OIL & STONE DRIVEWAYS

OIL & STONE DRIVEWAYS

If you want the structural integrity of blacktop, but love the look of a stone driveway, stone and oil is for you. Stone and Oil, sometimes known as tar and chip consists of a properly prepared base, a coat of oil is applied with a sprayer attached to the oil truck, a layer of crushed stone is spread over the surface and then compacted with a roller, giving your project a beautiful rustic finish.

Advantages of Stone & Oil – “Tar-and-Chip”

Though the name “tar-and-chip” might not be familiar to you, you almost certainly have seen driveways and roads built this way. Or maybe you know it by another of its names: chip-and-seal, seal chip, or liquid-asphalt-and-stone. Whatever the name, it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think driveway. But just because you may not have heard of tar-and-chip before doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider it. You’ve almost certainly driven over miles of tar and chip roadways and parking lots. It’s a good driveway choice for those wanting to keep costs down.

Inexpensive and Beautiful

A Stone & Oil driveway is a low-cost alternative to asphalt, offering a more solid surface than plain gravel. It also has a rough texture, which makes for much better footing when wet or snow-covered, compared to poured concrete, which can be slippery. The expression “tar-and-chip” is a shorthand term that refers to a paving surface made from asphalt (liquid form) and stone.

Ease of Maintenance

There really is no regular maintenance required of a tar-and-chip driveway. Unlike asphalt, it doesn’t have to be sealed regularly. That’s the good news. On the other hand, snow removal can create problems. If you use a snowplow to clear the driveway, it can damage the surface. For best results, make sure that the plow rides just above the driveway surface, then remove this leftover snow with a shovel or just wait for it to melt away. You’ll not be faced with this problem if you clear snow with a shovel or snow blower.

How is Stone & Oil installed?

Building a tar-and-chip driveway is a pretty simple process. First, as with most driveway materials, a gravel base is installed. Then, hot liquid asphalt is poured over the gravel. This is followed by a coating of loose stones, which are rolled into the asphalt to form the finish surface. Tar-and-chip can be installed over existing driveway materials, provided they are in reasonably good shape.