A pattern imprinted concrete driveway is a reinforced concrete slab that is coloured, stamped with a textured mat while wet to look like setts, cobbles, brick or slate, and sealed once cured.
Cost
£80 – £130 per m²
Lifespan
20 – 25 years with resealing
Permeable
No
Best for
A sett or cobble look at lower cost than natural stone
Pattern imprinted concrete is a 100mm minimum slab poured over a compacted Type 1 sub-base with mesh or fibre reinforcement. A colour hardener is cast onto the wet surface, a release agent is applied, and pattern mats are pressed in before the concrete sets.
Movement joints are cut into the slab at regular intervals. Joints control where the slab moves, and missing joints are the main cause of random cracking in imprinted concrete driveways.
An acrylic sealer protects the colour and surface. An anti-slip grit mixed into the sealer improves grip in wet and frosty Glasgow conditions.
Imprinted concrete is impermeable, so surface water is directed to a channel drain at the boundary and into a soakaway or approved outfall. This keeps the driveway within permitted development in Scotland.
Pattern imprinted concrete costs £80 to £130 per square metre installed in Glasgow, depending on pattern, colours, excavation and drainage.
Imprinted concrete has no joints for weeds, while monoblock is permeable and repairs invisibly. Monoblock suits utility access and drainage; imprinted concrete suits a seamless sett look.
Imprinted concrete needs cleaning and resealing every two to three years to keep its colour and surface protection.
Send your measurements, or ask us to measure on site. We quote by material, sub-base build-up and drainage solution, so you can compare like with like.