Apr
4
How much are you investing in the landscaping around your home? The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recommends homeowners invest 10 percent of a home's value in landscaping, which can range from basic projects like planting a garden or mulching a flower bed to more complex projects like installing a paver patio or building a wooden trellis.
Homeowners looking for affordable do-it-yourself landscaping projects that significantly improve the decorative appearance of a yard while serving a functional purpose should consider pouring concrete borders to frame gardens, driveways, patios, paths, sidewalks, trees and other ground covers. While homeowners can buy factory-made edging made from a variety of materials, few prefab products can deliver the durability and stability of poured concrete borders. In addition, concrete lawn borders are versatile and can be designed to match any landscape contour.
A variety of packaged concrete mixes that only require the addition of water will work for pouring a concrete border, but the best choice for longevity is one infused with small fibers like QUIKRETE Crack Resistance. The addition of fiber-reinforcement in the concrete mix helps prevent the concrete borders from cracking, flaking or chipping over time and exposure to the elements. For about $5 per square-foot and a little sweat equity, homeowners can pour 4-inch thick concrete borders directly in the desired location by following these simple directions.
Note: when working with cementitious products, always wear eye protection and gloves.
* Lay out the concrete border shape using a garden hose or rope, keeping in mind that the final width should be a minimum of 5 inches.
* Excavate the concrete border layout 3 inches wider than the final width and 4 inches deep using a shovel to remove grass, dirt and rocks.
* Compact the soil with a tamper to create a solid base for the concrete border.
* Drive wooden stakes with a hammer at 18-inch intervals along the edges of each side of the excavated path and attach 4-inch high flexible plywood to the stakes using screws to create the concrete border form.
* Insert 1-inch thick wooden spacers cut to the width of the border throughout the form spaced approximately half way between each stake.
* Mix the crack-resistant concrete as indicated by the manufacturer's directions on the bag and pour into the form being sure to spread and consolidate evenly with a margin trowel.
* Smooth the concrete evenly with the top of the form using a wooden float. For smooth rounded edges use an edging tool and the cut control joints a minimum of 1-inch deep at 3-foot intervals using a margin trowel.
* Allow the concrete to cure by keeping it damp at least 48 hours and then remove the stakes and plywood form.
* Protect the concrete border by applying an acrylic cure sealer three to five days after removing the form and backfill against the lawn border with sod and dirt.
Homeowners can also give the concrete border a customized color by adding one 10-ounce bottle of liquid cement color per 80-pound bag of crack resistant concrete mix before pouring. For more tips, directions and information, including how-to videos for do-it-yourself home improvement, repair, design and décor concrete projects, visit QUIKRETE.com.
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