Property Ladder: Question about tonight's prog (Ch4)

Lady from Macclesfield had a new concrete drive laid, but they used what looked like big rubber moulds on it to make it look like paving.

Any idea what it is called and how to go about it?

Thanks, Crag

Reply to
Crag
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Crap, mainly.

Reply to
Huge

Imprinted concrete..?

Reply to
tarquinlinbin

Several companies offer it, although I don't recall the trade name. You will probably find one has done a demonstration area at a local garden centre. It looks better from a distance than close up.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
nightjar

Not seen the show, but...

I bought something that sounds similar from Wickes (?) a few years ago - you lay a thin base of concrete, then plonk the (roughly) 800m*800m wobbly shaped "stone-effect" mould on, fill in the gaps, tamp the concrete down, and remove.

The shaped concrete stays pretty much in the shape of the mould, and the mould is designed to tesselate so you get some variation on pattern for larger areas.

Reply to
Colin Wilson

Like moaning about the costs adding up, well half a dozen blokes swarming over a bit of concrete don't come cheap? :-)

£2000.00 for a drive...

Mark S.

Reply to
Mark S.

All drive finishes have problems, one problem with concrete is visual, that can be overcome, to some extent by moulds. The other problem is having laid a large slab of concrete eventual settlement results in it cracking. No way to stop that, it even happens to reinforced runways, or the concrete motorways they "experimented" with, like the M6 just South of Stafford.

Reply to
Broadback

If you're using cement dye, it must be incorporated into the mix, not be just a surface coating, else it *will* wear and look scabby;

If you need to dig up the drive to get at anything, it can be awkward.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

visual,

runways,

I wonder if with these moulded patterns, the cracks would tend to occur in the dips, where the crete is thinner and the cracks very much less visible?

NT

Reply to
bigcat

Broadback wrote: The other problem is

My mothers house which we sold last year,has a single slab of concrete laid in 1963 IIRC, that is uncracked and unblemished, except for one corner where a 30 tonner ran over it.

Concrete if properly laid does NOT crack and settle. This was 5" of concrete laid by hand on about 4" of smacked down hardcore, and I remember the builder watering it for three days after he had laid it to 'keep it setting right'

Concrete is one of teh most practical surfaces for anything but the heaviest vehicles, and its not that expensive. Its just unbvelievebly UGLY.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

"Exposed aggregate finish". HTH.

Reply to
Chris Bacon

Imprinted concrete.

If you look on C4's Property Ladder microsite, they normally give you the contact details for all suppliers used in the programme (might not do in this case as it was a repeat).

David

Reply to
Lobster

In article , Crag writes

It called pattern imprinted concrete, the concrete mix should include polypropylene fibres which prevent cracking, a coloured dry shake is sprinkled onto the wet surface of the concrete and then the mats are pressed down onto the surface which gives the pattern, the mats are coated with a stearate release agent, the surface is then sealed with a low solids sealer, when done properly it looks great (albeit a little false) but when its done badly... PIC has had a bad press in the last few years because of cowboy franchise operations, it is a diyable thing but the sets of mats are expensive to buy (2-300squids) you may be able to hire them.

Reply to
David

Its not just a dye though, its a blend of pigment, cement and aggregate that gives you a hard wearing surface

Reply to
David

On Wed, 04 May 2005 22:51:57 GMT David wrote in news:rd$hb+ snipped-for-privacy@chapelhouse.demon.co.uk:

Excellent. Thanks all.

Reply to
Crag

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