FAQ

How long will the borders last?

With this being a concrete product you can expect it to last for many many years. Steps to prolong the fresh and decorative look of your border include resealing every few years and keeping them free of dirt, debris and overgrowth.

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How often should I reseal and what should I use?

We suggest resealing your borders every 2-4 years. Over time the sealer will break down in the elements and the finish will get chalky. Not to worry though, after a reseal the color will come back to like new as the color always remains “in” the concrete and it’s the sealer that makes the color vibrant. If you wish to reseal yourself use only a solvent based acrylic sealer such as Butterfield ProGard 350 sourced from a concrete supply house such as Kuhlmans. This can be applied with a brush and or roller.

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Do I need to be home on the day of the installation?

Not necessarily. We prefer to walk the site with the customer the morning of installation to cover any and all details. However, this can be accomplished during a phone/facetime call.  Many customers will wait for us in the morning to cover the details then leave to go about their day.

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Do I need to remove black plastic edging prior to borders being poured?

No. In most cases your new border will be laid just outside of the area that your plastic edging is in. Oftentimes it can be left in place and covered up by the mulch or stone that gets filled in after our border project is done. Occasionally the black plastic will interfere with our project and we will pull it up the day of installation.

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I have a sprinkler system is that a concern?

We install borders everyday in lawns with sprinklers. We ask that you mark your heads prior to our crew arriving so that we can avoid any damage to your heads. Our main goal is to provide you with a beautiful edge that has a nice flowing line to it. most times we can accommodate this by placing the borders inside or outside your sprinkler heads. A border installed outside your heads should not interfere with its spray and should function normally. in rare cases we may ask to move or remove a head if it will negatively impact the overall appearance of the project and a irrigation company may need to be consulted after we are complete to re-install/move a head.

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Will I need to add rock/mulch after you are done?

In most cases the answer is yes. Our borders will provide you with a 4 inch wall that will hold back rock and mulch. Adding rock/mulch to fill that space up to at least 1/2 of the wall provides the best aesthetic look to your new landscape feature. There also will be some spots that the new line will not mimic the old line due to a better aesthetic flow or due to mechanical limitations of the equipment.  In those cases there may be patches of grass that need to be killed and covered with weed barrier and rock/mulch.

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What size can circles be around trees?

Trees need room grow without the roots pushing the border off the ground.  The minimum tree ring that we create will have a 6ft diameter to the outside of the circle (5 ft across the inside diameter of the concrete).  

 

I have tree roots that are showing at the surface.  Is this a problem?

When we prep the surface for the border we can cut through small roots at the surface to maintain an even border.  Large roots may create an issue where we may want to change the layout to avoid them all together.  Tree roots will push on these borders and distort the shape and/or crack them over time so it is important to avoid placing the borders in areas that this is highly likely. 

 

How should my downspouts be addressed?

It is important that water coming off the roof and flowing through your downspouts be diverted to the grass side of the borders.  The easy way to address this is to extend the downspout so that it sits on top of the border then cut it off with a hacksaw so that the end sits directly on the border.  The water will shed to the outside due to the slope of the border.  A cleaner option (and my favorite) is to have the downspouts routed underground and to pop up in the yard well beyond where the border will lay.  This is something that can be done before or after (before is much easier) installation and can be done DIY from products purchased at any home improvement store.  This service is also provided by most irrigation companies.

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How do I need to prepare for the day of installation?

Please be sure to have the driveway/street cleared so that we can park and operate our equipment. The truck and trailer will take up about 65 ft of street or driveway space. We have our own hoses but will need to tap into your outside water spigot for water to mix the concrete. Please make sure your outside spigot is not in a winterized state when we arrive. Please mark any sprinkler heads that are in close proximity to the landscape edge (flags or paint work well). We like to walk the grounds with the homeowner first thing when we arrive. At that time we can learn all the details about the layout (exact location of starts and stops, distance out from house, any specific requests). Laying out a hose prior to us arriving is a good way to visualize and adjust your proposed line. Don't forget to give thought to your color and texture choices. We can help you decide as we look at things together on the morning of installation if you are still undecided.

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How long should I keep people and pets away?

When we are finished up for the day your borders will look perfect, shiny and rock hard. They however are not hard yet and can not be touched. Keep all people and pets away from the edging for at least 24 hours to prevent any accidental damage prior to hardening. After 24 hrs the borders can not be harmed if accidentally stepped on however avoid using weed trimmers or mowing directly against the new border for 3 weeks time as the concrete is still curing and can easily be gouged. Heavy mowing equipment or careless landscape techniques should be kept clear of contacting the borders for the life of them.

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Will the lighting option work for my project?

The lighting that we can add to the borders will give you a beautifully unique look to your home and landscape. They are designed to be installed in the back side (tall side) of the border and project massive amounts of light toward the house to illuminate it from the street. The lights are very bright and are not ideal to illuminate an area where people will sit and enjoy such as a back patio or pool area. To install lighting we need to have an exterior 120v outlet in the proximity of the border. Many customers will choose to have an electrician install an outlet near the end of the run of lights (usually the side of the front corner of the house) to avoid a cable strung across the front porch to provide power.

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How should I make my payment?

We do not require any money to be paid up front but we do ask that payment is made in full before we leave your property on the day of the installation. We accept cash or check at the quoted amount but can also process the payment on any major credit card after adding a 3% convenience fee to cover the transaction cost. In the event that the homeowner is not present during the installation a pay link may be sent to complete the transaction via e-check or credit card.

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