Tarmacing? How much

[davy_G]

Mike, finally got the prices off my dad.

Base coat is around £45 a tonne plus VAT plus delivery plus laying
Finish coat is around £60 a tonne plus plus plus

Like everything there are different grades of base with 14 to 28ml stone and different grades of tar. Finish is 10ml to 6ml stone size
For parking a car on finish over good compacted hardcore is fine if its deep enough.

A good team can hand lay an 18 tonne lorry load in a few hours (wheelbarrows/rakes and vibrating roller & plates). Hard graft and hot work but goof finish IF the man on the rake is any good.

Needless to say, me and Dad have had our lane (200m) tarmac'ed with all the excess stuff he was ment to dump at the end of jobs he has taken tarmac to. Its a bit like a patchwork quilt but I bought a vibrating plate and its turned out well on the whole. All it cost us was some late evenings emptying his lorry:hurray:

 

[mikebidd]

Iv been keeping an eye out for the council workers see if they want to earn soe extra doe lol,
Iv bonused in one way as some builders put up sme houses across the road about 9 month ago and since then theres been a few ton of hardcore left in the car park looking all lonley............ lol. So i think me and the brother in law will be Borrowing it.

Iv eve contemplated hiring a whacker nd doing it myself as ill have a go at owt. But i know nothing about it and the misses wouldnt let me lol

 

[Mike]

wat does printed concrete look like mate? Its got too look nice (says the misses) ad be practical as i do abit with cars and sometimes need too have them off road.

be careful if you're working on cars over your new tarmac drive, any oil spills will ruin it. it will lift up

 

[mikebidd]

Right im not getting any where with these quotes. One wieghing in at 1800 quid!!! (no chance)

So bit off an A team moment, My brother in law used to labour for a tarmacer. So we are going to have a go at ourselfs.
After livfting the council slabs im left with a big dirt/sand garden. If you could just correct me if im wrong.

I have to dig it out until its level. Then with my borrowed hardcore we have to pour it over and flatten it out (borrowed whacker) when thats level ill have too get some tarmac from some where Shovel it about and level it off. Then lastly roller it out Im thinking you can hire a Roller from some where?

Is that about right?
Also how many ton do you think for 38sqm?

 

[davy_G]

Forget about the roller, use the vibrating plate to compact the tarmac after raking it level. A decent vibration roller will cost the earth...hence your quotes.
You need to put diesel onto the tools you use to stop the hot tar sticking to them. Your brother in law will know all this anyway.
Get the supplier of the tarmac...try local quarries, if they dont supply they will know who will and get their rep out to measure up and give advice as to how much you need.
We left a reasonable job of our laneway, but its a country lane that was just hardcored before so any tarmac is an improvement. I would not lay tarmac around my house...would you trust a tarmac team to tile your bathroom? Pay the pros i fear you may regret it if you dont.