Concrete Driveways

• Brushed concrete: A plain slab finished with a stiff brush to give a fine, non-slip texture. It is practical, clean-looking and cost-effective.
• Pattern-imprinted concrete: Coloured concrete stamped with a pattern while still wet, so it resembles stone, brick, slate or cobbles, and then sealed.
• Exposed aggregate: The surface layer is washed back to reveal the stones in the mix, giving a natural, textured look with good grip.
• Borders: Contrasting colours or block paving borders frame the driveway.

It can be, when it is laid properly. Pattern-imprinted concrete gives the look of stone or brick in a single, strong slab. There are no joints for weeds to grow through, and it needs little maintenance beyond cleaning and periodic resealing.

It also has limitations you should know about:

• Cracks are hard to hide: If the slab cracks because of a poor base or missing joints, repairs are difficult to match to the pattern and colour.
• Resealing is needed: The sealant protects the colour and finish and needs reapplying from time to time.
• It can be slippery when wet if the wrong sealer is used, so an anti-slip additive is recommended.
• It is harder to alter later: Unlike block paving, you cannot simply lift and relay sections after drain works.

A deep, compacted sub-base, reinforcement where needed and correctly placed movement joints are what make an imprinted driveway last. If you would like the look of stone or brick with easier repairs, compare our block paving driveway and cobblestone and stone sett driveway pages.

For a typical domestic driveway used by cars, a concrete slab of around 100 millimetres thick is common. Around 150 millimetres is used for heavier vehicles or softer ground. The slab sits on a compacted sub-base of crushed stone, and steel reinforcement mesh is often added to control cracking. The right thickness, sub-base depth and concrete mix are confirmed for your driveway at the survey, based on the ground and how the drive will be used.

1. 1

   Excavation: the old surface and soil are dug out to the required depth.

2. 2

   Sub-base: crushed stone is laid and compacted to form a firm, even base.

3. 3

   Formwork and levels: timber formwork is set to the finished levels and falls, so water drains away from the house.

4. 4

   Reinforcement: steel mesh is placed where specified.

5. 5

   Pour and finish: the concrete is poured, levelled and finished as brushed, imprinted or exposed aggregate.

6. 6

   Movement joints: joints are cut or formed at set intervals and at junctions. They control where the concrete can move, which prevents random cracking.

7. 7

   Curing and sealing: the concrete is protected while it cures. Imprinted concrete is sealed once it is ready.

Concrete is not poured in freezing conditions or heavy rain, so work is planned around the forecast. We tell you exactly when the driveway can take foot traffic and then cars.

A properly built concrete driveway is one of the longest-lasting driveway surfaces. Its lifespan depends mainly on:

• the depth and compaction of the sub-base
• the slab thickness and reinforcement
• correctly placed movement joints
• good curing
• for imprinted concrete, regular resealing

Most cracking comes from a weak base or missing joints, not from the concrete itself.

Concrete is impermeable. For houses in England, laying more than 5 square metres of impermeable surface in a front garden needs planning permission, unless rainwater drains to a permeable area or soakaway within your property. We design the falls and add channel drains or a soakaway where needed, with any new drains laid through our drain installation and replacement service. A new dropped kerb always needs council approval, and the work on the pavement is carried out by the council or its approved contractor.