PATTERN IMPRINTED CONCRETE SUPPLIES LTD
UNIT 2 & 4
RED SHUTE HILL IND ESTATE
HERMITAGE
NR NEWBURY
BERKSHIRE RG18 9QL
Tel: 01635 202224
Fax:
Suppliers of: Paving Systems available for Specification including; Pattern Imprinted Concrete Paving, Imprinted Walling, Concrete Sealers, Asphalt Restorers, Resin Bound & Bonded Surfacing
Pattern Imprinted Concrete Supplies Ltd supply a wide range of materials and products and training for concrete imprinting for both paving and walling in the UK and for world-wide export. PICS provide a real alternative to both block paving, natural stone and resin bonded paving and wall systems. PICS have also recently acquired Hatcrete adding the ColourMix & AdColour Product Ranges to its portfolio.
Useful Resources:
- Social Media: Facebook
Imprinted Concrete training course:
Our imprinted concrete training course is designed for those that are new to the industry, or those who want to develop their existing practical experience through structured training. The course takes place over 2 days, the first day focusses on imprinted concrete theory followed by practical application on day two. Please contact us for further information.
PICS & Hatcrete Main Product Applications Include:
PICSPAVE – A complete pattern imprinted concrete system:
PICSPAVE is a system designed to create the aesthetic value and feel of natural stone, slate, cobble, tile, brick or wood. Available in over 100 designs and colour combinations, PICSPAVE will suit any application, Commercial, Industrial or Domestic.
- Colour: Available in over 100 designs and colour combinations
- Release Agent: Allows easy release of PICSPAVE Textured Imprinting Mats from the wet surface of concrete after application
- Sealers: a range of acrylic sealers for pattern imprinted concrete surfaces
- Imprinting Mats: PICS sell or hire the widest range of top quality Matcrete & Proline imprinting mats
- Tools: PICS supply a wide range of Kraft and ancillary concrete tools to the pattern imprinted market
- Preparation: a range of drainage channels, manhole covers, mortars, tarmac repair products
- Training: PICS offers training for all installations
PICS Hatcrete - Industrial Flooring:
Manufacture and supply of specialist materials used in large commercial flooring projects.
- Colourmix: Integral colour for concrete that has superseded traditional concrete dyes and pigments
- HATCRETE® Adcolour: Colouring additive for cementitious materials providing streak free colour
- Water based Cure & Seal: A transparent, acrylic polymer resin providing a hard wearing sealing solution
- Solvent based Cure & Seal: A high solids, high performance sealer suitable for heavily trafficked areas
- Industrial Quartz: Colour Hardener designed for heavy duty, decorative flooring applications
WALLCRETE – Wall render:
Recreating the appearance of natural stone, brick or rock walling from days gone by.
- WALLCRETE Render: Advanced lightweight render, which contains a bonding agent to enable simple mixing with water
- WALLCRETE imprinting mats: Replicate a variety of natural stone textures and finishes
- WALLCRETE textured finish skin mats: offering installers benefits in speed of installation
- Wall liquid release agent: Sprayable liquid for ensuring effective and simple imprinting of the WALLCRETE mats
- Wall Seal: Designed to protect the WALLCRETE surface from the elements, and enhance the natural colour
- Wall Stain: An extra strength stain, which creates a low sheen natural appearance on Wallcrete surfaces
- Wall pigment: A range of colours are available to be added to WALLCRETE as an integral colour
- Tools: PICS provide a range of mixing, carving and finishing tools to aid the WALLCRETE installer
PICSEAL and PERMASEAL Block Paving Sealers:
- PICSEAL Domestic Paving Sealer was developed by PICS in 1993 to combat the constant problems of staining and weed growth and to enhance the colour and aesthetic appeal.
- PERMASEAL Commercial Paving Sealant is our water-based sealer and is suitable only in very specific situations, normally for large areas such as supermarket carparks, pedestrian walkways etc.
PICSCOAT Tarmac Restoration:
- PICSCOAT is our own brand heavy duty commercial quality Tarmac restoration and Asphalt refurbishment product. Surfaces that have become faded, worn and shabby are transformed to “good as new” with a single application.
PICSBOND Resin Bonded Stone:
- PICSBOND is a resin bound or bonded thin overlay system using durable polyurethane resin combined with natural aggregates, to produce an attractive surface dressing suitable for roads, car parks, ramps and pedestrian areas.
Full Sealer Range:
PICS manufacture a wide range of solvent and water based sealing and curing solutions across all sectors. Whether sealing a pattern imprinted concrete driveway or curing a power floated industrial floor, there is a quality sealing solution for your specific application.
- Pattern Imprinted Concrete / Decorative Concrete Sealers
- Commercial Block Paving Sealers
- Driveway Refurbishment Sealers
- Industrial Flooring Sealers
- Decorative Walling Sealers
Further information along with technical data and useful resources can be found on the Pattern Imprinted Concrete Supplies web site.
PICS Golden Trowel Awards 2024 Domestic Category Winner
Site Features:
The garden is located on a sloping site, where a mix of flower beds, lawn areas, and a vegetable garden have been thoughtfully incorporated. Access to the garden from a patio is via uneven steps, with the patio itself being semi-shaded for much of the day. A recently installed greenhouse is positioned on the site, but accessibility was challenging due to a narrow and slippery path, which made it difficult to manoeuvre wheelbarrows. The owners are passionate gardeners who were eager to further develop the planting in the garden, while also seeking a space to relax and entertain in the sunniest area of the property.
Project Aims:
The primary aim of the project was to enhance both the aesthetics and usability of the customer’s garden, making it a more functional and enjoyable space.
One key goal is to optimise the layout, creating better access to a new, sunlit patio area. Additionally, the project aims to improve safety by ensuring that all steps have an even tread depth, providing easy access throughout the garden. The customers’ preferences are central to the design process, and they had input at every stage of the project. To extend the garden’s usability into the evening, plans included lighting being installed to illuminate key areas, ensuring safety for activities such as bringing in logs after dark.
The project also seeks to balance quality with cost-effectiveness, delivering a high-end look while maintaining budgetary constraints. A low-maintenance design is a priority, especially with the customers’ dogs in mind, ensuring the space remains easy to care for, with a durable and simple-to-clean patio that allows them to focus on enjoying their garden
Area:
The project covered a total area of 67m², including patios, paths, and steps, with a specific focus on improving accessibility and flow throughout the garden. Additionally, an exposed aggregate surface was laid around the greenhouse, covering 10m², which adds both aesthetic appeal and functionality.
A sleeper wall, constructed from 105 ‘sleepers’ of varying lengths and printed on all sides, was incorporated to define spaces and enhance the garden’s structure.
The project required a total of 567 man-hours to complete, ensuring that every element was up to a high standard and installed to meet the design goals.
Technical:
Two Patios and Pathway
Mats: PICS – Bavarian Castle Stone
Colour Surface Hardener: PICS – Steadman Buff
Release Agent: PICS – Charcoal
Concrete: C350 volumetric concrete with fibres
Sealer: 2 coats of PICS high solid sealer with PICS Rhino Grip in 2nd coat.
Steps
Mats: PICS Reclaimed Timber and home-made endgrain mats.
Colour Surface Hardener: PICS – Biscuit
Release Agent: PICS – Charcoal
Concrete: Mixed on-site in Belle mixers with fibres
Sealer: 2 coats of PICS High Solid Sealer with Rhino Grip in 2nd coat.
Exposed Aggregate (around greenhouse)
Aggregate: 10mm Golden Shingle
Colour: HATCRETE – Stone Buff Adcolour
Concrete: Mixed on-site in Belle mixers with fibres
Retardant: HATCRETE Blue Retarder
Sealer: 2 coats of PICS High Solid Sealer.
Sleeper-effect Wall
Wall: Built-in concrete blocks finished with uneven heights to mimic sleepers.
Render: PICS Wallcrete
Mats: Printed on all sides with vertical PICS Reclaimed Timber mats and with endgrain mats on the tops.
Tint (mixed into Render): Biscuit
Highlight colours: Dark Chocolate & Brown Smith’s Acrylic.
Sealer: 1 coat of PICS Wall Seal & 1 coat of PICS High Solid Sealer.
Lights
Deck lights: 20x 40mm high spec decking lights with choice of lighting colour.
Wiring Loom: Bespoke
Controller & Timer: Bluetooth
Technical Difficulties & Considerations:
The construction of the sleeper wall involved careful attention to detail, particularly with the placement of blocks to ensure that the widths aligned perfectly with the final vertical sleeper sizes, which varied between 10” and 8”.
To allow for easy future maintenance, the wiring loom for the garden’s lighting system was discreetly placed in a gravel drainage trench at the bottom of the wall. Additionally, spare wires were concealed in the render, providing flexibility for adding more lights if desired in the future.
The lights themselves were mounted in a 35mm sleeve, allowing the customer to easily replace them and even reverse the polarity from a white light to a warm glow, providing customizable lighting options.
To enhance convenience, a Bluetooth controller and timer were installed, enabling remote operation of the lighting system for effortless control and ease of use.
Participants:
Contractors: EMT Drives and landscaping
Concrete Supplier: Bromfield Sand and Gravel
Product Supplier/ Manufacturer: PICS
Does Pattern Imprinted Concrete Require Maintenance?
Pattern Imprinted Concrete when properly installed, requires very little upkeep. Good quality, well-laid plain grey concrete can be down for years and still maintain an excellent condition, the same is true for properly installed pattern imprinted concrete. The only difference with pattern imprinted concrete when compared to good quality plain grey concrete is that it’s coloured, patterned and looks attractive.
In addition, the material used to colour the surface is stronger than the concrete itself and has a very high abrasion resistance and resistance to freeze-thaw cycles and de-icing salts.
Furthermore, the surface is sealed with a penetrating acrylic sealer which soaks into the concrete and among other things, prevents dusting, one of the biggest wearing factors of any concrete surface.
So, in summary, you’ve got good quality concrete, hardened by the addition of colour surface hardener and sealed with a penetrating acrylic sealer. This all comes together to create a high-quality and highly durable surface.
Resealing Your Pattern Imprinted Concrete
While pattern imprinted concrete requires very little maintenance, we do recommend that pattern imprinted concrete would benefit from a reseal every 3 to 5 years, dependent on use.
Although this is not essential and there are many surfaces out there that have never been resealed, the sealed layer acts as a sacrificial layer and helps to protect the decorative surface and maintain a quality finish.
As mentioned, the top surface is the most important part of your driveway and the sealer will help to take the wear and tear, rather than the decorative finish itself. It’s a bit like a solid oak wood floor, a solid oak wooden floor is a top-quality product. If you choose not to maintain it, it will still last for decades, but the surface is more likely to get scratched, abraded and damaged. However, if you maintain that wooden floor, giving it a coat of polish, varnish or wax with a frequency that is in keeping with the usage of that area, then that floor will remain looking good for far longer. It’s the same imprinted concrete, if you look after something and give it a bit of periodic maintenance, it will maintain its good looks for years to come.
How To Seal a Pattern Imprinted Concrete Surface.
Sealing an imprinted concrete surface is an easy task and can be undertaken by a homeowner. It’s important to ensure the driveway is clean – remove any dirt, debris, oil etc. and ensure the surface is bone dry. Then, apply sealer using a broom, or (suitable Viton equipped) sprayer to apply evenly across the surface.
Dr Concrete
