Tarmac driveway maintenance: weeds, oil, cracks and sealing
Keep it swept, keep water moving, deal with weeds at the edges early, blot oil straight away and seal fine cracks before winter. Those five habits add years to a tarmac drive.
Weeds
Weeds start at the edges and in cracks. Pull or treat them early; roots widen cracks and let water in.
Oil and fuel
Petroleum products soften bitumen. Blot spills with absorbent granules straight away and clean with a degreaser suitable for tarmac.
Cracks
Seal fine cracks with a hot or cold crack sealant before winter so frost cannot open them. Crazed patches usually mean base failure and need cutting out.
Sealing
A sealer can refresh colour on a weathered dense tarmac drive, but it is optional and should suit the product. Never seal porous asphalt with a standard sealer.
Jet-washing
A gentle wash is fine on an aged drive; a powerful jet held close can strip fines from the surface, especially in the first months.
Questions
How often should a tarmac drive be sealed?
There is no fixed schedule. Many drives never need it; if you do seal, follow the product guidance.
Can you make an old drive black again?
A surface sealer darkens it for a while; a new surface course overlay gives a lasting finish.
Related services
Tarmac driveway repairs
Potholes, sunken patches, cracks and crumbling edges cut out square and re-laid hot.
FROM £150–£400 EACH INC VATLearn more →
Tarmac driveway resurfacing
A new tack-coated surface course over a drive whose base is still sound: less digging, lower cost.
FROM £25–£45 PER M² INC VATLearn more →
New tarmac driveways
Full dig-out, compacted stone sub-base, binder course and a fine surface course, edged and drained.
FROM £60–£95 PER M² INC VATLearn more →Get a written tarmac quote
Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.
- Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
- Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
- Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
- Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED