1) IMPORTANT: Please water your borders to help prevent cracking in your newly installed borders, wait at least 6 hours after the installation, then water the ground around the curbs for several days. Overly dry ground conditions will absorb moisture from the concrete and may cause some small cracking. We are not responsible for excessive cracking if the borders are not watered for several days after installation.
2) Keep lawn mowers, children and pets away from the border for 28 days, the concrete will be “hard” to the touch after 24 hours however concrete requires a full 28 days to cure.
3) Sod laying, sprinkler work and landscape work can be started 36 hours after installation. Caution must be taken as shovels, picks and wheelbarrows will damage the border. If you have a landscape contractor working for you, caution him about protecting the curb from damage. If wheelbarrows are to be used moving dirt or rock over the border, build a mound of dirt over it (6” deep) or build a ramp over the border to keep the weight from damaging the border. Never allow a lawn tractor, maintenance tractor or truck to run over the border.
5) If it rains with in 8 hours after completion please cover the border with plastic. Make sure that sprinkler systems do not come on for 24 hours after completion. Irrigation, back wash from pools and heavy rain could damage the border during the first 24 hours.
6) Efflorescence (white powder substance) can appear on occasion and does not look good on the border. It is generated from water sprinkling systems and can also appear after a rainstorm. The intensity of the efflorescence varies depending upon the type (hardness) of your water and the volume of water that gets on the border. Check your sprinkler heads while the system is on and try to adjust them to minimize the amount of water spraying directly on the border. If you have just planted sod and are watering more frequently, efflorescence may appear more readily. Be patient, wait for your lawn to get established and clean the border after it dries. A solution of 50/50 vinegar and water with a light brushing will remove the efflorescence. You may have to do this a few times, eventually, the efflorescence should go away. Curbs in the Burbs includes “Efflorguard” in every concrete border mix to minimize the chance of efflorescence and keep the colours rich.
7) Once in a while the border will look “splotchy” for a few days while it is curing. This is normal as the concrete cures and is not to be confused with efflorescence. Concrete is darker in color when first laid and will lighten up as it dries. It will take 28 days to fully cure out.
8) If the border is damaged we will come back to make necessary repairs; however, there is a $350.00 minimum charge for this service. Repairs are difficult to make in colored concrete. Perfect color matches are near impossible.
9) Cracking- Concrete borders like any other type of concrete can and will crack. Curbs in the Burbs places control joints about every 2-4 feet apart to control cracking. Typically you might see one or two small hairline cracks develop in a long stretch of curb. This is not usually very noticeable, and can be safely ignored. If cracking does occur, it normally would be in the control joint. If cracking occurs out of the control joint we can saw cut it to appear as a control joint or repair it during the warranty period. A warning however, is important to note: Repairs can be difficult to make in colored concrete. It is impossible to get a perfect color match. Sometimes the “cure is worse than the ill”. A hairline crack is much less noticeable than a patch or discoloration in the border.
10) When borders are installed as a retrofit (grass already in place), there will be a small amount of concrete on the ground between the grass and the border. Every effort is made to remove this after completion, though while the concrete is wet it is difficult. After a 24 hour curing period it can be picked up and thrown away. As we have not included a return trip in our prices, we ask that you take a few minutes to remove any excess concrete. This will allow the grass to grow back against the border. You may want to place sand or dirt in this void as well to assist the re-growth.
11) Your landscape border has a full sixty day warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty is twice that of the cure period of the concrete to insure that your curbs are fully cured during your warranty period. It will be replaced at no charge if the defect is caused by the materials used. Our warranty does not cover damage as a result of tree roots, ground movement or soil settlement. If borders are attached to walkways or driveways there is no warranty on the borders due to the inherent movement of walkways and driveways.
12) Damage to sprinkler lines, telephone lines, cable TV, or other buried items by our equipment or our staff is not our responsibility.
Thank you for choosing Curbs in the Burbs, if you have any questions or comments please contact us.
Repairs are expensive! ( Minimum $350.00 ) Please read and follow these instructions.