Drainage on Tarmac Driveway

Emma79

Hi Folks,
Last week we had our driveway retarmaced and extended. The work looked fine, and the guys who did it were recommended. However on washing the cars this weekend, I notice that the drainage is very poor and the water pools in places.

They are back today removing some concrete from the back garden, and the first thing he said (before we even said "good morning") was that the puddles were casued by the oil in the tarmac repelling the water and over time the water won't pool.

Is this a load of rubbish or is it true! If rubbish, how can the problem be rectified?

Thanks!

seggy1

hi there yes it is a load of rubbish the water should dispel straught away have you paid them if not hold some back arthur

Alfrescodave

Tarmac should not allow water to pass through, it is NOT a porous material. Tarmac does not have oil in it but is made from bitumen which is resistant to water and oil.
The drive should be constructed with a slope to allow water to run off it into specific drains, the main road or a soak away area.

tooconfused_2

Emma79 wrote: »

Hi Folks,
Last week we had our driveway retarmaced and extended. The work looked fine, and the guys who did it were recommended. However on washing the cars this weekend, I notice that the drainage is very poor and the water pools in places.

They are back today removing some concrete from the back garden, and the first thing he said (before we even said "good morning") was that the puddles were casued by the oil in the tarmac repelling the water and over time the water won't pool.

Is this a load of rubbish or is it true! If rubbish, how can the problem be rectified?

Thanks!

Yes a load of tosh they have not got the levels correct which asks the question did they prepare the sub base correctly ie dig out to the correct depth add hard core and compact ...if not you drive will sink (eventually)

greyteam1959

If the fall on the tarmac is very minimal water will look like it is pooling on freshly laid tarmac.
I would check the fall on the tarmac with a spirit level or turn the hose on it for 10 minutes and make sure the water is running away from your property and not towards it or you will have problems in years to come.
He is right to some extent about pooling on new tarmac but you should check the levels now before it is too late.

alanobrien

Alfrescodave wrote: »

Tarmac should not allow water to pass through, it is NOT a porous material. Tarmac does not have oil in it but is made from bitumen which is resistant to water and oil.
The drive should be constructed with a slope to allow water to run off it into specific drains, the main road or a soak away area.

Tarmac or bitumen is a mixture of aggregate and heavy fraction crude oil
usually referred to as "bottoms" so it does contain oil.

In fact both are organic hydrocarbons and are produced from a distillation process known as cracking.

Sounds to me like they simply did not put the curvature on the driveway for drainage that they should have.

Alfrescodave

alanobrien wrote: »

Tarmac or bitumen is a mixture of aggregate and heavy fraction crude oil
usually referred to as "bottoms" so it does contain oil.

In fact both are organic hydrocarbons and are produced from a distillation process known as cracking.

Sounds to me like they simply did not put the curvature on the driveway for drainage that they should have.

At the risk of moving away from the original question. Bitumen is produced from the distillation (not cracking) of crude oil, It does NOT contain oil and neither do other crude oil distillation fractions such as petrol , diesel or LPG.

alanobrien

Alfrescodave wrote: »

At the risk of moving away from the original question. Bitumen is produced from the distillation (not cracking) of crude oil, It does NOT contain oil and neither do other crude oil distillation fractions such as petrol , diesel or LPG.

All hydrocarbon products are produced from what we get out of the ground
via rigs.....oil i think it was called last time i looked.

Bitumen which is a hydrocarbon product is produced from heavy ends which are obtained from the bottom of a cracking tower. I worked in a refinery for enough years to know that.

So in summary Oil is Hydrocarbon, bitumen is a distallate of oil and therefore by definition bitumen is oil based as are petrol diesel air fuel etc.

Sorry for the digression emma79 Back to normal programming.......i still think you ought to get them to fix the fall of the drive to ensure it drains correctlly.