Tar&Chip Paving

What is Tar and Chip paving?

A tar and chip paving surface is made by covering hot bitumen, sometimes called asphalt, with stone aggregate.

This is a versatile surface that looks very well when used in driveways paving. It has been a mainstay for driveways throughout Ireland for a long time. Tar and Chip has some different names such as tar and stone, chip and seal, seal chip, or tar bond. Despite the different names, it is the same type of paving.

A tar&chip driveway is popular because it is hard wearing, requires low maintenance, and it is less expensive than a lot of other driveways paving methods.

How is a Tar&Chip Made?

When Westline Driveways make tar&chip paving, we make sure that the driveway has strong foundations. First we excavate the area that will be paved. Then we pack a mixed-aggregate sub-base into our excavated site. After that, we cover it with hot bitumen, which acts as a seal over the sub-base. The next step is to spread the stone aggregate over the sticky, molten asphalt. To finish it off, we use our heavy roller to press the pieces of stone firmly into their bitumen bed.

It is very common to lay a new tar and chip driveway on top of an existing driveway or laneway. In this instance, we clear the site of any debris and then fill in any potholes that are present.

How does Tar & Chip remove water?

In Ireland, we often receive rain showers and wet days. Tar-and-chip driveways are impermeable (water can’t pass through it) which means that provisions will be made for a suitable flow of water to allow for drainage. With our experience at Westline Driveways, we are well placed to create this drainage safely away from the driveway.

How much does Tar and Chip paving cost?

A tar and chip driveway relatively cheap to install. It is one of the cheapest methods for driveways paving in Ireland. As well as this, it costs very nothing to maintain thanks to it durability and reliability. Tar and chip has a lifespan of approximately ten years, making it great choice for driveways paving. Westline Driveways install Tar and Chip driveways in Galway, Mayo and surrounding counties.

Can Tar & Chip driveways have custom style?

Generally, Tar & Chip driveways cannot be customised in style and colour like some other paving methods (such as resin bond). However it is possible to have a variation in Tar & Chip paving. You can choose from angular pieces of crushed granite with flat, reflective surfaces; and pea shingle – small, naturally smooth stones in shades of light-brown.