How it's made
After the ground is dug out and a compacted stone sub-base laid, we set formwork and lay reinforced concrete. A colour hardener goes onto the wet surface, then a release agent, and the pattern is pressed in with large mats. Once it has cured, it is washed off, cut with control joints and sealed.
Joints and cracking
Concrete expands and shrinks with the temperature. Without control joints a slab will find its own way to crack, so we plan the joints to follow the pattern where possible and keep them neat. On larger drives, expansion joints are placed against walls and existing structures.
Drainage
An imprinted slab doesn't let water through. We lay it to falls and add a channel drain or run the water onto a lawn or soakaway inside your boundary, which keeps a front garden driveway within the planning rules.
Resealing
The seal protects the colour and helps it shrug off oil and dirt. Expect to clean and reseal every few years to keep it looking fresh, especially near the coast where the weather is harsh on surfaces.
