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If you’re considering getting a new tarmac driveway or outside area, it’s important to know how long it takes to dry. Try to use it too early and you might damage it and ruin its appearance.

It won’t be long before you can walk on your new surface, as long as you’re careful. However, it’s a good idea to avoid putting heavy objects or driving on it for 2-3 days. For a more accurate timescale, ask your tarmac paving and driveway pro.

• Where in the country you live
• What colour you choose
• What pattern you choose
• Whether you choose a standard or a higher-quality concrete

How To Lay Block Paving

Do you wish to know how to install block paving? We’ve got you covered! Here, you’ll find a useful step by step guide that’ll provide you with all the necessary information to lay a wide range of block paving products available in the market today. You must, however, note that the installation of block paving can be a tricky affair and should not be attempted unless you have undergone a proper training or have a good experience in the field. If otherwise, we’d advise you to leave the task for a reliable block laying professional to guarantee the best results and also avoid making costly mistakes.

lDesign

• Draw up a design to perfectly suits your needs.

• Decide on the type of block as well as colour.

lExcavation

• Use a mini excavator or a JCB ( depending on the size of the job) to excavate the driveway.

• Identify and mark out the area to be excavated.

• Dug out the area until you reach a suitable level

• Ensure that the proposed finish level is 150mm underneath the damp proof course in any of the adjoining building’s brick.

lEdge Restraints

• Build a 100mm depth-thick concrete foundation with the help of a concrete mixer, 1 part cement and 6 parts ballast.

• Position the kerb unit on top of the level with a string line and spirit level.

• Use a trowel and rubber mallet to mortar the kerb unit to the foundation.

• Haunch the back of the kerb units in such a way that the concrete reach half way up the kerb’s rear.

lSubbase

• Put the crushed concrete in the edge restraints and ensure it’s at the desired level of 50mm.

• Use a vibrating plate to compact and level

lScreeding

• Apply a layer of sharp sand (to 50mm depth) and campact it using a vibrating plate.

• Apply second layer of sharp sand (to 20mm depth) on top of the first layer.

• Level the second layer to the correct falls.

lInstallation Of Paving

• Lay the block paving starting from the bottom of a slope.

• Ensure the blocks are placed at about 10mm to 15mm above the required finish level.

• Make sure the blocks used are between 3-5 packs as you proceed with your desired pattern. You may need to cut smaller block pieces to fill smaller gaps.

lFinishing Touches

• Clear out the area to ensure no debris is left on the blocks.

• Put kiln dried sand and brush across the whole of the area, ensuring the sands falls between the blocks’ joints.

• Compact the drive with the vibrating plate.

• Brush more kiln dried sand over the area and compact again

• Repeat the process until the joints are full of sand.

There are several effective ways to clean paving slabs. It’s important to pick a method that suits you and your paving material.

Whatever method you use, start by removing all weeds and loose debris from your paving. Then, if you have a pressure washer, you can simply use this to clean away any dirt.

If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can try using soapy water or watered-down bleach. If you use soapy water, mix a mild detergent like washing up liquid with warm water. Then pour it onto your paving, work it in with a brush and rinse it off with clean water.

If you use bleach, first make sure that the water won’t drain off onto any plant life, as this can kill it. You should also avoid using bleach on concrete slabs, as it will cause them to fade. Mix one-part bleach with five-parts water, pour it onto your paving and work it in with a brush. Then leave it for 15 minutes and rinse it off with clean water.

When your driveway is suffering from depression, it becomes unsafe for driving (a danger zone) and ugly - no homeowner wants that! Unfortunately, most driveways won’t hold flat for long as they tend to develop cracks and potholes pretty quickly. Here, we are going to take you through how to fill asphalt driveways’ depression so as to ensure the sinkholes in your driveway poses no threat to you or your loved ones, while also beautifying your property. The approach to be used depends on the intensity of the depression. If its only a few cracks and holes, this can easily be repaired with some equipment. But if otherwise is the case, then calling a reliable professional will be your best bet. In this article, we’ll show you how to repair dips in your asphalt driveway relatively quickly.

✓ Pick a date with warm and sunny weather. This is because if you work in a cold weather, chances are the materials will freeze and hence, unusable. So find a day when the temperature will over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and below 80 degrees Celsius and when there would be no rain. We’ll advise a day between May to October.

✓ Prepare the area. Remove all loose stones, soil, dirt as well as vegetation from the holes. Once done, you can then proceed to washing the area with a pressure washer or sweep with a broom.

✓ Apply a thin mixture of asphalt to the area. Use a flat stirring stick to coat the low driveway area with a thin mixture of asphalt.

✓ Tamp the asphalt repair mix. Purchase the right kind of asphalt to repair the driveway. Fine aggregate asphalt mixture is more suited to filling small holes, whereas the coarse aggregate is more suited to filling larger holes. Apply layers ( about 2 inches each time) of the asphalt repair mix to the sunken area and use a shovel to give it a smooth finish. Once done, simply make the area smooth and protect it with a piece of plywood. Do not walk or drive on the area for a couple of days.

You should pull up and remove weeds by hand as and when they appear. If it is a regular problem, you might need to reseal the paving. In extreme cases, the sub layer itself may need to be re-laid. You can use weed killer, however some paving can be discoloured by stronger weed killers.

Tarmac is a material made up of broken stone and tar, used for surfacing roads, driveways and other outdoor areas. It’s actually a registered product trademark, but many people use ‘tarmac’ interchangeably with ‘asphalt’. Asphalt is similar to tarmac, but is now more commonly used, and is made from bitumen instead of tar.

Removing oil from block paving can be tricky, and a professional clean and re-point is often the best option. However, for small stains, especially recent ones, it’s worth attempting to clean it yourself. To do this, you can purchase oil remover or driveway cleaning solutions – although be careful, as some may stain or mark certain kinds of paving stones. In general, stay away from acid based cleaners.