Tar & Chip Care & Maintenance

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One of the great benefits of a tar and chip surface is that is how little maintenance is needed but no driveway is truly maintenance-free. In order to help maintain the life of your tar and chip investment we are providing some recommendations:

Driving slower - Tar and Chip needs time to bond. You will be able to drive on your surface immediately but please stay cautious for the first two months and drive slower than usual. Driving over the surface area helps the chips and tar bond. The more layers of tar and chip, the more permanent the surface will become. 

Kickstands – Do not park motorcycles, bicycles or other things where a kickstand can penetrate the surface. 

RV’s, Boats & Trailers – Place a piece of wood under each wheel and hitch to evenly distribute the weight.

Power Steering Wheel – Do not sit in one spot and turn power steering wheel on any vehicle, riding mower, ATV/UTV, etc… This may cause power steering marks, ruts or holes.

Roadway Edges - Do not drive off edges with any vehicle, riding mower, ATV/UTV, etc.. Edges need time to set up. The side of your roadway should be backfilled with topsoil and seeded with grass flush to the surface. Exposed edges may crack or break. 

Roadway Surface - Do not spin donuts with any vehicle, mower or ATV/UTV, bicycle, etc… This will cause ruts in the surface.

Debris - Clean your surface from any debris, leaves and dead grass. Avoid spraying grass clippings directly on tar and chip surface. 

Loose Stones - After a minimum of 3-6 months (depending on surface traffic it may take up to 1 year) most stones will have settled into the tar. You may sweep the loose stones off or can use a power broom. 

Weeds – The first couple layers of tar and chip may still get weeds growing through the surface. You can use weed killer or pick these weeds by the root. The more layers of tar and chip, the less likely this will happen. 

Snow & Ice Removal – We suggest a rubber tipped shovel or plow for snow and ice removal. If plowing with a vehicle, keep the plow 1 inch above the surface. Remaining snow will melt and drain through the surface. You can use anti-skid but one of the benefits of tar and chip is that it gets better traction than other more permanent surface products. Do not use salt. Salt will eat away at the tar.