Concrete kerbing is a good choice for any garden or lawn edge, where you want something permanent and durable and which can also protect your flowerbeds from errant bikes and even drivers. Concrete can be painted or stained any colour, so you can have a border that matches the flowers in your garden or your home's exterior siding, and which doesn't look dull and drab or overly industrial. When you're considering concrete kerbing for your home, note a few question to ask the installer so you know what's involved with the installation work and with maintaining the concrete itself.

Ask about tree roots

If you have any landscaping tree or mature trees on your property, you want to ask what signs to look for if those tree roots should become damaged, such as drooping branches. In most cases, kerbing is not heavy enough to cause this damage, but large areas of it can cut off some moisture and sunlight from the soil, and tree roots then suffer.

You should also note any signs that indicate if the tree roots have caused damage to the concrete itself, as roots can sometimes wrap themselves around garden features and chip away at them. In most cases, the kerbing is sturdy enough that it won't be damaged by roots, but your installer should inspect the soil during installation. He or she tells you all these signs to look for, so you know if and when the kerbing needs to be protected from damage.

Ask how often the concrete should be sealed

Concrete needs regular seal coating over the years, to keep it from absorbing water and then cracking and chipping. Concrete kerbing may need more sealing than your home's concrete driveway or walkways, to protect and preserve its colour and shape. That colour or stain on the kerbing may also mean that certain types of sealants should be used, to protect the colouring from damage. Ask your installer how often the kerbing should be sealed and if special products or processes should be used to protect and preserve the kerbing and keep it looking its best.

Ask what to do about cracks in the kerbing

All concrete cracks eventually, but because kerbing has a particular shape and colour, you may not be able to just squeeze some concrete filler into a crack and have the kerbing look new again. Your installer may note a tinted product that is best for the colour of your new kerbing, or may note when certain cracks should be fixed by the installer so that they can preserve the shape of the kerbing.

For more information, contact a business such as Kerb Doctor.