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Susan, I have no clue, but thank you for putting me on to a promising alternative for our driveway in place of the current gravel. I think this may be the type my dad had at my childhood home in Westfield, and it truly never needed maintenance. I'll be researching contractors, and will let you know what I find. I'm in Monmouth County, but expect these folks will travel a bit.

Diane

I'm up in lower Orange, NY. I did tar and chip on my 300 foot drive this last spring. Just keep in mind, it will grow weeds where your tires don't go. I don't mind, 'cause I like the look. Here's a partial view from last spring.

I wanted to go this way originally too when I bought this house but then I had two boys and thought that it would be easier to bounce a ball and ride a bike on macadam. We are just about to do our driveway and would love to consider this option.
I suppose you read this little blip I found on finding a contractor:

Locating a tar and chip contractor is done one of two ways. Open your Yellow Pages and call each and every blacktop contractor. If you strike out, contact large paving contractors who do public roadways. They just might have a division that does smaller commercial or residential tar and chip jobs. Finally, contact the blacktop plants. Any contractor who does tar and chip must buy their tar from these businesses. Call the plants on a rainy day when they are slow. Don't bother them on sunny days when the demand for blacktop is high.

Here is a link that might be useful: Askthebuilder

I would love to have a rainy day. We've had no significant rain in lower Orange in two and a half months.. :(

Orcuttnyc, your drive looks fantastic for that woodland setting! I'm striking out on finding a contractor who does tar & chip ... or even knows what it is! Would you mind providing contact information for your contractor ... maybe he/she might have a suggestion on finding someone in my area? Feel free to email me if you prefer. Thanks!

If I do wind up with a T&C drive, at least it'll be won't be like everyone else's driveway!

Hey there. I just went through my Orange County yellow pages, until I got a hold of a company that did tar and chip at a reasonable price. If I remember correctly, they did the job of three hundred feet for twelve hundred.

Apparently, no one here does tar and chip ... at a reasonable price or otherwise. Lacking an Orange County yellow pages, I thank goodnesss for the 'net ... anywho.com here I come!

Try looking in Hunterdon County - I don't know, but they may travel. Some of the back roads are still done that way here. This sounds like a nice alternative for me. I have a very long driveway and the quote for macadam is $7000.

Ellen

In my searches, I've come across two other interesting alternatives, exposed aggregate (concrete) and a proprietary product called "StreetPrint" (asphalt). Still looking for the tar & chip, also called oil & chip, apparently, and will post if I find anything.

Ellenh is correct - Hunterdon County does still tar and chip back roads.

My road was done this year and, because of the dry weather, the dust adversely impacted my asthma (and my dog's asthma, believe it or not!). I don't think this would be a problem on a private drive, but on our country road, where the the chip was not dropped evenly, it's not been pleasant during the dry spells.

I am, however, not certain the an outside contractor did the work - at least not here in Tewksbury. I believe the township did the work.

I've also heard complaints from bike riders about the amount of chip left alongside the road - it makes it difficult for them to negotiate the road out of the way of traffic (not the I'm a great fan of bike riders, though).

I do believe it's not the best surface if you have young ones who want to ride their bikes or play games in your driveway.

I always think of things that contractors are not willing to do too. I like the way the roads look in Bucks County, PA. They are brown. I posted on the PA forum not to long ago and was told the following from a poster over their named George/Geoforce:

"Loretta, I believe it is from a brown shale used as the road aggregate. I remember going down a road in Virginia about 10 years ago, where the road changed color every mile for about 10 miles. Quite a rainbow. Turns out they were testing different aggregates for durability and the stone had different colors. Red, brown, green, gray, many shades."

I thought this was interesting but didn't even attempt to find someone to do it. I am suppose to talk to someone tomorrow though and I will bring it up though expectations are low. And in anycase, I hope to do an addition some day and whatever driveway we put in will be crushed by trucks.

Another thing I always thought would be fun to try for the front walk is using mica as an aggregate in the concrete. You ever see some of those sidewalks in front of some of the buildings in NY and they sparkle like snow at night? I don't know if its glass or mica since they have been around before recyling and mica is plentiful in and around NY. At least it use to be. I never did get a spec on that. Still might get to play with that someday though the front walk will be pavers now.

BTW, the contractor didn't do tar and chip. He mentioned one company that use to do it and didn't anymore. No one does it according to him. I tell you , there is a niche here with this paving stuff. Too bad my knees and back are so bad.
I did see a tar and chip road this weekend up in Vernon in front of my brother's house.

we installed a tar & chip driveway two years ago, and it's holding up well so far. (we have a circular drive, with a turnoff into a two-car parking area.)

our contractor is in hunterdon county; for his contact information (plus a few photos of our driveway), see the link i'm attaching.

hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: Tar and Chip Driveway

Hi, I live in Tabernacle, Burlington County and haven't had any success finding anyone who does tar and chip. I've seen it on several websites and feel it would be quite attractive in our wooded setting in the Pine Barrens, especially with brown chip. If anyone can help, please email me.
Thank you!!!

Hi-

Here is one NJDEP certified concrete provider, called Holes Solutions. Thier contact details are:

Mailing Address

1A Passaic Street
Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075
Telephone: 973.779.4653
Toll-Free: 1.866.55.HOLES
Fax: 973.779.4657

Here is a link that might be useful: Concrete Driveway