Edinburgh Car Park Surfacing

Car park surfaces in Edinburgh can be constructed on a number of materials depending on such factors as durability, local regulations, cost and drainage factors.

Surface material options include tarmacadam, concrete and shingle. We recommend tarmacadam car parks for most urban parking areas, as they provide the best combination of factors, plus allow easier line marking of parking bays

The lifespan of a car park surface in Edinburgh will depend on what type of car park you have, how exposed the area is and what sort of traffic it is exposed to.

Top layers of tarmacadam car parks generally need minor resurfacing, surface dressing or pothole repairs every 10-15 years. Full tarmac surface replacement is often only required after a number of decades.

Gravel car parks may need yearly scraping and filling, due to the effects of heavy rain.

Surface dressing is a maintenance and prevention treatment that can prolong the life of the parking area surface. ‘Tar & Chip’ surface dressing will re-seal and weatherproof a car park, whilst also increasing tyre grip to improve braking and overall safety.

If this is applied every 10-15 years, it will help prolong the life of Edinburgh parking areas.

Car park pothole filling is usually carried out in Edinburgh using a 4 stage process:

1. The pothole is cleared of loose debris and poor quality tarmacadam
2. A ‘tack coating’ of bitumen is applied to the pothole’s inner surface
3. A hard-wearing tarmacadam mixture is poured into the pothole and levelled off
4. Edges where the pothole repair meets the main parking surface are sealed with bitumen

Taramcadam is often referred to by its brand name of ‘Tarmac’ and is very common on UK car parks. The binder in Tarmacadam is tar, whereas asphalt uses a bitumen binder.

Both terms are regularly used interchangeably, and the best choice for your car park will depend on your requirements.