One of the main questions asked when it comes to having a driveway or patio installed is ‘how long will it take?’. This is completely understandable as having cars off the drive and workmen at your house can be an inconvenience but we can make sure it will all be worth the wait! In all honesty there is no definite amount of days as there are many factors to account for e.g. the size of the installation, weather, drainage etc. that needs to be installed. We try to aim for all of our customers to have the works completed between 5-7 days. Take a further read to see the process from start to finish, this will give you a clear idea of the exact works that will happen and the stages you will see:
Enquiry:
You simply need to enquire through our office or via our online survey form, you can then arrange for a member of our sales team to visit your property, on a time and date convenient to you, to survey the works you wish to be carried out and take measurements in order to formulate your overall cost.
From here you will receive our 5 page quotation (including full specification) and our no -obligation quote. We can book your works in once we have received your deposit payment and follow this with your survey drawing and finished paperwork. You are now ready to go ahead with the works and look forward to a brand new driveway/patio.
Preparation:
All projects have to be correctly prepared before any concrete can be poured. The preparation works will consist of the team arriving to site, excavating the area to an average depth of 8 inches and removing the current materials so the sub base can be delivered to site and installed according to our specification. This will form a level, solid base on which to pour the concrete. We aim to use grab wagons where possible as in most cases we are able to remove the debris from site the same day. All drainage, steps, edgings etc. will also be installed at this point. Once both the foreman and customer have signed off the prep works we are then ready to get the concrete in
Concrete:
At Complete Driveway Designs we use a fibre, air entrained concrete which on completion is 25-30% stronger than a standard concrete. The fibres in the concrete bond together whilst the concrete cures, making the concrete stronger than usual. The air entrainment chemical protects the concrete from any future frost damage.
The concrete wagon will arrive on site and pour the concrete: once this has been floated a colour surface hardener is spread over the concrete in powder form and floated into the surface of the concrete. This is the primary colour and is what permanently colours your driveway/patio. Once the colour has been floated in and dried to the correct consistency, the pattern is able to be imprinted onto the surface and a second colour powder, called a release agent, is spread over the surface of the concrete. This release agent enables us to place the texture mats on the concrete to imprint your desired pattern onto the surface without the concrete sticking to the bottom of the mats. At this point you will begin to see your new driveway coming together.
Clean and cut:
The concrete has now gone hard enough for us to clean the residue dust from the surface and for the expansion joints to be cut into the concrete. These minimise the risk of cracking on the concrete surface, ensuring the crack never becomes visible.
Seal:
The last job to be completed is to seal your new pattern imprinted concrete in either a matt or gloss finish. In order for your driveway to be perfect we blow any debris from the surface and dry any damp areas if necessary. The end of the driveway will be tarmacked at this stage to give a fresh and tidy finish to complement your drive with chippings added to any edges where necessary, silicone can also be added in the expansion joints.
We advise you to keep any cars, plants, bins etc off the driveway for 3-4 days after it has been sealed.
You can now use your new driveway or patio and enjoy it for years and years to come! If you wish to speak to an advisor, please give us a call on 01706 827180 or click here and we will be more than happy to help.