- Prepare the sub-base The driveway company will excavate, or dig, the existing surface down to a depth of around 200mm. They will remove any debris from the area may place it in a skip or arrange for it to be removed in another way. When they dig down to the sub-base of your previous driveway, they will assess how much hardcore they need and arrange for that to be delivered to the site. They will then spread the hardcore across the sub-base to create a level surface to pour the concrete on. Most good contractors will apply a gel to any walls and doors to protect them from concrete splashes. They will also add any gulley tops, manhole covers or shuttering that’s required.
- Installation and imprinting Next, the tradespeople will have the concrete either poured from a large mixer vehicle or barrow it in from a mixer and pour onto the surface. They level it with rakes, then add a colour surface hardener in a colour of your choice. This will give the driveway its permanent colour. They will then wait until the concrete has hardened to the correct consistency for imprinting the pattern, then will use special tools and stencils to make the pattern that you asked for. They will then spread a colour powder called a release agent over the surface, and leave to dry for 1 to 2 days depending on the weather conditions.
- Cleaning When the contractors return, they will add crack control cuts into the concrete. This is important because concrete expands and contracts in the heat, so there needs to be some give to stop any larger cracks from forming. Then everything is power washed clean, and a chemical wash is also used on the concrete to ensure it’s completely dust-free. The installers will ensure all your walls and doors are clean, which will hopefully be an easy job if they used wall gel.
- Sealing The final step is to seal the driveway. There needs to have been at least two dry days before the tradespeople can do it, so you might find it’s best to have your pattern imprinted driveway installed in the summer. The contractors will blow any debris away from the surface and dry any damp areas where necessary. They will then add an anti-slip agent to the sealant and brush it on. It’s best to not walk or drive onto your new concrete driveway for about 4 days after sealing to allow everything to set. But after that, you’re ready to use your new driveway!
Roslin
Roslin (previously led to Rosslyn or Roslyn) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, 7 miles (11 kilometres) to the south of the capital city Edinburgh. It bases on high ground, near the northwest bank of the river North Esk. Legend has it the town was founded in 203 A.D. by Asterius, a Pict. In 1303 Roslin was the site of a battle of the First Battle of Scottish Independence. In 1446, Rosslyn Chapel was constructed, under the overview of William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness. Roslin became vital as the seat of the St Clair (or Sinclair) household. In 1456 King James II approved it the standing of a burgh. Coal mining has been a major line of work from the twelfth to the late twentieth centuries. From the 19th century forward, the destinations of the Glen, Castle and Chapel created Roslin as a preferred visitor location. Significant visitors consisted of J. M. W. Turner, William Wordsworth (that created a rhyme in the church whilst running away a storm) and his sis Dorothy, that wrote "'I never travelled through an extra delicious dell than the glen of Rosslyn". William Morris went to in March 1887, noting in his Socialist Diary that Roslin was "a beautiful glen-ny landscape much ruined, by the misery of Scotch building and also a factory or 2." On the north-western side of the town used to be Roslin Institute, an organic research study establishment, where in 1996 Dolly the sheep became the initial pet to be duplicated from a grown-up somatic cell. It moved to Easter Bush in 2011.
