CURBSCAPES GALLERY

COMMON QUESTIONS REGARDING DECORATIVE LANDSCAPE CURBING

CURING

Concrete is considered fully cured after 28 days. Your new decorative landscape curb will be dry to the touch within 4-5 hours. At this point it can withstand rain. If your decorative landscape curbing is damaged by rain, (please cover it if you can) we will repair it at no charge to you. Your curbing will be damaged if you bumop it within the first 24 hours. If your curbing is damaged otherwise, and a small patch is needed, it will be repaired at a minimum charge of $50.00. Keep in mind, a patch of concrete will cure separately, maybe being a color shade off and will not be as strong as the original. If several feet of the curbing needs to be repaired it will be a minimum charge of $150.00. During the dry season like November and December you may be asked to water the curbing for 3 days after the first 24 hours. Overly dry ground conditions will absorb moisture from the concrete, which may lead to cracking.

PREVENT DAMAGE

Wait 2 weeks before mowing, edging, shoveling, raking, any metal, etc directly against your new curbing. It is important to understand that while extremely durable, your curbing is not indestructible. All concrete can crack, we do our part to help prevent it by adding reinforcing fibers, mixing with cool water and strategically placing expansion joints. Extreme pressure directly on the curb may cause cracking. Backfill firmly and immediately if you cause undermining by digging too close. Let the grass grow up to the curb. A string trimmer should be used to trim the grass against your curbing. Warn your landscaper not to scrape the deck of his mower on the side of the curbing. We put expansion joints closer together in areas that trees are a factor. Over time tree roots may lift and break some areas of your curbing. When this occurs life out the broke section of curbing, cut or remove the root and lay the curb back down using fill dirt as a support. Fortunately this will not happen for a few years, you will be prepared if it does occur.

WATER RETENTION

In extremely wet areas or during extended periods of heavy rain, your curbing may retain water in the beds. If this becomes a concern, you have two options if our drain holes do not suffice. The first is to drill holes in the base of your curbing using a 6-inch or longer 1/4" masonary drill bit. The second option is to dig a small channel under your curbing being careful not to pry upwards. Place a 7" piece of PVC with an elbow at each end in the channel and backfill firmly around the pipe to keep it in place. This will allow the water to flow through the pipe under the curbing.

STAINING OR SEALING

Your curbing was sealed at the time of installation, we used a special curing product that will last about 6 months. There is a chance the curb will have a blotchy contrast. The blotchly wet and dry look that is on the surface of the masonry curb are soluble salts from the calcium hydroxide found in Portland cement. This migrates on the surface of the product and creates a foggy white film sometimes patches of blotchy areas. Over time, the full hydration phase will complete itself. You may reseal your curbing after 6 months and then annually if you want. When selecting a sealer, you want to look for a U.V. solvent based sealer with a solid content of 20% or more. The more solid content the sealer has, the better then sealer.

CLEANING

To remove any mold or mildew, spray the curbing with a light bleach solution to kill the spores. Wait 24 hours, and then wash off with a spray nozzle attached to your hose. Powerful pressure washing your curbing is not recommended, you do not want to etch the surface making it more porous. A stiff scrub brush maybe needed for stuborn areas. Sealing or staining your curbing will help prevent reoccurrence.

EFFLORESCENCE OR COLOR FADING

Calcium carbonate deposits may form on the surface of the curbing due to a natural reaction between carbon dioxide and the free lime in the content often referred to "efflorescence". As a result, dark colored curbing may appear faded, especially in wet shaded areas. In most cases efflorescence can be removed using a solution of 1 part muriatic acid and 6-10 parts water. (When using muriatic acid please follow all safety precautions.) Dip a brush in the diluted solution and apply to the white spots. The white efflorescence will bubble, smoke, or cook off. Within 2 minutes quickly and thoroughly hose off with plain water. This will neutralize the acid from eating/harming innocent cement. Let dry, you can seal to help recurrence.

ABOUT US

We are a family based business with 20+ years experience in decorative concrete edging. We focus on customer satisfaction, a quality product, professional installation, and beautiful curbing to enhance the overall appearence of your property. We offer a wide range of styles, colors, stamps and textures that will add curb appeal to any property. Decorative concrete edging will give each landscape a unique look and feel that can be enjoyed for many years. It can be used for flower beds, tree rings, added to new or exsisting landscaping and to contain rock or mulch, as well as keeping your grass from growing into these areas.