Yes ! Smart Precast sells direct to both public and trade customers from our manufacturing yard in Harewood, Christchurch (refer to the Contact Us web page). You can drop in and view / take samples, and then place an order or purchase on site with Wayne Slade – Office / Sales Manager. Smart Precast takes a 30% deposit on all paver orders and full payment on purchases by either cash, cheque, Eftpos, Mastercard or Visa payments on site. Smart Precast can hand load your boot, trailer or forklift load pallets of pavers to your trailer or truck deck.

Yes! Smart Precast can work in with your preferred rural carrier or our preferred local carrier with either hiab crane or forklift options for onsite delivery to you. Ask us to quote on delivery.

No! Smart Precast has only the manufacturing yard in Harewood, Christchurch (refer to the Contact Us web page).

No! Smart Precast prefer that you see an actual paving colour sample of the paving available within our yard before you make a choice on a coloured paver. Colour charts can never truly duplicate the actual look of either new or mature coloured concrete.

No! As a manufacturer of Precast Concrete Units - Smart Precast only makes items within our Harewood Yard.

No! We are manufacturers only. To lay paving also would be in competition with the very trade contractors that support us.

Yes! Please refer to the Installers Page within this web site. There are many landscapers and dedicated contractor details available for quoting and advice.

No! To do so logistically there would be many hundreds of pallets at anyone time. Smart Precast typically holds more than several pallets of the best moving colours in 500 x 500mm textured sizes and then holds all sizes / textures in natural plain concrete. Most sales are generated by our customers ordering a particular colour and size specific for their pupose.

Typically orders are made and then available for delivery or collection within 2 to 3 weeks of placing the order. Please note that this may be extended to 3 to 4 weeks during the busy seasonal months of October to February.

Yes! By using an appropriate diamond blade on a drop saw table.

Yes! Smart Precast can cut pavers to size for a small fee. Allow at least a 24hour turnaround from dropping the pavers into Smart Precast until being available for collection.

The paving colour tint is right throughout the concrete mix so as to provide colour depth and durability. The premium oxide colour mix adheres to the smallest particle of the concrete mix – the cement particle, providing colour for the entire life of the concrete.

Yes! Over time the concrete continues to cure (harden) with the addition of water. With this maturity the concrete colour tint takes on a ‘ chalky ‘ look, losing any of the fresh new glossy appearance it first had. A by-product of this hardening is a salt called ‘ efflorescence ‘ that appears on the surface of the paver as a white deposit, masking the true colour beneath. This deposit will dissolve naturally over time. The colour oxide tinting is colourfast and will not disappear from the concrete.

This is the formation of salts naturally found within concrete forming on the surface, masking the true colour of the concrete. Refer to the [ What is Efflorecence ? PDF ] information file.

Yes! For a small fee Smart Precast can blend a colour to closely match your present sample. There are also a wide range of colour tints available to Smart Precast from many industry leaders. There should be a colour out there to closely match your needs.

Easy to use cross platform software to manage backups and restores.

Preferably not as they are a true pedestrian paving slab, rather than traffic compatible. However, Smart Precast slabs have been laid on a full bed of mortar onto a full concrete base in driveway situations with much success.

The reason for sealing any concrete is to (a) enhance the colour, (b) protect the surface from any spills or stains and (c) allow easy cleaning and maintenance. You will need to reseal every three to four years depending on wear and tear (foot traffic / sunlight / water) and the quality of both the application and sealant. The Smart Precast wet cast paving production uses an oil based product to allow the concrete paving product to be tipped from the moulds. This residue must be gone from the paver surface before any sealing preparation can be done. In our experience this can take up to six months. Smart Precast recommends referring to a sealer supplier to make an informed choice.

The industry trend is the larger the paver the cheaper the price per square meter. However, as good as the 600 x 600mm slabs visually look the trade off in unit weight when installing means the 500 x 500mm slabs are a better alternative. In the end it comes down to the look you want – there is no right or wrong. Just bear in mind it is the number of grout lines that make an area look busy, therefore feel smaller.

At Smart Precast the trend is towards safety with a textured surface finish for grip underfoot - as a smooth surface can get dangerously slippery with even a small combination of dirt, grime and water.

The most economical way to resurface your smooth paving is to acid etch the original surface of the paving slab. The acid solution is applied to the wet concrete slabs at a 1:20 ratio ( 1 part acid to 20 parts water ). Chemically the acid reacts with the calcium within the concrete paste and exposes the fine sand particles within, creating a slightly gritty finish. The resulting look prematurely ages the surface of the paving slab.