CD Designs Blog
Training Day
Learn the 'art' of pattern imprinted concrete installation
Places are beginning to fill up for our pattern imprinted concrete training day, but there are still some available. Book now to avoid missing out.
The course provides a great opportunity to learn how to install and maintain pattern imprinted concrete, one of the fastest growing parts of the uk home improvement sector. There will be a mixture of classroom learning and hands-on practical experience. Everyone is welcome, from novice installers wanting to learn from scratch, to specifiers wanting to gain a greater knowledge of the materials and processes.
The course starts at 9am on Saturday, 8th June, with the booking fee being £25. If you would like to reserve a place, please phone us on 01706 827180 or email info@cd-designs.co.uk.
Post Date: | 17th May 2013 |
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Tags: | concrete art, concrete driveway maintainance, pattern imprinted concrete installation, training |
Spring Maintenance
Fully Resealed Driveway
Although we had snow in the middle of March this year, it looks like winter has finally gone. Sometimes the weather can affect a driveway, but it is usually only superficial damage.
If your driveway looks like it needs a facelift, there are a few things that could have caused it. The most common is what we call blooming, which is where moisture has gotten into the sealant. Don’t worry, the concrete underneath is fine and this is easily fixable. The picture above is a resealed driveway which previously had blooming, and as you can see it looks great! We did a blog on this last year which you can see here.
Another common problem is where the sealant has worn away over time, making the driveway look old and shabby. Be aware that this means the concrete is not protected any more, and we would advise a full reseal in order to protect it from the elements. You can see examples of where maintenance is needed in this blog from last year.
Your driveway may just have become dull over winter, with the colour not as vibrant as it once was. This is probably just an example of weathering on the seal, and shows that the sealant has been doing its job. A reseal would bring back the full colour of the concrete underneath, and make the driveway look as good as new.
If you would like some advice about driveway maintenance, or you would like to book a reseal, please phone 01706 827180 or leave a message here.
Post Date: | 22nd April 2013 |
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Tags: | concrete driveway maintainance, pattern imprinted concrete driveway, Reseal, winter driveway care |
Best Blogs Of 2012
We have looked through our blogs over the last 12 months and picked out the 5 we think are the most interesting and informative.
In this blog from January, we looked at a job we did at St. George’s Primary School in Barrow-in-Furness. We created a dragon themed pattern imprinted concrete playground, which you can see pictures of in the entry.
Pattern Imprinted Concrete Dragon
2. Essential and Non-Essential Maintenance
In this blog from February, we looked at whether a pattern imprinted concrete driveway requires essential or non-essential maintenance.
Non-Essential Maintenance
3. Installation Of Your Driveway
In this June blog, we had a quick look at what to do during the installation of your driveway, and how look after it immediately after. The blog entry also has a link to another blog describing how to prepare before we arrive to install your driveway.
Applying Sealant
4. Do You Need Planning Permission
In this November blog we gave you a quick guide as to whether you will need planning permission when having a pattern imprinted driveway installed, or any other work done to your home.
Do You Need Planning Permission?
5. A Tribute To Oscar Niemeyer
In this blog from December, we paid tribute to Oscar Niemeyer, one of the 20th centuries most innovative designers of concrete structures.
The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum Designed by Niemeyer
Post Date: | 21st January 2013 |
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Tags: | concrete design, concrete driveway maintainance, dragon, Oscar Niemeyer, pattern imprinted concrete driveway, Planning Permission, playground, school |
Self-Repairing Concrete
Concrete Mixed With Bacterial Spores
Imagine if your pattern imprinted concrete driveway never needed maintenance, and any weathering, cracks and other damage would heal by itself. It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but Dutch scientists are nearly ready to begin tests that could make it a reality.
Microbiologist Henk Jonkers and concrete technologist Eric Schlangen have been working at Delft Technical University in The Netherlands to engineer the new type of concrete. “In the lab we have been able to show healing of cracks with a width of 0.5mm. Now we are upscaling”, explained Dr Jonkers. They are currently trying to reduce the considerable cost of the process, but they believe that they can do this and be ready to begin testing in around 6 months, with a view to commercialising it in 2-3 years.
The process works by mixing bacterial spores and the nutrients they feed on into the concrete. When the spores come into contact with water, they begin to feed on the nutrients and produce limestone, which begins to fill the cracks through which the water got in.
Concrete is the most popular building material in the world, and if the lifespan of it can be significantly extended it should lead to reduced costs and better structures for everyone. If it can be incorporated into pattern imprinted concrete, then we should see significant savings on maintenance in the future.
Post Date: | 8th January 2013 |
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Merry Christmas – A Winter Guide
Merry Christmas from everyone at Complete Driveway Designs! We’re sure that lots of you were hoping for a white Christmas, but it seems that the weather reports were correct, and all we’re going to get is wet and windy. Should we get snow or ice in the future however, here is a quick guide for your pattern imprinted concrete.
Don’t worry about the effect of snow on your driveway, it is perfectly protected. However if you do decide that you want to remove the snow, you must be careful when doing so. Using something heavy and hard-edged like a metal shovel or wooden broom may scratch the sealant or the concrete. It is best to use a plastic shovel, whilst trying not to scrape too close to the concrete.
If your driveway becomes icy, you may consider trying to remove the ice. Don’t put salt on it, as the salt will make a mess of your driveway if there are any gaps in the sealant. You may also consider throwing some hot water over it to melt the ice, but in our experience the water just freezes again and you have the same problem. Anti-freeze can be used in watered-down, small amounts to defrost your driveway, and putting sand down can make it less slippery.
If you want any advice don’t hesitate to get in touch, and stay safe!
Post Date: | 25th December 2012 |
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