Curbing Care & Maintenance
When we install your curbing, great care is taken so that the product is perfect when we leave. We walk the property to make sure nothing has happened that needs attention. If we accidentally scrape the curb when cleaning, we will make sure it’s fixed before leaving. After we drive away, the curb becomes your responsibility as the homeowner. If a dog walks on it, neighbor kids scratches it, or you drop something on the curb, it falls outside our responsibility. Concrete curbing just can’t be patched. We will video tape your curb and property before leaving to ensure that the curbing is perfect when we leave.
Responsibilities as a Homeowner:
DO NOT do anything around the curb for 48 hours after install. Leave your sprinklers off for at least 24 hours. The curb may look and feel hard but it can still be scratched and crumble with pressure. Rakes, shovels, and hoes and can easily damage.
The most important thing to remember as a homeowner, when it comes to curbing, is to allow water to drain away from the house. You must heed this advice to avoid future issues. As a crew we try our very best to put drainage cuts into the curb in the right areas that will allow water inside the curb to drain away. THESE DRAINS ARE ONLY FOR DIRECT RAIN AND SNOWMELT. All the water from the roof needs to be directed outside the curb… extend downspouts over the top of the curbing or using the black pipe to get water away. Even though you have drainage cuts in the curb, that doesn’t mean it can handle all the water from the roof before it pools up next to the house and gets into the basement. It’s the homeowners responsibility to protect the house.
Be aware that when curb is installed your existing sprinklers may be inside the curb and may need to be adjusted or raised. Most sprinklers shoot over the curb with no issues, but sometimes an adjustment is needed. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to do this.
Maintenance:
Colored curb will need to be resealed.
If you chose to have normal curb put in (concrete color), you will not need to do anything to it as gray curb doesn’t need to be sealed. Anything with color has been sealed during installation and will need to be resealed to keep the colors looking fresh. This may not need to be redone every year as it is up to the owners as to how glossy or dark they want the curb to look. When acrylic sealers break down with UV rays they lose their luster and it will seem like the color fades. It’s not the color, it’s the seal. The colors won’t peel off or disappear, the concrete just need to be resealed. Please note: There is no such thing as a “10” year sealer. If that was true, every single concrete company in the country would be using it. Borderline Designs currently doesn’t offer a reseal program but will let you know where you can get decent products so you can simply do it on your own.
Mowing, Edging, and Snow Removal:
Common sense is required! Although landscape curbing is extremely durable and will last a very long time, it does not have the same PSI or tensile strength as concrete from a batch plant. The aggregates used in our products are similar to a mortar mix which doesn’t have rock mixed in for strength. Fine sands are used along with certain chemicals and additives for workability and strength. Push mowers and riding lawn mowers may drive over curbing with no problems. Issues arise when mower decks are too low or care isn’t taken when passing over the top. Concrete can be scratched by metal, no different than taking a screwdriver to a sidewalk. Weed wackers don’t create any problems with curbing unless your using a metal blade. Driving over curbing with large tractors or vehicles is an absolute no-no. It’s not the curb that’s the problem… it’s the ground underneath.
Snow removal along your sidewalks and your driveway is another major issue. Curbing doesn’t react well to a skidder running over it or a snowblower hitting it. We recommend flagging all the areas that have curbing.
Please Note that the items mentioned above are not warranty issues.