The DIY market continues to grow, with reports suggesting that lockdown saw a rise in the number of peoople carrying out home improvements, not least, I suspect, because hardware superstores were one of the few retail outlets allowed to open.
Increased spending on home decoration and improvement projects highlights how much value we place on improving our surroundings and safeguarding our investment.
But while prettying up the paintwork and changing the curtains is something we all like to do, it’s important to keep the outside of our homes safe, smart and watertight as well.
After all, when it comes to selling our homes, prospective buyers will only get the chance to be impressed by the tastefully touched-up interior décor if the scruffy exterior doesn’t put them off first.
A smart new tarmac drive or path is one of the simplests and easiest ways to spruce up the approach to your smartly painted front door, adding value to your home as well as protecting your investment.
Tarmac is relatively low cost, and when professionally laid it creates a hard-wearing, long-lasting and smooth surface that is incredibly strong and durable. It is particularly useful for driveways used by larger vehicles as it won’t crack or distort in normal use.
Tarmac paths and driveways are quick to lay and can usually be installed directly onto an existing surface, unlike paved or concrete driveways. They can be edged with clay tiles, stone or brickwork to give them a neat and attractive finish.
Because it is impermeable, tarmac will keep rainwater away from the sub-layer and protect the outside of your home from any potential damp problems. Correctly laid by a professional installer, tamac will shed any rainwater away from the house and stay looking good, whatever the weather.
The finish is smooth, which means there are no uneven paving slab edges to trip over, a particular benefit for older home owners or on dark winter’s evenings, and from a practical point of view, black is more forgiving of dirt and stains.
Tarmac is also cheap and easy to maintain, and when it eventually needs replacing at the end of a particularly tough life, a new tarmac layer can simply be installed on top of the old one.
So carry on decorating – but don’t neglect the outside of your home. A new tarmac driveway is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to protect and add value to your investment.
