Pattern Imprinted Driveway Costs

Patterned concrete driveways are a perfect option for your home if you want to inject some colour and quirkiness to the front of your property. Concrete used to be boring, but now it can be imprinted with patterns and made into almost any colour, they’re a sought-after home improvement.

But how much is a patterned concrete driveway? Of course, it depends on a few factors, such as:

• Where you live
• How big you want your driveway to be
• What colour or design you would like
• Whether any additional work will need to be completed to prepare the area for the driveway

Generally, a 40m² pattern imprinted concrete driveway, that will fit 1 or 2 cars, will set you back around £3,750. If you have a 100m² driveway that will fit lots of cars, you’ll be looking at the £9,000 mark.

It’s not a quick and easy job, so you’re mostly paying for labour. This might put you off and make you consider doing it yourself, but there’s a reason why the labour costs are high – because it’s a specialist task. It’s best to leave it to the professionals, so if you want to try to save money there are other ways you can cut back.

See if your pattern imprinted driveway can be laid on an existing sub-base

If you’ve already got a block or tarmac driveway that’s in relatively good condition, you may be able to ask your installer about whether they can lay your concrete driveway over the top.

However, since your driveway is likely to already be up to the level of your property boundary, it might not be possible to lay your pattern imprinted one straight over the top. If you have a garage it might block the entrance, or the new driveway could even breach your damp proof course. If this is the case, then the old driveway will need to be dug up and a new sub-base laid.

Paving comes in a wide range of colours and patterns. Consider using a contrasting colour for the edges of your patio or driveway for a tidy effect. A paving specialist can advise you on different combinations possible, alternatively, have a look online at what products, shapes and colours are produced.

No, pattern imprinted concrete shouldn’t be slippery. Most good driveway installers will add a special anti-slip agent to the sealant before they brush it onto your driveway, so it will stop it from being slippery.

It’s important to ask a driveway company how they will seal your driveway when you get a quote from them. If an untrustworthy company seals your driveway badly, it can cause a thick and extremely slippery surface, so it’s vital that you ask any contractor what their procedure is before you engage them.

It’s also important to remember that pattern imprinted concrete isn’t a ‘non-slip’ surface – it’s just not slippery. You could still slip over on a concrete driveway, just like you could on tarmac or a block paved driveway. Also, once you’ve walked and driven over your driveway for a few months, its skid and slip resistance will increase as it weathers and builds up tiny specs of dirt on it. Pattern imprinted concrete is often used in high footfall areas in places like shops, fast food restaurants and theme parks, so if there was a significant slip risk these businesses wouldn’t use it.

You might think that you could ask your contractor not to seal the driveway to make it less slippery, but it could actually do the opposite. By sealing pattern imprinted concrete, it means that moss and algae is much less likely to grow, which can be extremely slippery to walk on if it’s left to its own devices. If moss does form on your driveway, the sealed surface is much easier to clean as you can simply pressure wash it away; this is not as easy to do on a non-sealed surface.

Yes, patterned concrete driveways are very durable. Concrete, once set, is extremely strong and will take the weight of your car or cars easily. Most installers say that a pattern imprinted concrete driveway will last at least 10 years, but some may last as long as 25 years.

The key to keeping your patterned concrete driveway in tip top condition is regular maintenance and swift repair. While there isn’t much maintenance to be done, sweeping the driveway regularly and washing off any oil or petrol spills will stop erosion. If you do notice any problems with your driveway, it’s best to get someone to come and inspect and repair it as soon as possible before any issues become too large.

A good way to increase the durability of your patterned driveway is to ensure that it’s laid on a high quality sub-base. To cut costs, you may consider laying it on your existing tarmac or block driveway, but this should only be done if it’s in good condition and there are no signs of sinking. If the sub-base does sink during the lifetime of your concrete driveway, there’s no way to solve it – other than digging up the driveway and starting from scratch.

Laying pattern imprinted concrete is not an easy task. There’s a reason why nearly 50% of the costs are for labour – because it’s a specialist job that requires skill. We’ll go through the process of how to lay pattern imprinted concrete here, but we would always recommend that you call a professional to do it for you.

1. Prepare the sub-base

   The driveway company will excavate, or dig, the existing surface down to a depth of around 200mm. They will remove any debris from the area may place it in a skip or arrange for it to be removed in another way.

   When they dig down to the sub-base of your previous driveway, they will assess how much hardcore they need and arrange for that to be delivered to the site. They will then spread the hardcore across the sub-base to create a level surface to pour the concrete on.

   Most good contractors will apply a gel to any walls and doors to protect them from concrete splashes. They will also add any gulley tops, manhole covers or shuttering that’s required.

2. Installation and imprinting

   Next, the tradespeople will have the concrete either poured from a large mixer vehicle or barrow it in from a mixer and pour onto the surface. They level it with rakes, then add a colour surface hardener in a colour of your choice. This will give the driveway its permanent colour.

   They will then wait until the concrete has hardened to the correct consistency for imprinting the pattern, then will use special tools and stencils to make the pattern that you asked for. They will then spread a colour powder called a release agent over the surface, and leave to dry for 1 to 2 days depending on the weather conditions.

3. Cleaning

   When the contractors return, they will add crack control cuts into the concrete. This is important because concrete expands and contracts in the heat, so there needs to be some give to stop any larger cracks from forming.

   Then everything is power washed clean, and a chemical wash is also used on the concrete to ensure it’s completely dust-free. The installers will ensure all your walls and doors are clean, which will hopefully be an easy job if they used wall gel.

4. Sealing

   The final step is to seal the driveway. There needs to have been at least two dry days before the tradespeople can do it, so you might find it’s best to have your pattern imprinted driveway installed in the summer.

   The contractors will blow any debris away from the surface and dry any damp areas where necessary. They will then add an anti-slip agent to the sealant and brush it on.

   It’s best to not walk or drive onto your new concrete driveway for about 4 days after sealing to allow everything to set. But after that, you’re ready to use your new driveway!

How much patterned concrete costs per m² will depend on a few factors:

• Where in the country you live
• What colour you choose
• What pattern you choose
• Whether you choose a standard or a higher-quality concrete

Of course, there are different tools required to imprint the pattern on the driveway, so you must factor these into the cost as well. On average, a square metre of pattern imprinted concrete costs £78, but it can range anywhere between £25 and £130. The average cost of all the materials for the driveway is £1,763, which isn’t too bad – but due to the time and expertise involved, labour costs are an average of £4,063.

If you’re thinking about sourcing the materials for patterned concrete and doing it yourself, consider it carefully. Imprinted concrete takes skill and will look unsightly if anything goes wrong with the pattern, but if anything goes wrong with laying the concrete it could affect the integrity of the driveway. The last thing you want is a sunken driveway that you can’t drive your cars onto, so it’s always best to call in the professionals to install your patterned concrete driveway.