(BPT) – Curb appeal is important to homeowners for many reasons. Some people take pride in keeping up the exterior appearance of their home and enjoy the process of doing so. Others want to be the envy of the neighborhood or are meeting property guidelines required by the local homeowners’ association. Curb appeal can also determine whether a homeowner sells his or her house quickly or watches it sit on the market unsold for months. Whatever the reason, an easy and affordable way to significantly increase the curb appeal of any home is the addition of a concrete lawn border.
Used to define and protect lawns, flowers beds and paths, concrete borders can be customized with color and contoured to match the landscape of any front yard. In addition, using QUIKRETE Crack Resistant Concrete is a more durable and less expensive option than wood, pavers and other common lawn border materials. In fact, this do-it-yourself project can be completed by homeowners with even modest skill and experience for less than two dollars per linear foot.
Steps for making a concrete lawn border:
When working with cement-based products, always wear eye protection and waterproof gloves.
- Remove any landscaping materials like straw and mulch, and create an outline of the lawn border path with a shovel.
- Excavate the outlined area by digging a trench 1/2” to 1” deeper than the border, making sure the sides of the trench are as vertical as possible to help support the forms.
- Construct the forms using 1/4” plywood strips secured in place by hammering wooden stakes into the ground snugly on the outside and inside of the strips. Screw the stakes into the strips from the inside to create the forms. To maintain a consistent width of the forms, place wooden spacers at regular intervals.
- Once the forms are complete, compact the ground under the forms and pour a base layer of all-purpose gravel into the forms.
- Mix QUIKRETE Crack Resistant Concrete Mix, following the directions on the bag, and pour into the forms. The concrete should slightly overfill the form.
- Pouring one section at a time, use a wood float to consolidate and level the concrete even with the top of the form. Sculpt the sides of the border and further consolidate the concrete with an edging tool.
- Cut in control joints about every eight feet using a margin trowel.
- Water cure the concrete for three to five days using a fine water mist or apply QUIKRETE Acrylic Concrete Cure N’ Seal with a brush, roller or garden sprayer. In addition to expediting the curing process, the sealer will protect the concrete lawn border from stains.
- Carefully remove the forms starting with the stakes and then the plywood strips. A pointed shovel can be used to help pry up stingy plywood strips, but be careful not to crack the concrete by applying too much force.
- Backfill with soil and replace any landscaping materials.
A concrete lawn border can be further personalized to match a home or fit a homeowner’s personality by using QUIKRETE Liquid Cement Color in the concrete mix. For full detailed project instructions, watch the concrete lawn border how-to video at QUIKRETE.com.
