Concrete Suggesitons or Tarmac Terror?

[QP4Me]

Hi,

And now for something totally different.

I am in the middle of renovations around my humble estate. One of the jobs is to lay tarmac driveways down. The concrete apron around the house is in poor condition and needs to be replaced at the same time. My tarmac guy has suggested laying tarmac right up to the house and forgetting about laying a new concrete apron. While his suggestion would save a lot of work and money, there is obviously a reason the majority of houses have a concrete apron.

Anyone here in the construction/building/engineering business have any thoughts on this?

Pat.

 

[2b1ask1]

As an experienced but ex Clerk of the Works for a large landscaping section of a development quango... and part time contract manager/installer I offer the following:

Concrete is a long lasting rigid solution and remains weed free offering a good slip resistance. Putting a stain and or pattern into the surface can make it a little more appealing but it does make it softer and prone to crumbling, it also can make weed establishment easier. Concrete is generally non-porous so it does get surface water away from the building and significantly reduces washout if there is significant water in a location (could lead to settlement in extreme conditions).

Tarmac is more of a 'live' material, it needs regular traffic or it will deteriorate in just a few years, look at a car park or footpath then look for an area that is unused, it will often be all crumbly! Weeds, moss and algae can be an issue as well. Tarmac is available in an open and closed texture, an open texture is the type you would use on say a tennis court, a closed type on a car park. The open texture allows direct drainage, the closed has to be laid to falls allowing surface run off.

Consider also block paving and other materials such as Blonc-de-Bierge a French marble based concrete block that remains bright white and looks superb.

Whatever you go for make sure it is well below the damp course of the house and consider a French drain or gravel filled strip directly against the house (just 100mm wide is enough) to help keep moisture out. Also be aware that the law changed a while back requiring a hard surface to have a porous surface or suitable drainage on site.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mr.Cambio]

I have no idea if there are any building emisions to you.

I would suggest concrete, as Miles mentione, cause it will last the most years.

Therefore, sometime concrete will start to lose its aggressive surface and become slippery. The solution could be then if you apply a small amount of oil spread. (I have no idea if "oil spread" is the right word, but to be sure....it's the fluid that is placed just before the asphalt.).

Hope this helps.

 

[dunnah01]

Whatever you go for make sure it is well below the damp course of the house and consider a French drain or gravel filled strip directly against the house (just 100mm wide is enough) to help keep moisture out. Also be aware that the law changed a while back requiring a hard surface to have a porous surface or suitable drainage on site.

+1

Don't lay tarmac right up to the wall for this reason - it's a bl**dy pain for the tarmacers to form a rolling edge away from the wall but don't let them convince you it's not necessary to do so.

 

[2b1ask1]

Yes a good point...

 

[QP4Me]

Hi,

Thanks for the information, this site never fails to deliver!

Pat.

 

[Parisien]

Its in the small print Pat....................................."WE ALWAYS DELIVER!"....




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