Surfacing
Surface Dressing
Hot bitumen and granite chippings, the traditional tar and chip finish that seals and re-textures an existing surface.
Surface dressing is the most cost-effective way to get years back out of a road, track or yard that is structurally sound but has gone grey, porous and slippery. We spray hot bitumen onto the existing surface and roll graded chippings into it, which seals the water out and puts the grip back. It is a fraction of the cost of taking a surface up and relaying it.
What our surface dressing service includes
Traditional tar and chip
Hot liquid bitumen bonded with granite chippings. The bitumen seals the surface against water, which is what actually destroys a road, and the chippings give a textured, skid-resistant finish that copes with tractors, lorries and horseboxes alike.
Single and double dressings
A single dressing suits a surface in reasonable order. Where the existing surface is coarser or more worn we put down a double, using a larger chipping first and a smaller one over it, which gives a tighter, longer-lasting finish on a rough base.
Patch repairs before dressing
Dressing over a failed patch just hides it until the winter. Where there are potholes, edge break-up or soft spots we deal with those first, then dress the whole area so it wears evenly and looks like one surface rather than a repair.
How we work
- Site visit. We walk the whole run with you, check what is under the surface and tell you honestly whether dressing is the right answer or whether the base needs work first.
- Written quote. A fixed price with the specification set out, so you can see what is included rather than being given a figure.
- Preparation. Sweeping, edge trimming, vegetation cut back and any patching done.
- Dressing. Bitumen sprayed at temperature, chippings spread and rolled in.
- Aftercare. We sweep back the loose chippings once they have bedded in, which is the step most people never get and the one that stops stone ending up in the grass.
When it is the right choice
Surface dressing needs a sound base. If the road underneath is breaking up, moving under load or holding water, dressing it is money wasted and we will say so. On a surface that is simply worn and tired, it is the best value work we do.
Our work
Surface dressing
Our work
Jobs we have finished
Every photograph here is Laymac's own, taken on the job.
What people say
In their words, not ours
Farm track had been breaking up for years and we had patched it twice. They dug it out properly, sorted the drainage first and it has been through a winter now without moving.
Yard resurfaced around a working farm. They phased it so we could still get the milk lorry in and out every day, which nobody else quoting for it had even mentioned.
Came out, walked the drive with us and told us it did not need replacing, just dressing. Saved us a lot of money and they still turned up to do the smaller job properly.
Everything else we do
Not quite the job you have?
Road Surfacing
Private roads, estate roads and access routes surfaced, resurfaced and repaired.
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Tarmac & Asphalt
Machine-laid tarmac and asphalt for drives, yards, car parks and access roads.
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Driveways
Tarmac, tar and chip, block paved and gravel driveways, laid on a base built to last.
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Commercial & Industrial Surfacing
Yards, car parks, loading areas and industrial hardstanding built for real weight.
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Dig Outs & Groundwork
Excavation, drainage and sub-base preparation, the work under the surface that decides how long it lasts.
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Traditional Stone Tracks
Stone farm tracks and estate drives, built to carry weight and to look right in the landscape.
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Road Planings
Recycled road planings supplied, laid and rolled, the low-cost hard surface for tracks and yards.
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Rural & Farm Access
Surfacing for farms, estates, equestrian yards and rural businesses, planned around a working site.
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Surface Dressing near you
These are the areas we cover. If yours is not listed and you are nearby, ring anyway, it is a short conversation.
Before you ring
Questions we get asked about surface dressing
How long does a surface dressing last?
On a sound base and with normal traffic, a well-laid dressing gives you many years of service before it needs looking at again. What shortens it is water getting into a base that was already failing, which is why we check what is underneath before we quote rather than after.
Can you dress over an existing tarmac road?
Yes, and that is one of the most common jobs we do. The tarmac needs to be sound rather than crumbling. Where there are potholes or broken edges we repair those first so the finished surface wears evenly.
Will there be loose stone afterwards?
Some, for a short while, and that is normal with any chipped surface. We come back and sweep the excess off once it has bedded in. Keeping the speed down for the first few days makes a noticeable difference to how well it holds.
What time of year can it be done?
It needs dry weather and a warm enough surface for the bitumen to bond, so the season runs through the warmer months. We would rather move a date than lay in the wrong conditions and have it fail.
West Sussex · Surrey · East Sussex · Hampshire
Get a straight answer today
Give us a ring. If nobody picks up we are on a job, so leave a message and you will get a call back.