Tarmac in a bag - Its not very good at all

[mickg]

I had an issue a couple of months ago when I purchased 8 bags of Tarmac from a builders merchants to make good the pavement adjacent to the driveway I had just installed, the reason I had to patch the pavement is because the existing tarmac was cracked and just crumbled away

anyway what I am coming to is it never cured and after 3 weeks was still as soft as the day i put it in so I complained as you do to the builders merchants and got a phone call from a guy from Tarmac who explained that what I had bought was not suitable for the area I had patched up and was only for going round lamp posts or bollards where no one would walk on it or any vehicle could drive over it - well it did not mention that on the bag

so I ended up having to skip the first lot and buy 7 tubs of pathmaster - cold lay macadam for pavements
I proceeded to lay it the same as the first lot, I compacted it with a vibrating plate and in just over an hour it was starting to go hard, its coated with an emulsifier what activates the tarmac when its crushed

its a littler bit more expensive than the stuff in a bag but it certainly works

Driveway Before


Driveway after


has anyone else had problems with the tarmac in a bag whats available from most builders merchants ?

[msh paving]

I've always found it hard to spread out,unless its a very warm day in sun for a few hours,Its ok for a quick patch but not to keen to use it on a semi permanet job, but i guess it will run in with the car tyres and firm up MSH

[msh paving]

Top job there mick looks great

[GB_Groundworks]

worked with some civils lads from a big company driving a 20 toner they split the bags on a metal blast sheet then set it on fire with a flamable liquid then laid it hot, seem to work well, was to ramp the edge of the blast sheetover an excavation was like 30mm thick steel plate.

[mickg]

Yeah your right its hard to spread when the weather is cold, this stuff did not go any harder even after 3 weeks, there is nothing on the bag to say it should not be used in certain situations

the pathmaster comes in plastic buckets with a sealed lid and no writing on them what so ever, I had to get the builders merchants to contact Tarmac to get a spec sheet as its the first time the merchants had stocked it due to my problem

[lutonlagerlout]

quality stuff as usual mick,the double wiggle seems to be your signature
that link i sent you from the interlay drive of the year he always loves to put intricate diamond designs in the middle of drives

everyone has their own MO as it were

do you ever keep plants that are dug out?

i used to and replanted them at home or my mums but it turned into a right hotch potch

LLL

[mickg]

thank you Luton

some of the bushes and shrubs that i removed form the house would of been perfect to replant but my garden is full as it is

you cant see it but on the bottom photo there is a beautiful acer behind the first bush at the bottom of the driveway and a perfect shape too

this is the driveway to the front of the house that Cookie gave me a lift on the rear patio


Patio before



Patio after



I must say too, just across the road is the best restaurant in Lancashire and a nice pint too, san miguel on draft....hmmmmmm it was like nectar

[seanandruby]

bloody hell, you mean to tell me you done that drive with bags of stuff? :O :laugh:

[mickg]

seeing as you can't purchase half a ton from a tarmac plant it leaves you with no other choice Sean ???

[rab1]

mick, you do a nice job mate.

[DNgroundworks]

Top work as always Mick, could learn a thing or two from you i think, real top top quality imo that.

Out of interest what pub was it?

oh ye and "mack in a sack" is crap