The Easy Guide to a Homemade Concrete Edging

Concrete edgings are the perfect solution to many gardening projects at home. They come in handy for those who have loose gravel driveways. They keep the gravel in place and prevent it from being further down the driveway whenever the rain pours down heavily. Additionally, you can use the edgings around the feet of trees and flowers to minimise soil erosion. The edgings or kerbs are easy to build for any homeowner that's committed to making their garden look good. Here are the easy steps you can follow for a homemade concrete edging:

Determine the Coverage of the Edging

The first step is to determine the area that you want the concrete kerbing to cover. Use ropes and some tethers anchored in the ground help you identify and stick within the borderlines. After determining the area that you want the kerb to cover, dig up the planned border to lay a firm foundation for your kerb. Ideally, you should make sure that the borderline is at least four inches deep and eight inches wide, although it can be bigger and deeper depending on the size of the driveway or areas around the plant. 

Create Temporary Borderlines

After digging up your foundation, you must create smooth, uniform edges that will act as a guide for your fresh concrete. Drive strong wood stakes into the ground at intervals of one foot along the kerbing perimeter that you dug up. Thereafter, screw pieces wooden hardboard along the stakes to create something similar to a trench. This trench will hold the fresh concrete until the kerb cures. If you intend to build curved concrete kerbing, be sure to use flexible hardboard. It is easy to manipulate and create the desired curves.

Pour Your Concrete

Mix your cement, ballast and sand according to the cement manufacturer's recommendations. The mixture should be firm but workable. Pour it into the bordered trench and use a trowel to consolidate and distribute the mix evenly. Preferably, the concrete mixture should fill the bordered trench to the brim.

Smoothen the Surface

For the best results, the top surface of the kerb should be smooth. Wait for most of the water in the concrete mixture to bleed out, then smoothen the surface using wood float. Use a margin a trowel to create control joints at intervals of three feet.

Final Touches

Finish off by applying appropriate sealers to ensure that your kerb will be in good shape for many years. Ideally, you should go for acrylic sealer before letting the kerb cure for four days.

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