There are many types of surface available for a homeowner to use to re-surface their driveway or pave their patio. Many of these will be cheaper to install than Pattern Imprinted Concrete, however all of them suffer from a limited life expectancy, low durability and require a high level of maintenance to sustain their overall appearance.
Block paving tends to look great when first installed, but after 2-3 years, weeds, moss and more importantly sinkage tend to be very common issues. Oil stains can also be a problem.
Tarmac can be prone to cracking and potholes, along with low resistance to oil staining. Moss growth can also be a common problem in damp environments.
Gravel always looks lovely in photographs, but the reality is often very different. Migration of the stones is often the biggest issue, along with weed growth and potholes long term.
Paving/natural stone slabs are not suitable for trafficked areas due to the fact that they will break/crack/move due to the weight of vehicles.
Whether used on driveways or patios, long-term they will all suffer from a need to be re-pointed regularly along with commonly suffering from a build up of algae/dirt over a period of time.
Resin bonded stone has become increasingly popular over the last few years. Aside from the fact that the product is very new to the market and largely untested, many of the resins used are UV unstable and will therefore breakdown over time. Other common problems are delamination from the hard surface underneath the resin bonded stone, absorption of dirt into the material which then cannot be removed and patching on trafficked areas.
Pattern Imprinted Concrete offers the ultimate in durability, low maintenance and a wide range of patterns and colours.
