Imprint concrete driveway

mimihops

Thinking of getting the driveway redone with imprint concrete - anyone have any personal experience of good companies for this in Cork? Want to avoid the cowboys!

Black_Knight

Was going to go with imprinted concrete ourselves, but in talking to a few companies I started to notice a few imprinted concrete driveways in our area.

In the end, I went with paving because:
- if imprinted concrete gets a crack, you're never going to patch it seamlessly
- requires sealing every few years (I didn't want to have to store sealant over years)
- imprinted concrete in houses around me looked like it didn't stand the test of time
- any moisture ingress and a bit of cold weather and it could be a disaster for it
- cost compared to paving was about the same
- generally thought Paving looked better

I got 3 quotes for our driveway, with a bit of range in price (5500-13000).

Sublime paving (they have some other company names too) were who I contacted about imprinted concrete and they seemed pretty confident about it, but wary of going cheap on it. They quoted for imprinted and Paving. They were crazy expensive, it was laughable.

O Malley paving were our 2nd quote and we ended up going with them for paving. Really knew what they're doing, happy with the price and delighted with the finish. I can pm you some pics of you want.

Last quote was a local lad, never got a great impression off him so never followed up. He was cheapest though (only by a little bit)

Wildsurfer

Black_Knight wrote: »

Was going to go with imprinted concrete ourselves, but in talking to a few companies I started to notice a few imprinted concrete driveways in our area.

In the end, I went with paving because:
- if imprinted concrete gets a crack, you're never going to patch it seamlessly
- requires sealing every few years (I didn't want to have to store sealant over years)
- imprinted concrete in houses around me looked like it didn't stand the test of time
- any moisture ingress and a bit of cold weather and it could be a disaster for it
- cost compared to paving was about the same
- generally thought Paving looked better

I got 3 quotes for our driveway, with a bit of range in price (5500-13000).

Sublime paving (they have some other company names too) were who I contacted about imprinted concrete and they seemed pretty confident about it, but wary of going cheap on it. They quoted for imprinted and Paving. They were crazy expensive, it was laughable.

O Malley paving were our 2nd quote and we ended up going with them for paving. Really knew what they're doing, happy with the price and delighted with the finish. I can pm you some pics of you want.

Last quote was a local lad, never got a great impression off him so never followed up. He was cheapest though (only by a little bit)

Just wondering did you price tarmacadam as well? Currently trying to decide between the 3. Have heard asphalt would be the hardest wearing but very expensive.

Black_Knight

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Just wondering did you price tarmacadam as well? Currently trying to decide between the 3. Have heard asphalt would be the hardest wearing but very expensive.

Nope, didn't price it. Didn't want the look of tarmacadam for our house. Didn't think it'd look the best.

asphalt vs stone paving... can't imagine asphalt being harder wearing than stone.

Black_Knight

For the craic, here's a time lapse of our driveway transformation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDNg1a2Ja0

KaneToad

Black_Knight wrote: »

For the craic, here's a time lapse of our driveway transformation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDNg1a2Ja0

Wow! Hypnotic!

Kevwoody

Black_Knight wrote:

For the craic, here's a time lapse of our driveway transformation.

Not an expert and it's not a great angle, but I'd be slightly concerned about the depth of hardcore under those.

the beer revolu

Kevwoody wrote: »

Not an expert and it's not a great angle, but I'd be slightly concerned about the depth of hardcore under those.

You are not an expert and it's a bad angle, so what is the point of making that comment after the job is completed?

Do you expect the poster to have the garden torn up again?
Or do you just enjoy causing worry for the fun of it?

Some observations really are better kept to oneself.

corks finest

Black_Knight wrote: »

Was going to go with imprinted concrete ourselves, but in talking to a few companies I started to notice a few imprinted concrete driveways in our area.

In the end, I went with paving because:
- if imprinted concrete gets a crack, you're never going to patch it seamlessly
- requires sealing every few years (I didn't want to have to store sealant over years)
- imprinted concrete in houses around me looked like it didn't stand the test of time
- any moisture ingress and a bit of cold weather and it could be a disaster for it
- cost compared to paving was about the same
- generally thought Paving looked better

I got 3 quotes for our driveway, with a bit of range in price (5500-13000).

Sublime paving (they have some other company names too) were who I contacted about imprinted concrete and they seemed pretty confident about it, but wary of going cheap on it. They quoted for imprinted and Paving. They were crazy expensive, it was laughable.

O Malley paving were our 2nd quote and we ended up going with them for paving. Really knew what they're doing, happy with the price and delighted with the finish. I can pm you some pics of you want.

Last quote was a local lad, never got a great impression off him so never followed up. He was cheapest though (only by a little bit)

O mallet are good, honest,lived near one of them in cloughduv years ago,all hard working,and local

Kevwoody

the beer revolu wrote:

You are not an expert and it's a bad angle, so what is the point of making that comment after the job is completed?

Its an educated observation.

Get back in your box.

Wildsurfer

Black_Knight wrote: »

Nope, didn't price it. Didn't want the look of tarmacadam for our house. Didn't think it'd look the best.

asphalt vs stone paving... can't imagine asphalt being harder wearing than stone.

Yeah I see from your video the brick paving looks the business alright. I particularly like the way one of the workers uses the wheelbarrow as a seat!

the beer revolu

Kevwoody wrote: »

Its an educated observation.

Get back in your box.

No, it's a stupid "I wouldn't have done it like that, if I were you " valueless comment, after the fact.

Shoddy work, Ted. Shoddy work.

Emmersonn

Kevwoody wrote: »

Its an educated observation.

Get back in your box.

A "Boys from the Black Stuff" observation Boss ? :rolleyes:

Kevwoody

Emmersonn wrote:

A "Boys from the Black Stuff" observation Boss ?

Don't know why you would assume I'm a member of the travelling community?
I was merely giving my opinion on the amount of hardcore that went in, I'm sure the homeowner won't be going lifting his paving because a randomer on the internet made an observation.

Emmersonn

Kevwoody wrote: »

Don't know why you would assume I'm a member of the travelling community?
I was merely giving my opinion on the amount of hardcore that went in, I'm sure the homeowner won't be going lifting his paving because a randomer on the internet made an observation.

Again you have made another "educated observation" which is totally unfounded and shows the full extent of your education. I think this observation will put the homeowner totally at ease with your previous observation. :P

Tom44

Black_Knight wrote: »

Was going to go with imprinted concrete ourselves, but in talking to a few companies I started to notice a few imprinted concrete driveways in our area.

In the end, I went with paving because:
- if imprinted concrete gets a crack, you're never going to patch it seamlessly
- requires sealing every few years (I didn't want to have to store sealant over years)
- imprinted concrete in houses around me looked like it didn't stand the test of time
- any moisture ingress and a bit of cold weather and it could be a disaster for it
- cost compared to paving was about the same
- generally thought Paving looked better

I got 3 quotes for our driveway, with a bit of range in price (5500-13000).

Sublime paving (they have some other company names too) were who I contacted about imprinted concrete and they seemed pretty confident about it, but wary of going cheap on it. They quoted for imprinted and Paving. They were crazy expensive, it was laughable.

O Malley paving were our 2nd quote and we ended up going with them for paving. Really knew what they're doing, happy with the price and delighted with the finish. I can pm you some pics of you want.

Last quote was a local lad, never got a great impression off him so never followed up. He was cheapest though (only by a little bit)

+1 on O' Malley too.
I've used them in the past and a builder friend regularly uses them now.
And he knows good from bad.

Kevwoody

Emmersonn wrote:

Again you have made another "educated observation" which is totally unfounded and shows the full extent of your education. I think this observation will put the homeowner totally at ease with your previous observation.

Its hardly totally unfounded when there's a video of the work. How do you know for certain there's enough hardcore under there?
Again, it was only an observation, no need to attack me over it.

Black_Knight

the beer revolu wrote: »

You are not an expert and it's a bad angle, so what is the point of making that comment after the job is completed?

Do you expect the poster to have the garden torn up again?
Or do you just enjoy causing worry for the fun of it?

Some observations really are better kept to oneself.

Way ahead of ya. Play the video in reverse for a preview.

Black_Knight

corks finest wrote: »

O mallet are good, honest,lived near one of them in cloughduv years ago,all hard working,and local

They're O'Malley only by company name now. A worker of theirs bought the company a few years ago. That's who I was dealing with.

So far anyways, I can't fault them or their work. They were a week doing it and always made the effort to limit the impact on our day to day. We've only had it a few months now, but anyone who sees it thinks it's a great job. Locals had a good time stopping and staring in for the first week or so.