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Tar and Gravel

What is Tar and Gravel (sometimes called chip seal)?

Tar and Gravel is a pavement that can be applied to a prepared base or black top surface. It is coatings of hot liquid asphalt followed by layers of gravel then rolled to compaction. Tar and Gravel is a great solution for long driveways that may be too expensive to pave with hot mix asphalt.

What Does It Look Like?

When a new Tar and Gravel job is completed, it looks like a gravel driveway. But the gravel that comes in contact with the tar is locked in tight. The Tar and the Gravel become one form of pavement. It has a very clean, natural country look. Garrett paving Company can use river rock or round pea gravel for a very rustic look, unlike conventional asphalt pavement. It has a lot for curb appeal and is strong. Plus it won’t draw in heat like Black Top.

What About the Cost?

As with rising cost of oil, fuel and asphalt tar, all pavements whether it’s black top, concrete or tar and gravel grow higher every year as well. But Tar and Gravel is about 30% to 40% less than what black top costs to get paved. Plus it costs less to keep because it is maintenance free. Concrete is the most expensive of the three pavement types.

So Who Is Using Tar and Gravel Now?

The industry that is using Tar and Gravel regularly is your county, state and city. Mostly all of your county state roads have all been chip sealed. And with the rising cost of hot mix black top, a lot of cities are using Tar and Gravel on their city streets. But the average person may not know that. Because when a county, state or city road is Tar and Gravel it only takes 6 to 8 months for all of the top surface rocks to seal in because of the high volume of traffic it gets making it look very much like older cured black top road. We are not saying that all county, state and city roads and streets are Tar and Gravel but many of them are, because Tar and Gravel is less expensive.

So Why Doesn’t Everyone Use Tar and Gravel?

The number one problem with Tar and Gravel is hardly no paving contractors still install them. You will have trouble finding a paving contractor that still installs them. You will have a hard time finding a paving contractor in the phonebook who even knows what Tar and Gravel is let alone can install it. Here is why: Using tar as a binder requires warm temperatures for the tar to remain tacky. This limits the paving season during which Tar and Gravel Roads can be laid. Asphalt manufacturers realized several decades ago that by mixing road materials at the plants rather than onsite they could extend the paving season, since they could control the temperatures with their plants. Today that is what paving companies do. They mix asphalt at a hot mix plant and transport it to the job site. But Tar and Gravel was the original way they did all roads, driveways, streets and parking lots.

Garrett Paving Company has been installing Tar and Gravel driveways and streets for many years.

Some paving companies promise the lowest price. Why should I select Garrett Paving Company?

Our focus is on long lasting quality. We never cut corners on materials, time or workmanship. The result is that our work lasts longer and retains its appearance better than that of our competitors. In the long run, paying for the best quality first saves you money on maintenance, repair and replacement.