The first 72 hours - tarmac
Keep vehicles off for 2-3 days while the surface fully hardens. Foot traffic is fine sooner.
Avoid dry-steering - turning the wheel while stationary - especially in warm weather, and for the first summer keep an eye on it during heatwaves: fresh tarmac stays slightly softer in its first year.
The first 72 hours - resin-bound
Foot traffic is usually permitted after a short curing period, and vehicles after a few days depending on the temperature.
Once cured, the surface is set - no loose stone to scatter, nothing to seal.
The first weeks - block paving
Some kiln-dried jointing sand will migrate in the first weeks - that's normal and expected.
Avoid pressure-washing the joints in the first month while everything beds in.
Cleaning - all surfaces
A stiff brush and soapy water handles almost everything. Pressure washers: fine on tarmac and block at a sensible distance and angle.
Never blast block joints directly (you're removing the sand that locks them), and keep the lance well back from resin. Oil and fuel spills: soak up immediately, don't scrub them outward; stubborn stains on block can be solved by replacing the affected blocks — one of block paving's quiet advantages.
Weeds, moss and the honest truth
A properly membraned drive stops weeds coming up from below. What you'll occasionally see is seeds landing on top and rooting in surface dust or joints, mostly at edges and in block joints.
Brush regularly, treat with a standard path weedkiller when needed, and re-sand block joints every few years. Moss favours damp, shaded corners; a yearly clean keeps it off.
What's normal - and what's worth a call
Normal: slight colour lightening as tarmac weathers from black to dark grey in year one; minor jointing sand migration on new block; tyre scuff marks on tarmac in hot weather that fade.
Call your installer: standing water that wasn't there at handover, any cracking, movement at edges, or a sunken area.
Please note
This guide is general information for homeowners, not instructions for any particular driveway. Surfaces, materials, ground conditions and weather all vary, and so does the right way to look after them.
Curing and hardening times in particular depend on the product used and the conditions on the day. Always follow the timings and aftercare advice given to you by the contractor who laid your driveway, and the manufacturer's instructions for the specific materials and any cleaning or weedkilling products you use - those take precedence over anything here.
Cleaning equipment, chemicals and weedkillers can damage surfaces or cause injury if misused. Read the product instructions, and if you're unsure about your own driveway, ask before you start.
No liability is accepted for any loss or damage arising from reliance on this guide, except where liability cannot be excluded by law.