Has anyone here got an imprinted concrete driveway?

Has anyone here got an imprinted concrete driveway?

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PumpkinSteve

Original Poster:

4,187 posts

169 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Basically my street has become a total nightmare for parking, we live in a semi-detached in a decent area but the local rabble wont stop having kids and therefore everyone now all owns the obligatory Renault Scenic and Nissan Qashqai, two cars per household and not one of them uses their driveways.

Anyway, I've been looking up different driveway materials online and came across imprinted concrete, it looks really smart. I was just wondering if anyone here had any experience/ issues with it?

My garden is a 60m² 'L' shape, rough guides would indicate that this would cost around £5000 for an IC driveway.


If you would recommend something else then then I'm open to options. Cheers!

dudleybloke

20,553 posts

199 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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dont go for the shiny finish, its bloody lethal!
in anything but perfectly dry conditions its like an ice rink.

PumpkinSteve

Original Poster:

4,187 posts

169 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
quotequote all
I was thinking of this kind of finish (link below) as I was a little worried about it being slippery, especially as my garden is on a fair incline I don't really want my car sliding down during the snow/ ice.

http://www.classic-driveways.co.uk/images/imprinte...

98elise

29,233 posts

174 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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dudleybloke said:
dont go for the shiny finish, its bloody lethal!
in anything but perfectly dry conditions its like an ice rink.
What he said....two neighbours have had it done, in frosty conditions it its dangerous.

Also if your garden slopes towards your house/garage, make sure it has a proper drain/soak away. One of our neighbours now has 3 inches of water in their garage when ever it rains. The concrete comapny are not interested as they don't see it as their problem.


pimpin gimp

3,299 posts

213 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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And if you're going to use a soakaway, make sure the water will actually go somewhere!
Also if you your Garden is all grass or gravel, you may have a planning issue with it all being impermeable. Have you thought about reinforced gravel? Looks nice and will drain straight through. Can even walk over it in high heels should you or your wife be so inclined. Or so the catalogue tells me.

PumpkinSteve

Original Poster:

4,187 posts

169 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
quotequote all
pimpin gimp said:
And if you're going to use a soakaway, make sure the water will actually go somewhere!
Also if you your Garden is all grass or gravel, you may have a planning issue with it all being impermeable. Have you thought about reinforced gravel? Looks nice and will drain straight through. Can even walk over it in high heels should you or your wife be so inclined. Or so the catalogue tells me.
Well, as I say I'm open to options on the material, I'd considered tarmac with blocks like this:

http://www.kingsdriveways.co.uk/images/tarmac_bloc...

I had thought about complete block paving but I'm always wary sinking, it looks terrible when that happens. At the moment it is currently all plants but a family along the street have the same sort of thing that I would like, albeit on a lower gradient than mine. Does the gradient of the garden affect planning issues with regards to drainage?

Also, does anyone know if there is a considerable price difference between the three (tarmac, blocks and imprinted concrete)?

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

261 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Don't forget you'll need permission and to send your cheque to the council if the area being replaced is over 5 square metres, which yours is.

steviejasp

1,646 posts

178 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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My mate had this done a couple of years ago.
It started crumbling up almost immediately.
Company wouldnt do anything about it despite promising!!
In hindsight, he reckoned he shouldn't have chosen one with such deep/sharp edged impressions.
A smoother/shallower design may have lasted longer.
Either way, he regrets it!!

sheldo

91 posts

193 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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looks lovley and i know a few people that have it. The only real downfall that i come across regular is, if your property has any drains or pipes that go under the drive, and they ever require attention later it can be a bit of a problem, especially if its right in the middle of the drive.

I see it quite a lot and the first responce i get is you ain't touching that drive, to which i reply well you ain't having gas then. A distinct advantage of block paving is it comes up and goes back like new everytime.

blackcab

1,259 posts

213 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Imprinted concrete is good when its done right - get plenty of references and look at some of there work, expansion joints and correct drainage should mean it will last for many years - loads better than block paving I had 170m2 of block paving done and spend most of my life weeding the bloody thing

goldblum

10,272 posts

180 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Had my drive and patio at the back done about 10 years ago.Patio's fantastic,drive's good but needs recolouring which is £200.

I've had no problems whatsoever with slippyness or water runoff and consider it money well spent.Be careful though,obviously if you pay peanuts..

PumpkinSteve

Original Poster:

4,187 posts

169 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Cheers guys, I've just spotted resin bound gravel which I may also look into...decisions, decisions.

eliot

11,835 posts

267 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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I've got it and I like it. No weeds and stays clean as it has acrylic sealer on it.
I want my main driveway doing so anyone with recomended firms around Milton Keynes - let me know.

PumpkinSteve

Original Poster:

4,187 posts

169 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
quotequote all
eliot said:
I've got it and I like it. No weeds and stays clean as it has acrylic sealer on it.
I want my main driveway doing so anyone with recomended firms around Milton Keynes - let me know.
Can you remember roughly how much you paid per square metre (if you don't mind me asking)? Or did the house have it before you moved in?

eliot

11,835 posts

267 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
quotequote all
PumpkinSteve said:
Can you remember roughly how much you paid per square metre (if you don't mind me asking)? Or did the house have it before you moved in?
I think £50 a metre years ago. Been told around £4k for another 50 sq metre which is around £80 sq mt

davidspooner

23,990 posts

207 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Someone down the road just had one of these done. Is it only me who thinks they look pretty naff?

Ed5995

184 posts

199 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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I have an imprinted driveway with a "Belgian fan" pattern. It's been down 12 years and tbh I would never have another. Water lies (flatish site) and unlike tarmac it doesn't seep through. The hard winter frosts also have caused damage in the form of big cracks. Next time it'll be tarmac (not bitmca) or granite paviors.

davepoth

29,395 posts

212 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
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Shameless plug for my company...

http://www.ennisprismo.com/products/decorative-sur...

Done with the anti-skid paint used on the roads, so much less slippery than the concrete one. We've got some on the car park at my office as a demo, it looks surprisingly decent, even in red.

PumpkinSteve

Original Poster:

4,187 posts

169 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Shameless plug for my company...

http://www.ennisprismo.com/products/decorative-sur...

Done with the anti-skid paint used on the roads, so much less slippery than the concrete one. We've got some on the car park at my office as a demo, it looks surprisingly decent, even in red.
That looks pretty nifty, do you put that over the top of tarmac?

davepoth

29,395 posts

212 months

Sunday 24th April 2011
quotequote all
PumpkinSteve said:
That looks pretty nifty, do you put that over the top of tarmac?
Yes, that's the way it's done. It's basically a really thick resin-y paint, and when it goes gooey they stick a patterned grid on it.