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Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:13 am
by Peter Mitchell
Hello, I am newly registered to post on this website, and I have a question regarding a property that I am considering buying. The tarmac drive is wide and leads into a tarmac courtyard behind the house. Because the garden is rather smaller than I would like, I am considering having some or all of the tarmac removed. I suspect that at least some of the courtyard may have been cobbled and may still be underneath the tarmac, but I do not know this for certain. So my questions are these:
Who removes tarmac? What should I be aware of when I am looking for someone to employ to do this?
What are the things I should consider before I take this step (I don't know what is underneath the tarmac)?
How much does tarmac removal tend to cost? Can an estimate be given, say, per metre squared?
With thanks to anyone who is able to help.
Peter.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:35 pm
by Carberry
How big an area is it? What are you planning on doing once the tarmac is gone?
Groundworkers, road surfacing contractors, landscapers & builders will all remove tarmac.
Look for some things that you look for in any tradesmen, reputable business, public liability insurance, fixed address etc
I pulled up a 50m2 tarmac driveway by hand once, I broke 2 sledgehammers, a pick axe and a pinch bar all with lifetime guarantees. Turns out it was a show house and the tarmac was 6-8" deep. Learnt my lesson that day, if it was a show house get a machine in to do it.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:44 pm
by Peter Mitchell
Thanks, Carberry, for your reply. I winced when I read of your experience of removing tarmac by hand. For an estimate, I shall approach such as those you have listed who will be better equipped than I to do the job.
Thanks again,
Peter.
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 8:07 pm
by Dave_L
No mobile numbers and make sure the waste is going somewhere it should be and not down a country lane...........
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 8:35 pm
by lutonlagerlout
try a test patch with a kango to see if there are cobbles underneath
otherwise a 3 tonne machine and a 3 tonne dumper will make short work of it
if you said to remove the tarmac and the subbase which should be 225-300mm overall deep ,then every 3 metres2 you produce 1 M3 of spoil
grab lorries hold about 12M3 and cost roughly £200-250 +VAT depending on lots of things,a 3 t machine and driver and a dumper with driver would dig and fill roughly 4 such lorries on a good day
we just had this combination and it cost us £400 per day +VAT
hope this helps
LLL
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 8:46 pm
by GB_Groundworks
groundworkers what you want, either with a machine or digging by hand, cut a test hole dig it out and see, asphalt laid over cobbles often tends to show, as in you can se the cobble shape under the asphalt like on my rd, but only if heavily trafficed.
id expect a courtyard house with possible cobbles wasn't built in the last 100 years so wouldnt worry about the showhome stuff, id be guessing that its by 30mm overlaid ont he cobbles if it has been done they wouldnt have but base and wearing course on setts.
£400 a day im moving to lardon £300 here for 3ton and dumper 
hehe
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:54 pm
by lutonlagerlout
GB_Groundworks wrote:£400 a day im moving to lardon £300 here for 3ton and dumper hehe
have you seen the price of truffles lately giles?
or pate du canard?
thats 2 blokes the machine and the dumper
soon adds up
LLL :;):
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:28 pm
by GB_Groundworks
Aww ok more in keeping with us, duck pate haha prefer Peking duck and pancakes my self.
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:39 pm
by rab1
you could do what I did when removing a 50m2 tarmac drive but it was hard work, hire a Sthil saw and cut the drive into sections and lift it that way. :p
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:19 pm
by lutonlagerlout
Widdershins round the kirk springs to mind rab
LLL 
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:40 pm
by Dave_L
Plane it off, scoop it up onto wagons, tip off back at yard, hey presto saleable/useable material!
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:07 pm
by GB_Groundworks
If it was cobbles be hard to plane that close though as setts wouldn't be that uniform, and then be even harder to pull up.
I'm actually interested in testing the performance of cold planings as subbase, not for any reason other than everyone says no but it's only stone and set bitumen. Intrigues the scientist in me to test it out somehow.
I'm not recommending them but I'd bet it was comparable with most crusher run, if they can recycle roads with the wirtigen foam bitumen machines can't be that bad?
Opinions?