Block Paving or Pattern Imprinted Concrete which is Better
As a highly respected and long established driveway and patio company we are regularly asked the question ‘which is better? Block Paving or Pattern Imprinted Concrete’ and as a driveway company who offers both of these options to our customers we can be totally unbiased with our answer.
First of all let’s establish why some people or some companies are prejudice towards one of these options. If it’s a driveway company who is telling your that one is better that the other then it is usually because that is the service they offer and they don’t want to lose your custom, you see not all block paving Sheffield companies offer both options, it’s either one or the other for many. For example a long established block paving company may have seen the introduction of pattern imprinted concrete as a passing fad and not bothered to learn this new skill hoping it would soon be forgotten about, on the other hand a newly formed pattern imprinted concrete company would simply concentrate of this new product and not develop other skills related to the industry they have entered into. Both these companies should be avoided, the block paving company, whilst skilled in what they do may have given you bad advice and pattern imprinted concrete may be a lot better for this project, and the imprinted concrete company may have not only given you bad advice but as a new company may not even have the skills required to do a good job leaving you with a sub standard driveway. People who tell you that one is better than the other are simply repeating what a driveway company has said, either to them directly or to someone else that they know.
So here is the unbiased truth, One of these products is not superior to the other, both have their flaws and both have their merits, sometimes it depends on the job itself, the shape of the driveway or garden, the architecture of the house and even whether or not finance in needed. Sometimes block paving is better simply because of the age and architecture of the building and the fact that it will not look out of place and will blend in with the style of the house better. Pattern imprinted concrete is better for difficult to reach areas, winding paths and steps or intricate and complex patterns. Some finance companies will still not other finance on pattern imprinted concrete as a minor flaw or fault can result in the relaying of the entire drive whereas with block paving it’s just a matter of replacing a few blocks, of course a professional driveway companies shouldn’t make errors during laying but as a relatively new concept the finance companies are at present reluctant to take the risk leaving block paving as the only option for many people.
Pattern Imprinted Concrete however is lower maintenance than block paving, once down there is no need to weed as the whole drive is sealed so weeds cannot grow through, the final coating of sealer used protects the concrete from discolouring and keeps the colour crisp and vibrant for many years with a reseal needed around every 5 years in order to keep it looking like new. Pattern imprinted concrete isn’t just regular concrete it has elastic properties so minor subsidence will not affect it.
In Summary, when deciding whether to have block paving or pattern imprint concrete it is advisable to choose a company that offers both, have them survey your property and take the advice that they give you rather than listening to other people, listen to the professionals and have the driveway that’s right for you, right for your finances and right for your property.
