Surface Treatments
Surface dressing & tar & chip in East Lothian
Surface dressing and tar & chip, also called hot tar spraying and chipping, for roads, farm tracks, private roads, yards and driveways across East Lothian and Edinburgh, from a family firm surfacing the area since 1952.
Surface dressing and tar & chip contractors in East Lothian
For surface dressing and tar & chip in East Lothian, E. Young Surfacing sprays a hot binder over a prepared surface and rolls in stone chippings to give a tough, textured, well-sealed finish. A family run surfacing firm based in Haddington since 1952, we use it to seal and refresh larger surfaces cost effectively, from private and farm roads to yards, car parks and driveways, across East Lothian, Edinburgh and the wider Lothians. It is a fast, hard-wearing treatment that suits big areas where a full resurface would cost far more.
- Tar & chip (surface dressing) for roads, tracks, yards and drives
- A tough, textured, well-sealed finish
- A cost-effective way to seal and refresh a large tired surface
- Domestic, rural, farm and commercial, across East Lothian and Edinburgh
What we surface
Private & access roads
A durable, well-sealed surface for private roads and shared access, at a lower cost than full resurfacing.
Farm roads & tracks
Tough tar & chip for farm roads, estate tracks and rural access that take heavy use.
Tar & chip driveways
A hard-wearing, textured driveway finish with good grip and a traditional look.
Yards & car parks
Sealing and refreshing larger commercial yards and car park surfaces cost effectively.
Refreshing tired surfaces
A surface dressing over a sound but weathered surface to seal it and extend its life.
Recent surfacing work
View all work
How we lay it
Assessment & quote
We check the surface is sound enough to dress and give you a free, honest quote.
Prepare & clean
We clean the surface and sort out any repairs so the dressing bonds properly.
Spray the binder
We spray an even coat of hot bitumen binder across the prepared surface.
Chip & roll
We spread stone chippings over the binder and roll them in for a tight, even finish.
Sweep & finish
We sweep off the loose chippings and let you know how to look after the new surface.
Surface dressing is one of the most cost-effective ways to seal and refresh a large surface. Rather than dig out and resurface, we spray a hot binder over a sound, prepared surface and roll in stone chippings, which gives a tough, textured, well-sealed finish for a fraction of the cost of a full resurface. It is why tar & chip has been used on rural and private roads for generations, and it is a service we have offered since 1952.
Tar & chip suits big areas best. Private roads, farm roads and estate tracks, yards and longer driveways all take it well, and it gives good grip and a traditional look. It works only where the surface underneath is sound, though, so if a surface is breaking up or the base has failed, repairs or full resurfacing will last far longer and we will tell you so honestly.
For businesses we surface dress yards and car parks and caravan park roads to seal and extend their life at sensible cost. We are surfacing specialists rather than a decorative-paving firm, so you get honest advice on whether surface dressing is the right call for your surface in the first place. We work across East Lothian, Edinburgh and the wider Lothians from our base in Haddington, with free, no-obligation quotes and guaranteed workmanship.
Why choose E. Young
Established 1952
A long established, family run surfacing firm based in Haddington.
Cost-effective on big areas
A practical way to seal and refresh large surfaces without a full resurface.
A tough, sealed finish
Hot binder and rolled-in chippings give grip and seal the surface against water.
Guaranteed workmanship
We stand behind the work we do.
Frequently asked questions
What is surface dressing, or tar and chip?
Surface dressing, also called tar and chip or hot tar spraying and chipping, is a layer of hot bitumen binder topped with stone chippings, rolled in to give a tough, textured, well-sealed finish. It seals and refreshes a surface cost effectively, and suits roads, tracks, yards and driveways.
Is tar and chip good for a driveway?
It can be. Tar and chip gives a hard-wearing, textured driveway with good grip and a traditional look, and it is often cheaper than resin or block paving on larger drives. It suits rural and longer driveways especially well. We will advise whether it or tarmac suits your property better.
How long does surface dressing last?
Well-laid surface dressing on a sound base typically lasts many years, though it depends on traffic, the condition underneath and how it is looked after. It is a maintenance treatment, so it seals and extends the life of a surface rather than replacing the base beneath it.
Surface dressing or resurfacing, which do I need?
If the base is sound and you want to seal and refresh the surface, surface dressing is the cheaper, faster option. If the surface is breaking up or the base has failed, resurfacing lasts far longer. We will look at it and give you an honest recommendation either way.
Do you do tar and chip in Edinburgh and the Lothians?
Yes. As well as East Lothian we do surface dressing and tar & chip across Edinburgh and the wider Lothians, for private and farm roads, yards, car parks and driveways. We work from our base in Haddington, a short drive east of the city.
Where we work
Areas we cover
From our base in Haddington, we cover East Lothian and the surrounding areas, keeping our work focused across the local area.
Need surfacing in your area? Get a quoteCore: East Lothian
- Haddington
- Musselburgh
- Tranent
- Prestonpans
- North Berwick
- Dunbar
- Gullane
- Longniddry
- East Linton
Nearby
- Dalkeith
- Bonnyrigg
- Loanhead
- Portobello
- East Edinburgh
Wider coverage
- Edinburgh
- Midlothian
- West Lothian
- Livingston
- Bathgate
- Scottish Borders
Related services
Get a free, no-obligation quote
Tell us about your driveway, repair or surfacing project, and we'll get back to you with a clear quote.