Driveway tarmac - bootprints - Bootprints on my driveway

[daveaasmith]

i have a question re 'tolerances' on driveway tarmac.

i live on a new build house, where i am having problems with my driveway - the builder is bellway (any other experiences of these guys?). The tarmac on the drive has already been re-layed, but looks like it needs re-laying again.

It all relates to the top layer of the drive, when initially layed, the flat driveway was lower in the middle, so they slapped some more tarmac in the middle and rolled it it - it looked like a big splat in the middle. Even after a month it was still pooling water all down the middle, so I kicked up and they agreed poor quality and took the drive up and re-layed it.

We didn't walk on it at all, for 3 days (in fact we were on holiday, so couldn't!). When I came to check it it looked ok, but then when it rained, i noticed that the rain had collected, in little (well - sizes 10's) footprints!!! Couldn't believe it, it was covered in them - about 20 in total, on a 6m long driveway, sunk about 3-4mm into the surface. Still, after another month, it's pooling in the middle.

The driveway is completly flat (well, apart from the boot prints), so I wouldn't expect it to soak away anywhere, but should it still pool after a month? My previous driveway was also flat, but the rain never just sat there - I guess it just got absorbed into the drive?

The Bellway guy sorted the tarmac'ers to come back, heat and re-roll on friday, but they appear to have patched four footprints, like 10 inch circles, and that's it - I still have all the other boot marks (20 or so). The Bellway guy also started talking about tolerances, and the driveway being within tolerance? What does he mean? That a certain amount of bootprints are acceptable?!!??

I'm speaking to him later today to say I am still not happy, but any thoughts from you guys will be welcomed!

SORRY THIS POST IS SO LONG...

...and a Happy New Year to you all !!!

Cheers ... Dave

[TarmacLady]

First off, the bootprints are an abomination and inexcusable by any contractor worthy of a license. (sorry to waffle there!)

I don't know how old the 'old' drive was, but if it was more than a year or to old, then yes, it would puddle less than a new drive -- the older the drive gets, the more the asphalt/bitumen begins to evaporate due to UV light, rain, etc., etc., etc., and the driveway begins to be more porous, and thus less likely to puddle.

A new drive is, conversely, well-coated with all of the oils and things, and is thus a more water-resistant surface.

[daveaasmith]

yeah, i was astounded to see the bootprints, and there are even 'edges' to where the roller has, well, 'rolled'

the 'old' drive was layed in september 2006 and was down for two months before it was re-layed

the current drive has been down since november 2006

[TarmacLady]

Hmm...then it wasn't old enough to have aged THAT much!

Sounds like the mix of bitumen/stone was too heavy in the bitumen direction -- that would also allow for a less-porous surface, as well.

[Stuarty]

Ive done landscaping on a couple of bellway's sites, and the general manner seems to be "ach bugger it". What is th guy from bellways title? If he is the site agent go to the contracts manager, if he doesnt sort out write a formal letter of complaint, or when the directors are on site - their allways the ones with the shiny black shoes with sparkling white hard hats and gleaming hi-vis - pin them then. It usually works

[daveaasmith]

the guy who's coming around on wed am is the chief tech guy or something, so we'll see what he says - or maybe i should just accept the bootprints as a bonus, and let my daughter follow them - she could learn to dance (a very weird dance !!!).

[Dave_L]

Sounds very careless to me!

[lutonlagerlout]

sounds like BS to me mate
the fact that it has been done wrong twice is not your fault
the tech guy will try and baffle you with science and talk of tolerances but dont be put off
the tarmacers we use when they do a drive it looks like a black sheet of glass,no dips no lines
if they get sticky tell them you will go to the media and a solicitor and not necessarily in that order
cheers LLL

[daveaasmith]

LLL, you were right, he tried to confuse me with bitumen and asphalt talk, and still insisted it was 'acceptable'. How 20 odd bootprints is acceptable is beyond me. Funnily, I also asked the contractors who are currently tarmaccing the Barratts homes on the other side of the estate (mine is Bellway - it's a shared development), and they looked at the drive and were surprised it got through sign-off. Either way I said I still wasn't happy so he's going to send out the construction director. If I still don't get anywhere, I'll raise it with NHBC. All I want is for my drive to look like the other 40 on the estate!

[lutonlagerlout]

quite right too dave, go to watchdog or rogue traders if they dont want to play ball
i expect all big homebuilders get snagging like this but they need toi get it right,its not much just to want it to the same standard as all the other drives
cheers LLL

[Stuarty]

On a site where we have an ongoing contract, the site agent has a snagging list 8 pages long for one flat! It leaks, theres no power in 2 rooms, windows dont open and doors wont shut heh. They are known for their rather laid back approach.

Their buildings look pretty pants anyway heh.

Btw - its not bellway who are building these flats, just as a disclaimer :p

[Dave_L]

I think we've been back to relay one small area on a site where it was slightly too low adjacent to a concrete drainage channel, in over 5 years.

Stick to your guns and keep us posted!

Contruction Director is coming out to see you? I'll believe that when I see it! Sounds like more BS to me. They don't come out on site, let alone get dirty/wet shoes!

[Dave_L]

Curious - how did you get on Dave? Did the big man turn up as promised?

[daveaasmith]

yeah, it's been a while - it was only yesterday that i had confirmation of the decision to plane and re-surface the driveway! i still don't know which of the customer care manager, and the construction director actually made the decision, but i still can't understand why there was any reason to doubt the fact that the tarmac'ers should never have signed off a bootprinted driveway. i will take a couple of photos of the bootprints, so you can all see what i'm talking about - but a quick techie question, can i easily insert photo's into this discussion topic? regards, dave.

[Stuarty]

very easily, upload them to a site like imageshack.com and then once you click the "Post a reply" button you have tools to help you insert it into the post