"Jake" wrote ...

wrote:

I have just been quoted £2,700 for asphalting 42 square metres of
driveway. It did include granite set kerbs at each end and some slightly
fiddly work round a doorstep. This is to renew a previously asphalted
section so the hard base is there.

The contractor reckoned it would take two days but I don't know how large
a crew that would involve. I would have thought two people could easily do
the work in that time.

This seems expensive to me. Does anyone else have any experience of
pricing that sort of work?

Thanks

Jonathan

Answering from a commercial perspective (rather than residential - I
deal in much larger areas),the price actually worries me a bit.

Whilst it won't help with pricing, a bit of time spent at
http://www.pavingexpert.com/tarmac01.htm#wc may help you to work out
for yourself what should be involved and, if nothing else, give you
some questions to ask - much can depend on the type of coating used.
Sometimes being able to ask a few more detailed questions - such as
about the composition of the surface - will indicate to a contractor
that you know what you're talking about and that they can't
necessarily get away with something.

In any event, I would get at least 3 quotations and ask for local
references where you can visit examples of their work. And warranties
(preferably insurance backed for that sort of outlay)!

Simply laying a new surface on top of an existing one can be
ineffective in the long term (if the timing of the work would
potentially co-incide with the appearance of frosts, beware!). If I
were doing the job properly, I would lift the existing tarmac, repack
the substrate and relay a new surface from there. For the area
involved, and assuming a driveway opening onto a road within a
residential area where "blockages" need to be minimised, 2 days would
not be enough.

Frankly, I think the contractor's quotation is too cheap. Caveat
emptor.


I love the bit where it says " Tack coat 'breaks' (dries/sets/cures) in
10-15 minutes and is incredibly sticky when it does, so precautions may need
to be taken to prevent operatives or vehicles crossing treated areas and
picking up the bitumen emulsion as they pass. "

My neighbour and I hot laid red tarmac on top of a concrete drive and used a
tack coat applied by broom. Lovely job except my mad cat decided to run up
the drive over the now very sticky Tack Coat. Naturally he gradually slowed
to a stop and got glued to the surface at half way, he did look pathetic,
and I then had to walk onto the drive to retrieve the stuck cat nearly
getting stuck myself and then wash his paws off with white spirit before
continuing with our job. I thought my neighbour was going to split his sides
laughing.

--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK