Sherborne Drive sits on a tired stretch of driveway that has been waiting for its final layer for years. The owner had been working through a longer house renovation, holding off on the surfacing until everything else was finished, and the driveway was the last piece to fall into place. Getting the timing right and the surface itself right meant treating it as more than a simple resurfacing job.
About the Project
The existing driveway surface had worn down over time and needed a full overlay rather than a patch repair. The owner had completed other renovation work on the property himself over several years, the kind of staged project where getting tarmac, asphalt or macadam driveways right matters more once everything else is finished.
Before any new material could be laid, the edges of the existing driveway had to be broken out to form new letins, providing the new surface with something to key into. A bituminous emulsion was then applied across the existing surface. This step is what allows the new macadam to bond properly to what’s already there, rather than sitting loose on top of it.
Surfacing With Stone Mastic Asphalt
With the preparation complete, our team supplied, laid, and consolidated 30mm of 6mm Stone Mastic Asphalt Surface Course using a power roller. Stone Mastic Asphalt is a denser, more durable surface course than standard macadam, making it well-suited for an overlay that needs to perform for years, not just look good in a photo. The power roller does the unglamorous but essential job of compacting it evenly across the full width of the drive.
A geotextile membrane was installed beneath the gravel areas adjacent to the driveway. Approximately 15m² of 20mm clean gravel was then laid over the membrane, providing a low-maintenance surface that drains freely and keeps those areas neat between the block paving and the boundary planting.
The End Result
The finished driveway provides the property with a clean, durable top coat that completes the renovation work the owner has been building towards. The new Stone Mastic Asphalt surface ties the driveway in with the rest of the finished property, rather than leaving it as the one unfinished element.
Driveway Resurfacing Across Dorset
Jobs like the Sherborne Drive overlay show why timing and preparation matter as much as the surface material itself. Breaking out edges, forming new letins, and applying a bituminous emulsion before laying any new macadam is what separates a durable resurface from a thin layer that lifts or cracks within a few seasons.
Fletchamoore has been carrying out driveway resurfacing and tarmac driveway installations across Dorset, Poole, Bournemouth, and the surrounding area for over 60 years. The company is family-run, CIS registered, and holds £10m public liability insurance, working on residential driveways of all sizes and conditions.
Call 01202 624900 or complete our online contact form for a no-obligation quote for your driveway resurfacing project.
