Imprinting Concrete Procedure and Information

Thankyou for looking around our website, we hope that you found the information useful and enjoyed looking through our gallery pages, below are details of the procedure carried out by ourselves for imprinting concrete.

a. Marking up then machine excavating new proposed driveway/patio area

b. Ensuring excavated area is filled to required depth with hard core/stone

c. Concrete is then installed to a minimum depth of four inches (concrete specification P350 fibre mesh, 20mm stone, hair and trained)

d. Base colour of customer requirement is applied, magnesium floated into the surface of the concrete when the required level of colour is achieved it is then steel floated locking the colour into the concrete surface area.

e. Release agent is then applied covering the full surface area, please note this is not the finished colour of your new driveway/patio. Release agent has two main functions 1) release will create the antique effect in the imprinted pattern chosen by yourself 2) release also aids driveway fitters when imprinting your driveway/patio. The fine powder release acts as an anti-stick agent between the surface of the concrete and the imprinting mats.

f. Once release has been applied the fitters will begin printing, when the drive/patio has been printed all areas will be hazard taped off to prohibit any people or vehicles venturing onto the new area.

g. After 24 to 48 hours fitters will then visit to power-wash off the new drive/patio this will clear approximately 97% of the release agent leaving only the design highlighted together with the base colour of the pre-selected choice.

h. Your new drive/patio is 95% complete, the new surface will dry naturally very light, again, this is a predicted part of the procedure (please do not be alarmed as this is not the true visualisation of the finished product)

i. Although every effort is made in careful planning and strategic positioning of expansion joint at pre-determined locations throughout the concrete to minimise the risk of cracking. There is a possibility cracks may still occur. However, these are hairline in appearance and should not deteriorate or alter the stucture of the concrete due to the fibre-mesh within the concrete

j. Your driveway/patio is now ready for the final stage of – sealing. In order to achieve the maximum effect the new area must stay completely clean and dry prior to sealing. When sealed with two coats of sealer your drive will be complete. We recommend you do not walk over the area for at least six to eight hours, vehicles for 48 hours after sealing.

k. Please note the use of grit salt and other de-icing materials may cause premature wearing or damage to sealer and concrete surface.

l. Damage may occur due to adverse prolonged weather conditions.