Tarmac/Asphalt driveways typically last 12 to 20 years, depending on the quality of the installation, the climate, the usage they get, and how well they have been maintained. Like most everything else, the better care you take of your asphalt driveway, the longer it will remain in service.

When it comes to tarmac driveway installations we price all work on an individual basis. No tarmac driveway project is the same. Be sure to get in touch with us for a free quote for a new tarmac driveway.

Once the tarmac has been rolled out, you’ll be able to walk and drive on it almost immediately.

Though concrete once was used for paving roads, parking lots and other projects, tarmac/asphalt paving is the preferred choice today. To begin to understand why tarmac paving is superior to concrete paving (also called cement paving), one should know how tarmac/asphalt and concrete are made.

Concrete is made using aggregate (like crushed rock and sand), along with cement and water. The cement acts as the binder in concrete, holding the aggregate together. As the mixture dries, it forms a stiff, unforgiving solid that is prone to cracking and breaking, especially if the surface beneath it is not perfectly smooth.

When roads, parking lots or driveways are built using tarmac/asphalt construction, hot tarmac/asphalt is poured onto a bed of heavier aggregate and then pressed into it with a steamroller. Once the tarmac/asphalt cools to the surrounding air temperature, it is strong enough to withstand automobile traffic. While tarmac/asphalt is extremely hard and durable, it offers enough flexibility to accommodate imperfections in underlying surfaces, a feature that concrete sorely lacks.

As well as looking good block paving is also a very hard wearing surface when it is properly installed and can often last a lot longer than a tarmac driveway. The major disadvantage of block paving is that it is more expensive than tarmac or gravel driveways to install.