You wouldn't be able to just lay gravel over it. You'd need to excavate.

If you can't afford to change at the moment, why not refresh with some tarmac paint?

Gravel can look lovely but it can also gradually disappear as it gets picked up by tyres pulling off the drive. 6 years ago our house had a generous layer of gravel, today it has very little! I think laying it over tarmac could be problematic as Wumi suggests.

pressure wash it regularly

You can get bags of tarmac to do small repairs-I saw our builders use it and it looked straightforward. Then I’d just get some lovely pots planted to take the eye away from the tarmac.

I don’t know about you, but I need a lie down after reading keiblem’s driveway makeover! 😂 Tarmac can be repaired and if it’s too much for you, I’m sure a decent builder could fill in the gaps for you.

Thanks all for your advice. Pressure wash does not work. I did it again at the weekend. It would not get up the moss and was just pulling up the tarmac.

I would just another layer of tarmac to make it all the same colour. Actually just moving the bins towards the garage would be a huge improvement and replace with a planter and flowers.

Could you dig up the section in front of the house and plant a garden there, you’d have something nicer to look at than just tarmac then.

Thanks, I have a big front garden with lawn and borders with lots of plants and flowers already at the front of the house. I just hate the tarmac. It seems to have got so much worse this last year with all the rain and moss which I am struggling to get off the tarmac, tried both salt and jet washing. I will try some other things now and then maybe repair some tarmac sections and then paint it.

I’ve seen loads of videos of people stencilling their drives and patios, some even with brick patterns. Worth a look.

Hi- if you are keen on gravel, it might be worth investigating gravel grids. They can be laid over tarmac and will keep the gravel in place. I used them in my own garden 5 years ago to create a base for loose laid porcelain tiles and they were dead simple to use DIY. Have a look at this website’s FAQs... it is very informative... it even explains how you can deal with elevation changes so you can open your garage door. https://www.nidagraveluk.co.uk/gravel-stabilisation-grid-faqs/.

Without going into too much detail putting gravel grids over tarmac is only possible if the tarmac is in good condition, which it isn’t. The finished level is below the DPC, the tarmac already appears to be at that level (the black strip under the brickwork). There is sufficient fall for runoff, vital because the rainwater will have nowhere to go except sitting where it is or flowing sideways. I am afraid these are just some of the reasons why, in this situation, it would not work.

If jet washing is breaking up the tarmac as easily as you say then it sounds as if it might not have been laid correctly in the first place. I would be inclined to dig down in an out of the way corner to find out what you are dealing with before you throw any money at it.

I know you say you hate it but perhaps if you just relocate the dustbins and invest in some potted plants for now and revisit it at a later date.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate your advice. The tarmac has been done for many many years to be fair so likely needs replacing but I'm trying to find a cheaper fix for now rather than replacing with resign or block paving which would be very expensive and not something I want to pay out for at the moment. I already have lots of borders with plants, a number of potted plants and everyone seems to be obsessed with where my wheelie bins are ;-).

I think it’s a national obsession where to put our wheelie bins and the multitude of other boxes we are required to use today! 😩