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Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 6:48 am
by lutonlagerlout
sorry to hear that linda
to be frank if weeds come through a tarmac drive it is no good whatsoever,kaput
there are some decent tarmac lads on here, but sadly tarmaccing seems to attract the cowboys like nothing else
if a tarmac (bitmac is the correct term) drive is correctly built,it will look smart and nothing will come through it for its lifetime
demanding cash is a massive warning bell
LLL
Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:40 am
by seanandruby
i use distilled vinegar on weeds.
Posted: Sat Jul 10, 2010 10:23 pm
by rab1
up here you never really get the "travelling communities" but they do appear from time to time. when they do turn up they normally steal and con for a while (until the police move them on) and head back down south.
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 7:04 am
by Dave_L
This highlights the importance of proper weed control a week/10 days BEFORE any bitmac is laid.
Hence our love for Sodium Chlorate - which we can no longer get 
A good dose of roundup 10 day before anything is laid and removal of all dead (and any live) vegetation before any laying is considered good practice.
Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 8:44 pm
by Big Phil
as LLL says, the whole construction is knacked due to poor prep if weeds are coming through. it may need a full depth re-con i'm afraid.
bitumen is thermoplastic and will liven up on hot sunny days. treat it with a bit of care (ease up on the 15 point turns) in the first year and it should settle down.
Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:23 pm
by AMBLESIDE18
Thanks for replies. Now I am going to get hold of the main guy this week for answers but can someone tell me please
a) Is it normal practice what this guy that came out did to our drive where the weeds were as per my previous post ? ie....Using the blow torch thing attached to the drum of gas and then whacking the spot down with a square hammer thing after he sprayed the area with some sort of weedkiller ? I can see now where this was done as the "repair " area looks a different shade to the rest of the tarmac
b) When driving on the tarmac now and being ever so careful but I can see the tracks of the tyres left and they seems a browish colour next to the rest of the tarmac ?
Why would it be that colour as even the tracks of the kids bikes seem brown too ?
Thanks so much - I really appreciate all the replies as you guys I know give your time generously even though your all busy during the day. I wish I had drafted one of you over as I would have less grey hairs over all this ..............grrrrrrr
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 7:13 pm
by Dave_L
AMBLESIDE18 wrote:a) Is it normal practice what this guy that came out did to our drive where the weeds were as per my previous post ? ie....Using the blow torch thing attached to the drum of gas and then whacking the spot down with a square hammer thing after he sprayed the area with some sort of weedkiller ? I can see now where this was done as the "repair " area looks a different shade to the rest of the tarmac
b) When driving on the tarmac now and being ever so careful but I can see the tracks of the tyres left and they seems a browish colour next to the rest of the tarmac ?
Why would it be that colour as even the tracks of the kids bikes seem brown too ?
Weeds popping up through new bitmac is a problem - even more so these days as you can't get Soduim Chlorate weedkiller.......but I digress.....
I have had to deal with small weeds breaking through the surface of an overlaid driveway - indeed treating them with a suitable weedkiller and tapping the surface back down is the only option. I would try and avoid using a gas torch as this will just create a scar on the surfacing.
I can't really comment but it sounds like the bitmac is still 'sticky' - without seeing the exact spec on the conveyance note from the quarry, I can't really comment.
How long has the surfacing been down?
A light application of bit-grit (very fine fired grit from the tar plant) could be a solution - scatter it on and brush it off, just leaving a dusting.