Tarmac top coat - Only base coat done

[Alesa]

Hi. I recently got a tarmac driveway done and they only put down a coarse a base coat. (I no longer required their services to put it mildly as they made a mess of the kerbing which I've since recitified myself). I was wondering can I still put a top coat on - a week later?
Any help much appreciated,
Alesa

[Tony McC]

Yes: you'll need to spray the base course (now called a binder course) with a tack coat to ensure the overlying surface course (what used to be called the wearing course) sticks properly, but that is standard practice for any macadam surfacing where there is a delay between laying of the invidual courses.

[Alesa]

That's great thanks Tony. Trying to get someone else now for the top layer - it's such a small job nobody wants to take it on!!

[Dave_L]

How small a job is it?

A small job would need to be 'tacked' onto the end of/during a day when other similar jobs are to be done. Small surfacinf jobs are a pain in the arse - it takes so much time to travel to, unload, do the job and tidy up - it is more of a PR exercise sometimes!

[Tony McC]

I never seemed to be able to get the message through to customers that small one-car-length driveways in tarmac can work out to be more expensive than block paving. They seemed to think blacktop was a cheap option, but by the time you;ve dragged a gang of lads around with a tipper, a roller, a firedrum, and then spent longer clearing up than it took to lay the mac, small areas can become very, very expensive.

Once contractor I know is currently charging 112 quid per square metre for any driveway surfacing work of less than 15m².

[lutonlagerlout]

"gissa job ,i can do dat"
£112 a m bring it on
lads i know charge about £50-70 a M
LLL

[Dave_L]

"gissa job ,i can do dat"
£112 a m bring it on
lads i know charge about £50-70 a M
LLL

Base and surface courses??

[lutonlagerlout]

2 coats ,but obviously a lot of variables,normally they come on to prepared jobs ,so they just do the black stuff
top coat only they do for about £30 a M
cheers LLL

[Dave_L]

normally they come on to prepared jobs ,so they just do the black stuff

How nice to *just* arrive at ready-prepp'd jobs!

Aslong as the prep-work is up to standard, that is!

When we go to machine lay for other contractors, some of the prep-work leaves a little to be desired at times......

[lutonlagerlout]

well its not rocket science dave leaving the type 1 80mm below the finished level ,is it?
even doing this there are still lapses at times as i am sure you know
LLL

[Dave_L]

New constructions are easy to set up - but a big driveway to get ready for an overlay can be taxing - installing and setting up new covers etc and planing off the right amounts in the right areas are the key to a good job. Just finished a 450m2 driveway overlay and 4 x new 450*600 Trojan covers, inc one over a septic tank - nasty smells aplenty!

Got more than a little wet doing the job, but I was on the ped roller, so kept fairly warm!