at the edges and in the low spots.

Which is why most of our quote is levels and drainage rather than the black stuff on top. Tarmac sheds water instead of absorbing it, so a tarmac drive is only ever as good as the fall somebody set before the first load turned up. We work that out at the survey and write it into the price, rather than finding it on the day and coming back to you for more money.

We are based in Hatfield and cover this area as part of our normal work. The survey and the written quotation are free, there is no deposit, and you pay when the drive is finished and you are happy with it.

We cover the SG12 postcode in Ware, and the rest of Hertfordshire.

What your quote covers

A free survey, with the falls and the drainage worked out before anything is priced
One fixed price in writing, no deposit, nothing payable up front
Excavation, clearance of the old surface and removal of the arisings
A compacted sub-base, and edgings or kerbs haunched in concrete to roll up against
A base course and a finer wearing course, laid hot and rolled while hot
Joints cut and sealed against thresholds and manholes, and the site cleaned down

Choosing tarmac driveways in Ware

The appeal of tarmac for a lot of people is that it asks almost nothing of them. There are no joints, so there is no sand to top up and nothing for weeds to push through. There is no loose stone, so there is nothing to rake back. It is one continuous surface and it stays that way.

Compare that with blocks, which want their joint sand maintained, or gravel, which wants raking, and over a long drive in Ware the difference in the time it takes up is noticeable. Tarmac also goes down quickly and stays economical as the area grows.

The one thing it does need thought about is water, because it is not permeable. Rain has to be directed, by falls built into the groundwork, to a channel across the threshold, a gully or a soakaway. Black is standard, red is available, and decorative chippings are an option.

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From first visit to finished job

Step 1
Free Site Survey
We check levels, drainage and the existing base and agree the finish with you.
Step 2
Written Quotation
A clear fixed price in writing, agreed before we begin.
Step 3
Groundwork
We excavate to the right depth and lay a compacted sub-base.
Step 4
Surfacing
The tarmac is laid hot in layers, raked to falls and rolled to a smooth finish.
Step 5
Sign-Off
We tidy the edges and site, and you pay once the job is complete and you are happy.

What happens on site in Ware

We excavate the area, clear the arisings and build a compacted sub-base to suit what the drive will carry. Edgings or kerbs are set first and haunched in concrete, since tarmac has to be rolled against something solid or the edges will crumble.

The falls are put in during that groundwork so that water is carried to the drainage point we have agreed rather than finding its own way to the lowest corner.

Surfacing is two layers on most domestic drives, a base course for strength and a finer wearing course for the finish, each laid hot and rolled while hot because the rolling is what compacts it. Joints against thresholds, manholes and existing surfaces are cut and sealed so water cannot work underneath.

What affects the price in Ware

We do not publish a rate per square metre, because the number would be wrong for most properties. The survey is free and the price you get afterwards is fixed and in writing. These are the things that move it:

The area, which is where tarmac earns its keep against the other surfaces
How much excavation it needs and how far the arisings have to travel
Whether the drive takes one course or the full base and wearing course build-up
The drainage the levels call for: a channel, a gully connection or a soakaway
Edgings or kerbs, and whether you want a block-paved border
Plain black, red, or a decorative chipping finish on top

Looking after tarmac driveways

Be gentle with it for a few weeks, especially in hot weather. Turning the wheel while parked scuffs the surface, and anything narrow like a jockey wheel, motorbike stand or skip leg will press in. Stand them on a board.

Keep the drainage clear and the edges free of soil and growth. Water standing in a low spot and an unsupported edge are the two usual causes of trouble.

Sealing a couple of years in restores the colour and slows the surface drying out. Cracks and potholes are cut out and patched rather than the drive being relaid, and a properly built one should give 15 years or more.

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Around Ware

As well as Ware itself, we take on tarmac driveways work in Nazeing, Cheshunt, Buckhurst Hill, Chipping Ongar and High Ongar, and across the rest of Hertfordshire. If you are just outside the towns listed here it is still worth a call, because we cover more ground than any list of names can sensibly show.

Tarmac Driveways in Ware: Common Questions

Do you work in Ware?

Yes, SG12 is in our area. We are based in Hatfield and the survey and written quotation are free.

How much maintenance does tarmac need?

Very little. There are no joints to sand and nothing loose to rake. Keep the drainage clear and the edges tidy, and consider sealing after a couple of years.

Is it better than block paving?

Different rather than better. Tarmac is cheaper over larger areas and needs less upkeep; blocks can be lifted and relaid for repairs and offer more in the way of pattern and colour.