Tarmac Archives - Direct Drives & Patios

Tarmac vs Resin – Choosing the Best Material for Your Driveway

When planning to install or upgrade a driveway, one of the key decisions to make is which material to use. Two popular options are tarmac (asphalt) and resin-bound surfaces. Both materials have their pros and cons, and the best choice depends on various factors such as budget, aesthetics, and maintenance requirements. In this article, we will explore the advantages and disadvantages of tarmac and resin driveways, as well as compare their costs to help you make an informed decision when thinking of taking the plunge on your next driveway. Please remember, we are going to tell you the pro’s and con’s but your lifestyle factors, taste and budget will also play a factor too.

Tarmac Driveways

Pros

Cost-effective: Tarmac is typically less expensive than resin, making it a popular choice for budget-conscious homeowners.
Durability: Tarmac driveways are strong and can withstand heavy loads, making them suitable for areas with high traffic and heavy vehicles.
Quick installation: Tarmac can be laid and set relatively quickly, meaning your driveway will be ready for use in a shorter time.
Easy to repair: If damaged, tarmac can be easily patched and repaired, restoring the driveway’s appearance and functionality.

Cons

Aesthetics: Tarmac driveways have a more utilitarian appearance compared to resin-bound surfaces, which may not suit all property styles.
Heat sensitivity: Tarmac can soften in extreme heat, potentially leading to surface damage and deformation.
Maintenance: Tarmac driveways require periodic maintenance, such as sealing, to protect against water penetration, cracks, and other damage.
Limited design options: Tarmac driveways offer limited design options in terms of colors and patterns compared to resin-bound surfaces.

Resin-Bound Driveways

Pros

Aesthetics: Resin-bound driveways offer a wide range of colours and aggregates, allowing for greater customisation and a more visually appealing surface.
Permeability: Resin-bound surfaces are permeable, allowing water to drain through, reducing the risk of standing water and promoting a more sustainable drainage system.
Low maintenance: Resin driveways are resistant to weeds and require minimal maintenance, making them a low-maintenance option for homeowners.
Slip resistance: The texture of resin-bound surfaces provides good slip resistance, improving safety for pedestrians and vehicles.

Cons

Cost: Resin-bound driveways are generally more expensive than tarmac due to the materials and specialized installation process.
Installation: The installation of a resin-bound driveway requires skilled professionals, and the process can take longer compared to tarmac.
Potential for cracking: Resin-bound surfaces can be more susceptible to cracking due to ground movement or heavy loads, especially if not installed correctly.
UV sensitivity: Some resin-bound driveways can be sensitive to UV exposure, leading to colour fading and degradation over time.

Cost Comparison

The cost of installing a tarmac or resin-bound driveway depends on various factors such as size, location, and labor rates. On average, tarmac driveways tend to be more affordable, with prices ranging from £40 to £60 per square meter. In contrast, resin-bound driveways can cost between £50 and £100 per square meter.

It’s essential to consider not only the initial installation cost but also the long-term maintenance costs. While tarmac may be cheaper upfront, it could require more frequent maintenance, which can add up over time. Resin-bound driveways, on the other hand, may have higher initial costs but could save you money on maintenance in the long run.

Choosing between a tarmac and resin-bound driveway ultimately depends on your priorities, preferences, and budget. Tarmac driveways are an economical and durable option, but they may lack the aesthetic appeal and permeability of resin-bound surfaces. Resin driveways offer greater design flexibility, improved drainage, and low maintenance requirements but come with a higher price tag.

Before making a decision, consider factors such as the surrounding landscape, climate, and the amount of traffic your driveway will handle. It’s also essential to hire experienced professionals for the installation process to ensure the longevity and performance of your driveway, regardless of the material you choose.

By carefully weighing the pros and cons of tarmac and resin-bound driveways and evaluating your specific needs, you can select the best material to enhance your property’s curb appeal, functionality, and value. Remember that a well-constructed driveway is not only a practical addition to your home but also an investment that can enhance your property’s overall appeal and marketability.

April 18, 2023/0 Comments/by lee@yuuzuu.co.uk

block paving, Fences, News, Patios, Tarmac

The Top Considerations For a Brickwork Provider

As part of many landscaping, driveways and patio projects, brickwork is an important add on.

Choosing the right kind of brickwork provider is important for a new build or renovation. However, many people make the mistake of choosing an inexperienced or cheaper bricklayer. Understandably, this can bring more than it’s fair share of issues.

Brickwork is one part of the home where compromising on quality isn’t acceptable. Structures which are made with shoddy brickwork may be weaker, unstable or not aesthetically attractive. Doing repair jobs or renovations for period buildings especially need proper repairs.

Bad brickwork will do a lot of harm, and often isn’t worth cutting costs. However, what are the considerations for bricklayers? How do you choose a professional or company that is right for your needs? Well, not to worry, because we’ll be looking at some of the things to judge providers by.

How Do They Operate?

The first and arguably most important consideration for a bricklayer is how they choose to operate. How do they approach jobs?

Ultimately, this does impact how long a job will take to complete, how well it is done, and the overall costs. In an ideal setting, your brickwork team will be a three-person unit. This is the most efficient option in the industry!

The unit is made up of two trained, capable bricklayers and a general labourer. The labourer will have the job of keeping the bricklayers with a steady supply of bricks, mortar and blocks. If they do their job correctly, then the bricklayers can focus on the important stuff – laying and finishing the brickwork properly.

How Long Does the Project Take?

Each project that you need to undertake has a specific timeframe to complete. It will vary from one task to the next, but it does play an important role in choosing a bricklayer and company for your needs.

If the weather conditions are favourable, then an efficient brickwork team can lay an average of 1200 bricks every day. However, it’s important to understand that there are many things which will influence the speed at which a bricklaying team can work.

Things like the type of wall that you want to create, the type of pointing involved, the brick bond, as well as openings and lintels can all cause delays to the project. These are not problems so much as challenges which require a proper solution to solve. After all, you want a bricklaying team to work out effective, safe solutions.

What Specs Do You Have?

Understanding what specifications you have is a good way to make sure that you inform the bricklaying team of your needs.

You need to have detailed specifications where you can, because this makes sure that they know exactly what you need regarding work. Furthermore, it helps to remove any delays in the project because they know exactly what needs to be done.

Checking Their Credentials

You need to make sure that you check the credentials of any bricklaying team that you need to work with. It would be a disaster if you hired a company, they arrived to complete the work, and immediately began acting in an unprofessional manner.

Thankfully, this is the Internet and modern methods of credential checking exist. Look for testimonials from other past customers, use websites like TrustPilot and Check-A-Trade, and you will be able to make smart decisions regarding the companies that you choose to work with.

Customer Service

Customer service is a vital part of any successful trade company, so it’s worth ringing and asking a bricklaying team about the kind of services they provide. The answers that you receive are important, but what is more important is the quality of the service that you get.

The right professionals will be polite, courteous, knowledgeable, and more than happy to explain things to you. you will definitely get a sense that they are happy to help, which makes a lot of difference.

Flexibility

Look, you are probably a person with a busy life. There’s a lot of things that you need to do with your time, and it’s important that you can arrange for people to come and perform a job at a time that is convenient to you.

A good way to work out which companies are going to be worth collaborating with is how flexible they are prepared to be. Flexibility is a key characteristic that we look for in tradespeople, and it is no different for bricklayers. The right bunch of professionals would be more than happy to arrange to come when it is convenient for you, not the other way around.

Choosing the right brickwork company is obviously an important thing. This is a project that you clearly have an investment in, whether it is a renovation, an existing repair job, or a new build. For that reason, you have to be quite ruthless when choosing a company, and hold people to the highest standards.

The best thing for you in this situation is to shop around. You need to try and look at the different kinds of professionals that are available and work with them to find the best results. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and to come away from a company if they don’t meet your expectations.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being ruthless when searching for a provider. Brickwork is one area where you can not afford to compromise. Further compounding the problem is the fact that when it comes to tradespeople, for every qualified expert there are several amateurs of dubious quality. These are, naturally, people you should avoid.

We provide brickwork services. We would be happy to help, and we love listening to people to get a proper understanding of their needs. We know how important it is to make the right decisions, so we are happy to talk to you about things. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, and we will find out exactly what we can do. We’re here to help you.

August 25, 2022/0 Comments/by lee@yuuzuu.co.uk

Tarmac

Why Your Banbury and Oxfordshire Property Needs a Tarmac Driveway

Tarmac is a material that is used frequently because it has many benefits. We see it all the time in public spaces, but if you’re looking to get a brand-new driveway installed in your Banbury or Chipping Norton Oxfordshire property, then you could use tarmac just as effectively.

As a material, tarmac has many characteristics which make it a great choice. To make sure that you understand why this could be a great product for creating a driveway with, we are going to look at some of the top benefits here and now.

Made to be Tough

The first thing you should know about tarmac is that it is made to be tough. People use tarmac for a range of different situations, and it is frequently employed in public settings for good reason. Tarmac is very durable and can handle pretty much anything you try and expose it to.

Tarmac is highly weather-resistant, which means that it can deal with any kind of condition. Rain, snow, hail, and even thunderstorms are no match for tarmac. Furthermore, it’s also capable of handling bigger vehicles when they park because the smooth finish that the tarmac generates provides excellent skid resistance.

Tarmac is built to be long-lasting, which is why it is such a popular choice in public spaces. However, it can be just as effective in your home.

Value For Money

When choosing a brand-new driveway for yourself, it’s essential to make sure that you don’t spend masses of money to do so. This is why a lot of people choose to pick up a tarmac driveway, because it’s an alternative to a lot of other materials, and it’s also very cost-effective.

Tarmac is actually one of the cheapest solutions available and has a long lifespan attached to it. This makes it a great pick for anybody who is interested in the best results at a premium cost. Everybody likes a good deal!

Tarmac is Easy to Install

When you are searching for a brand-new material to use for your driveway, do you think about how easy something will be to install? Obviously, nobody wants extensive construction work taking place on their property for days at a time, which is why tarmac can be a good solution.

As a material, tarmac is easy to put down. You can install it with minimal fuss, and you do not even need to dig up the existing driveway to put down a brand-new tarmac one. One of the many benefits of tarmac is the fact that it can be used in pretty much any situation because you can just lay it down over the top of an existing surface. The material underneath the tarmac does not interfere with the strength or quality of the finished product.

Because tarmac is so easy to work with, the disruption to your everyday life is minimal. You can very easily get back to parking on your driveway as usual within a few days. A lot of homeowners like tarmac for that reason because it means they don’t have to worry about extensive construction work or waiting times.

Easy Maintenance

Tarmac is one of those materials that can last for a long time because it is built to be durable. As we said, there is a reason why it is used in so many public settings. It can take a few years for any wear and tear to start showing up, and even when it does, it’s not difficult to fix.

Not only does tarmac have a very easy design to keep clean, as all you need is a pressure washer, and you can fix the majority of problems, but it’s also very easy to repair. You can fix the tarmac yourself, or you can hire a professional to provide maintenance to your Banbury and Oxfordshire property. In the event that the damage is too great, you can just apply another layer of tarmac with no issue.

Great Design

The good thing about a tarmac driveway is that it has a very flexible and simple design. Tarmac is not a complicated material to work with. It is designed to be clean, neat, durable, and reliable.

As a material, tarmac is designed to be highly flexible. Because it does not require a straight line in order to function, you can use it in a range of different situations. It is possible to fill out any kind of space or design with tarmac, so you have plenty of choices when it comes to choosing the ideal driveway for your needs. Even if your driveway has lots of curves and naturally winds up the terrain, you can still use tarmac.

Final Thoughts

So, it’s not particularly difficult to see why tarmac is such a beloved choice for a Banbury or Oxfordshire property. When it comes to picking the best choices for you, it’s important to acknowledge that you have a lot of different options.

Lots of homeowners will choose to work with tarmac because it is very easy to use. As materials go, it’s tough and simple, which means that you can keep using tarmac over and over again.

Tarmac is one of those materials that people use all the time because it’s very flexible. It lasts for a long time, and it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, so it fits the fast-paced lifestyle that many people lead. Tarmac is appealing because it is built to last – nobody wants to spend half their free time messing around with maintenance.

Because tarmac is so easy to work with, it’s not difficult to see why people like it. Everybody likes the material that they don’t have to spend ages installing. Because tarmac can just be layered over any existing surface, it’s one of the most accessible materials to use. Naturally, you will need a professional to do that, but it’s well worth considering for your Banbury and Oxfordshire property because this will give you the best results.

May 6, 2022/0 Comments/by lee@yuuzuu.co.uk