This driveway - Do I DIY resurface or get a company to replace?

[barki]

Hi,

I'm looking to sort out my tarmac driveway, hoping to achieve the following;

- Making the whole thing flat. It is already 'flat' but areas have sunk - especially around where the weigh of the cars has been for the last 22yrs. another area is around the water meter cover (iron, meter set about 1,5ft down into it).
- Sorting out the corrosion/holes that are appearing down the sides
- Making the whole thing glossy and black again, including over old oil stains (I home service the cars, occasionally spillages inevitable!)
- Replace the old door-step paving slabs with a modern, raised black doorstep (curved).​

I think I've got three options, would really appreciate anyone's advice in which to choose;

Option 1: Pay a company to dig the whole lot up, put the new doorstep down. Lay and flatten fresh tarmac. Big £££ and I much prefer to do myself if I can.
Option 2: Use my breaker and pickaxe to dig it all up, inc old doorstep area. Lay new doorstep myself (on what?) and then pay just to have tarmac laid.
Option 3: Clean the whole thing. Prime? Use macadam repair bags to fill in the damage along the edges and raise the sunken areas (will this work with a smooth finish? Can you feather it out at all?). Then 'paint' over it all with several coats of that expensive driveway revival gloop.

​

Some pictures;

Cheers

Tom

 

[barki]

A couple of additional questions, regardless of Option:

- What would I want to lay the new doorstep on top of? Tarmac all the way, and lay on top of that? How will drainage work. The current slabs are just angled away from the house, they do not look good.

- How should the ironworks be raised (water meter cover only)? I've used sand and cement for raising a manhole cover in the back garden which was paved around, and has been fine, but then it doesn't have cars driving over it!

- Can I do this in the winter?

Cheers

Tom

​

 

[kazuya]

go for option two, not forgetting to hire a wacker plate.
but to answer your question on the patching bags of tarmac are pretty good, it takes a bit of time but you can feather it in, what you wont avoid though is the difference in colour, the new stuff will be a lot darker, plus it lays better in the summer when its warm, you will struggle doing it when its this cold.

 

[^woody^]

Coating tarmac never works. It's the gypsies' favourite scam which makes you think that you have a lovely new drive, but lasts 5 minutes.

Patching is temporary too.

Your choice is either to do some essential work as a temporary measure, or have it all replaced.

 

[barki]

Ok thanks very much for the replies.

Any thoughts on the doorstep? Would I dig out and replace the doorstep first, laying new tarmac after, or tarmac then doorstep on top?

If doorstep first, what base do Iay it on... compa ted screed? Concrete?

Cheers, Ton

 

[r896neo]

No lay the door step and kerbs needed first. ~Speak to the tarmac contractor first to check his depths etc and regulate and re-compact the sub base your self so the tarmac man can simply come and lay.

If you want a raised step then lay the risers on 4'' on sem dry concrete. More specific advice on paving expert

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Bear in mind, oil (and particularly diesel), 'eats' tarmac. In view of the 'inevitable spillages', (know how you feel, I'm fighting a losing battle to keep my garage floor clean!), you may wish to consider alternatives to macadam. Block paving is a possibility, or concrete, neither of which will deteriorate if oil based products are spilt.