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What is PICS | Pattern Imprinted Concrete Supplies & Training?
PICS is a UK manufacturer and supplier of decorative concrete products, best known for pattern imprinted concrete (also called stamped or textured concrete). It sells to the trade — installers, main contractors, architects and specifiers — and also points homeowners toward driveway quotes through its own network. The company has operated since 1991, and its page_evidence emphasises in-house manufacturing, quality control with retained batch samples, and technical support from design stage through installation.
What it actually offers
- PICSPAVE, a premium imprinted concrete system designed to mimic natural stone, slate, cobble setts, decorative tile, brick and wood plank, with over 100 pattern designs and integral colour options.
- Consumables and ancillaries: colour hardeners, release agents, concrete sealers, surface preparation materials and tarmac restoration products.
- Decorative overlays, specialist coatings, epoxy floor coatings, stenciled concrete, staining and concrete restoration, plus technical services for specifiers.
Who each part is for
| Audience | What PICS is useful for |
|---|---|
| Installers and contractors | Buying systems and consumables in trade quantities, with technical backup |
| Architects, surveyors, specifiers | Design-stage advice on finishes, coatings and restoration |
| Homeowners | Getting a driveway quote via installers rather than buying materials directly |
A realistic scenario: a contractor pricing a driveway in a cobble-sett finish would use PICS for the imprinting system, colour hardener and release agent, then rely on the technical team if the substrate or drainage needs adjusting. A specifier working on a refurbishment would more likely be after the overlay, coating or restoration side.
Next step: if you are a trade buyer, ask for the current pattern and colour range plus technical data sheets before specifying; if you are a homeowner, use the quote route, since the materials are aimed at professional installation. Related industry bodies such as The Concrete Society and Construct can help with wider standards and contractor verification.
How do I get a driveway quote from PICS as a homeowner?
Homeowners can request a driveway quote directly from PICS through the company's own site.
What to do
- Go to PICS.
- Look for the homeowner section, which is signposted with the line "Are you a homeowner looking for a driveway quote?"
- Use the Get a Quote option there and submit your details.
What to expect
PICS is primarily a manufacturer and supplier to the trade, plus a training provider, so the quote route for homeowners is likely a referral or enquiry channel rather than a direct retail checkout. The company states it has operated since 1991 and manufactures decorative concrete products, including its PICSPAVE imprinted concrete system, which is the type of finish typically used for residential driveways.
Before you enquire
- Have your postcode and approximate driveway area ready.
- Decide on the look you want — imprinted concrete can mimic stone, slate, cobbles, brick or wood plank.
- Ask whether the quote covers groundworks, base preparation and sealing, not just the decorative surface.
- Ask about aftercare and resealing intervals, since sealed concrete driveways need periodic maintenance.
Practical next step
If PICS routes you to an approved installer, get two or three quotes for the same specification so you can compare like for like. For general background on imprinted concrete driveways, The Concrete Society is a useful non-commercial reference.
What training and support does PICS offer to trade customers?
PICS is set up primarily as a supplier to the trade, and its training and support are built around that: helping installers specify, buy and correctly apply decorative concrete systems rather than selling one-off materials with no backup. The company describes itself as training, supplying and supporting trade and industry customers since 1991, with technical services extending to architects, surveyors and specifiers from design stage through to installation.
What the trade support covers
- Product knowledge and application: guidance on pattern imprinted concrete systems, decorative overlays and specialist coatings, including colour hardeners, release agents, sealers, surface preparation materials and tarmac restoration products.
- Design-stage technical input: support for specifiers on textured finishes, stencilled concrete, epoxy floor coatings and concrete restoration projects.
- Quality and traceability: each manufactured batch undergoes quality control testing with samples retained, which matters when you need to stand behind an installation or match a previous pour.
- Pattern and finish range: PICSPAVE, its premium imprinted system, covers over 100 pattern designs plus integral colour options and custom colour hardeners, so trade customers can offer stone, slate, cobble, tile, brick and wood plank looks from one supply relationship.
How to judge whether it fits your business
If you are an established installer, the value is in consistency of supply and technical backup across a project — from specification to completion — rather than in a single product line. If you are newer to imprinted concrete, ask specifically what hands-on training is available, what it costs, and whether it covers surface preparation and sealing as well as imprinting; those stages cause most callbacks.
A practical next step: before ordering, request the technical data and batch traceability details for the specific system you plan to use, and confirm what design-stage support you get for a live job. Homeowners looking only for a driveway quote are directed elsewhere on the site, which confirms the trade is the intended audience.
For comparison, other UK trade-facing suppliers and training providers in this space include Concrete Flooring and Marshalls, though their product focuses differ from PICS's imprinted concrete specialism.
Which PICS products are used for different decorative concrete applications?
PICS groups its decorative concrete products by the job they do rather than by a single application. The page describes three broad families:
- Pattern imprinted concrete systems – the PICSPAVE range, for stamped or textured finishes that mimic natural stone, slate, cobble setts, decorative tile, brick and wood plank. The page notes over 100 pattern designs, integral colour options and custom colour hardeners.
- Decorative overlays – for resurfacing or refreshing existing concrete rather than casting a new slab.
- Specialist concrete coatings – including epoxy floor coatings and high-performance coatings for floors and other surfaces.
Around those systems, PICS lists the supporting materials an installer needs: colour hardeners, release agents, concrete sealers, surface preparation materials and tarmac restoration solutions. It also mentions concrete staining and concrete restoration as applications it covers.
A practical way to choose
| Application | Product family to start with |
|---|---|
| New driveway or patio with a stone, cobble or plank look | PICSPAVE pattern imprinted concrete system |
| Existing concrete that is sound but worn or dull | Decorative overlay |
| Interior floor needing a hard-wearing finish | Epoxy or high-performance coating |
| Colour change or reviving faded concrete | Concrete stain or restoration products |
| Preparing or protecting any of the above | Surface preparation materials, sealers, release agents |
Who each route suits
- Homeowners are directed to a quote request rather than buying materials directly, which makes sense because imprinted concrete is normally installed by a trained trade contractor.
- Installers and main contractors are the core supply audience, buying the full system — hardener, release agent, sealer and preparation products — so the finish and colour stay consistent across a project.
- Architects, surveyors and specifiers are offered technical support from design stage through installation, covering textured finishes, stencilled concrete, epoxy coatings and restoration work.
Next step: decide whether you are casting new concrete or treating existing concrete. If it is new, you are in PICSPAVE territory and should ask about pattern and colour options. If it is existing, ask whether an overlay, a stain or a coating is the better match for the surface condition. For trade buyers, requesting a system specification — base, hardener, release agent and sealer together — avoids mismatched batches. PICS states that every batch it manufactures is quality-control tested with retained samples, which matters if you need colour consistency across separate deliveries.
What technical services does PICS provide for architects and specifiers?
PICS provides technical support for architects, surveyors and specifiers from design stage through to installation. According to the page evidence, that support covers textured finishes, stencilled concrete, epoxy floor coatings and concrete restoration projects — so it spans both new decorative work and remedial/upgrade work on existing floors.
For a specifier, the practical value is having one supplier who can be consulted early (to fix finish, build-up and coating choices) and who stays involved through installation, rather than a materials-only order desk. PICS also states that every manufactured batch is quality-control tested with retained samples for traceability, which is the kind of documentation a specifier may need for approval records or later defect questions.
Who this suits
- Architects and specifiers choosing decorative finishes and coatings — get design-stage input on textured and stencilled concrete, epoxy floors and restoration.
- Surveyors assessing existing concrete and specifying repair or restoration — the restoration side is directly relevant.
- Main contractors needing consistent product and technical backup across a project.
What to check before specifying
- Whether the specific finish you want falls under their standard systems or needs a custom colour/pattern.
- What traceability and test documentation they can issue for your submittals.
- At what project stages they will attend or advise, and whether that includes site visits.
Next step
If you are a homeowner rather than a trade or specifier, the page directs you to a driveway quote route instead — the technical service is aimed at trade and industry customers. Trade users can start via PICS and ask directly which technical services apply to your project type.
How does PICS ensure quality control and traceability in its concrete products?
PICS builds quality control around batch-level testing and retained samples. According to the page, every batch of product it manufactures undergoes rigorous quality-control testing, and samples are kept for traceability. That means if a problem appears on a project, the company can trace it back to the specific production batch rather than guessing.
For a specifier or main contractor, that matters in practice:
- Batch testing gives a consistent check on each production run, not just an initial product approval.
- Retained samples create a physical reference that can be compared against later deliveries or disputed work.
- Traceability helps link a fault to a batch, which supports targeted remediation instead of ripping out an entire installation.
The page describes these as part of PICS's manufacturing and quality-management disciplines, alongside its stated service ethic of efficiency, consistency, respect and reliability. It does not publish test methods, tolerances or certification details, so anyone needing those should request them directly.
Next step: if you are specifying or installing, ask PICS for the batch test records and retained-sample procedure for the exact system you are buying, then confirm how those records are issued with each delivery. A useful comparison point is a supplier that only offers product data sheets without batch-level records; PICS's stated approach is stronger for traceability, but you should verify the paperwork matches your project's requirements.
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