Maintenance and Care
Concrete edging is an attractive and durable product that will last for years and years if proper care is taken. Below are some guidelines and information on caring for your new concrete edging: 1. Your concrete will begin to harden in 4-6 hours. Although it may seem to be cured, it is not. Concrete takes 28 days to fully cure and realize its potential strength. However
the next 48 hours are the most critical. Your edging will remain very brittle and can easily crumble or break during this timeframe.
Keep pets, children, service people, and objects away from the edging for the first 48 hours.
2. Landscape work, sod laying and mulching can begin as early as 48 hours from installation, if necessary. However, caution must be taken as garden tools, lawnmowers and other equipment can easily damage the new concrete. The
front bracket of wheelbarrows has been of particular issue in the past when dumping loads into landscape beds.
Be careful.
3. If you have a landscape contractor working for you,
caution him about protecting the edging from damage. If dirt, rock, mulch or heavy plants must be wheelbarrowed over the edging, place a mound of dirt at least 6” thick and 2’ wide over the edging as a ramp to distribute the weight. Never allow heavy vehicles or tractors to drive over the edging.
4. You may run the wheels of your lawnmower on the edge once it has cured (28 days). Should mower decks or other hard objects scrape along the concrete, it may get scratched.
Wait at least 2 weeks before using a string trimmer.
5. Your edging has been sprayed with a coat of concrete sealer. The high-gloss sheen will dull to a semi-gloss with time and weathering. Once the sealer has dried (typically within an hour) light rain will not affect the edging.
6.
Do not turn sprinkler systems back on for at least 48 hours. Though moisture is not a problem, the concentrated drilling effect that a sprinkler head can be. Once cured, adjust sprinkler heads to minimize the amount of water sprayed on the edging. Also, excessive hard water can speed up the weathering process and produce efflorescence (white powdery substance) on the surface. These are mineral deposits. Should efflorescence appear, mix white vinegar 50/50 with tap water and lightly brush the surface to remove.
7.
Your edging may appear splotchy and discolored over the first 10-14 days. This is a natural part of the curing process as moisture dries out of the concrete. Ultimately, the color will dry a few shades lighter and may darken temporarily after it rains or the yard is watered.
8.
All gutter downspouts and sump pump piping should be directed to flow water beyond the edging and into the yard. High concentrations of water run off into landscape beds can cause foundation problems, root rot in plants and unstable ground shift around the edging resulting in premature cracking. Likewise, extreme drought can be equally damaging. Keep lawns watered to minimize ground cracking. Your edging and your foundation may crack under drought conditions.
9. A word about cracking. Concrete edging like any other type of
concrete can and will crack under certain conditions, despite measures taken to minimize. However, if a crack should exceed ¼” in width, we will repair the crack, or replace the section at no charge during the warranty period (see exclusions in warranty). A warning however, is important to note: repairs can be difficult to make in colored concrete. It may be impossible to get an exact color match and sometimes the “cure is worse than the ill”. A hairline crack is much less noticeable than a patch or discoloration in the edging. Hairline cracks, weathering, and scratching all add to the natural look and character of the edge.
10. There may be
a void in front of the edging where the sod has been removed during installation. Although it is not necessary (the grass will grow back naturally) you may want to replace the topsoil and re-seed. Although we have not built a return trip into your invoice, we will gladly provide this service to you for an additional fee.
11. The only maintenance your edging may require is periodic resealing. We
recommend resealing every 2-3 years to maintain concrete in the best possible condition. We can provide this service for a nominal fee.
Your edging was undamaged at the time we left it in your custody. If the edging is damaged after we leave, there will be a minimum fee of $250.00 service call to repair. PLEASE TAKE PROPER STEPS TO PREVENT PROBLEMS FROM OCCURRING.
**********
WARRANTY
MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP ARE GUARANTEED FOR ONE YEAR FROM DATE OF INSTALLATION. DEFECTIVE PRODUCT WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED AT NO CHARGE IF THE DEFECT IS CAUSED BY THE MATERIALS WE’VE USED OR THE WAY IT WAS INSTALLED BY OUR CREW. ALTHOUGH PROBLEMS ARE RARE, CONCRETE EDGING CAN CRACK WHEN SUBJECTED TO EXCESSIVE GROUND MOVEMENT. VIRGINIA LANDSCAPE BORDERS, LLC DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR IMPLY OTHERWISE. THIS WARRANTY EXPRESSLY EXCLUDES DAMAGE DUE TO VANDALISM, TREE ROOTS, GROUND MOVEMENT, NEGLECT OR ABUSE.