Q.WHAT IS BITUMEN?
Bitumen is a construction material commonly used throughout the world today for many projects including roads, driveways, paths & pavements etc with great success.
 
Bitumen is the higher molecular weight residue from the fractionation of crude oil. Once fuels, fuel oils, lubricating oils and waxes are extracted from the crude oil, what is left is a thick sticky black liquid hydrocarbon with a consistency similar to treacle.   That is bitumen.


Q.WHY CHOOSE THIS METHOD?
It's cost effective.  It has been around for years with excellent success and costs only a fraction of some of the other options available such as concrete.

Low in Maintenance.  It is virtually maintenance free, there is no need to apply an annual sealcoat.  Surfaces can be patch worked or expanded with no obvious lines or marks.

Convenient.  Surface is sealed quickly with no down time to your site so it does not cost you money, your customers can drive on your surface immediately, no need to wait 48 hours for it to harden. 

Functional.  Improves the traction on your road or drive, which is a benefit for those with a sloping site.  Can be very handy in wet weather.

Natural look.  It gives you a rustic look with character.  You can choose from a range of colours for your aggregate if you prefer a particular look.


Q.IS IT SIMILAR TO ASPHALT?
This sealing process is often referred to as "chip sealing" which is the combination of hot bitumen as a binder with aggregate as the main structural component.  This process is extremely similar to asphalt, differing only because chip sealing components are delivered separately and compact together on site whereas asphalt is delivered pre-mixed for spreading.

Q.HOW LONG UNTIL IT NEEDS TO BE RE-DONE?
That's a difficult question to answer specifically when you consider that everybody has differing perspectives in terms of what they consider to be "good condition".  Some people will want to have their area re-surfaced at the very first sign of wear, whereas others will not consider a worn spot or a broken edge something that needs immediate attention.  The surface will obviously still last with the worn patch present if you are content with that.  In this circumstance for instance, you could opt to have some patch work carried out on the area instead of full resurfacing which will prolong the lifespan considerably.

You also have to take into consideration the usage of the site in question.  Whether it is a heavy traffic area or not, the base that we had to start with that the surface was applied to, the number of coats laid and even the climate for the location.  Obviously the sealing will last much longer on a residential driveway with light traffic in comparison to a main road or city street.

If we work on averages, you should expect for a chip sealed surface to last approximately 8-10 years.  During this time there are circumstances that could result in the surface needing some patch or isolated re–chipping depending on factors mentioned above.  Keep in mind this average timeframe only falls a fraction short of the recommended span of asphalt under the same conditions, yet it is considerably lower in cost making it the most economical heavy duty surface available. 

Q. HOW MUCH WILL I PAY?
No two jobs are the same, it depends on your own requirements (size, number of coats etc).  We offer a free measure and quote service with no pressure sales tactics.  We will advise you if we beleive that it is not right for your project and answer any questions that you may have about our service.  We then leave you to decide if it is the right application for your project.


Q. DO I HAVE TO PAY BEFORE YOU START?
No, you do not have to pay before the job is started.  Depending on the size of the particular project, a deposit on commencement may be necessay, but this will be fully detailed on your fixed quote.  In majority of cases, full payment can be made once the project is complete.


Q.  WHAT ARE MY PAYMENT OPTIONS?
Our payment options are simple, we accept cheques, cash and direct bank deposit.