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With the right tools, the right material and the following instructions, setting and grouting granite kerbstones is very easy, even for laypeople and craftsmen with experience.
In a nutshell
- Granite has numerous advantages
- Pointing curbs offers comprehensive protection
- visually clear structures are created in the garden
- setting versatile forms is possible
- long durability despite little effort
Advantages of granite curbs
Granite curbs are not only visually appealing, but also extremely durable. There are also other advantages, such as:
- easy cleaning
- Available in a natural, rough and polished version
- Closing joints is not absolutely necessary
- different shapes and sizes
- are offered in different colors
For example, polished, long and narrow stones are wonderfully suited for puristic and modern gardens with clear boundaries. Rough and largely natural curbs or pieces of stone, on the other hand, are particularly suitable for cottage gardens. They can also be used to create curved lines or roundels, among other things.
In addition, curbs or lawn edging stones generally have some advantages. This includes:
- Weeds can be prevented from spreading
- Tree discs can be enclosed
- Gravel from sidewalks does not spread
- optical demarcation of areas
- Plants grow in their sections
As a result, it is not necessary to proceed with particular care, for example when mowing the lawn. The clear edges and borders mean that lawns and weeds cannot easily spread beyond the predetermined area. Closing the joints also ensures that growth does not spread over the desired area. This significantly reduces the effort required for weeding.
Set granite curbs
To create a permanent border, you must first prepare a foundation. This requires the right material and various tools. These tools include:
- drilling machine
- rubber mallet
- rubber gloves
- trowel
- mason troupe
- piles
- guideline
- mixer attachment
- spade
Meanwhile, the materials needed are:
- gravel
- mortar
- sand
- gravel
manual
If the material and tools are ready, the following steps are necessary:
- Mark out: The course of the edge is marked out with stakes and a guide line. This serves as an orientation for the further steps. In addition, it can already be made clear during the planning how the course of the stones will fit into the overall look. The width should be at least 20 centimeters.
- excavation: A ditch is dug along the marked route, which is at least 20 to 30 centimeters deep. For very small stones, a depth of 15 centimeters can be sufficient.
- compression: Compact the soil. A vibrating plate or a flat vibrator is suitable for this, for example. Alternatively, a board can also be used in conjunction with pressure. Four boards are then used as a frame, which are connected to each other at all four corners.
- Fill in the base layer: When the preparatory measures have been completed, equal parts of coarse crushed stone, finer gravel and sand are filled in and compacted again. The layer should be so high that a third of the height of the stone is free up to the edge of the ground. With granite stones that are 15 centimeters high, a distance of five centimeters is sufficient.
- Fill concrete: So much concrete is poured in that it is flush with the upper edge of the earth.
- place stones: While the concrete is still fresh and wet, you can set the granite curbs. They should be pushed in far enough that a third to a quarter of each stone is in the concrete. A rubber mallet helps with this. The alignment should be checked again and again during laying, because once the concrete has completely hardened, no further corrections are possible.
Notice: With rough and irregular natural stones, it makes sense to first determine the order. Numbers can then be stuck onto it with masking tape to serve as a guide. This makes subsequent setting easier. Alternatively or additionally, the individual elements can be placed directly next to the foundation in the appropriate sequence.
grouting and layers
Sealing the gaps between the stones is not always necessary. You should only use mortar for the connection at larger distances of around five millimeters or more. In any case, grouting ensures that no gravel, weeds or other growth can penetrate through the gaps.
The following steps are required to close the joints:
- Deploy: As soon as you have placed a stone in the still wet concrete and positioned it deep enough, the grouting can begin.
- apply mortar: The mortar is thickly applied to the side of the already aligned stone with a bricklayer's trowel. There shouldn't be any holes.
- Align: The following granite stone is placed, pressed and hammered in to the desired depth with a rubber mallet.
- Remove excess: With a rubber glove that has been slightly moistened, the mortar that oozes out can be pressed on and scraped off. This creates clean transitions.
These steps are repeated for each additional stone until the entire row is complete. If you want to make the border between the path and bed or lawn and tree grate a little higher, you can achieve this by stacking and grouting the granite stones. The bottom row is first laid, aligned and grouted with mortar. You can then put on a second row. Mortar is again used as a connection.
frequently asked Questions
Which concrete should be used?Lean concrete should be used for inserting the granite curbs and filling the joints. A particularly simple variant is to purchase this as a ready-made mixture.
How Many Granite Curbs Should You Buy?Many make the mistake of measuring the edge exactly and only buying the necessary number of stones. However, these can break, may need to be trimmed, or may not fit as desired. In order to keep the effort low, experience has shown that it is advisable to have a few more elements available. If stones are left over, they can be used later, for example as a base or for decoration.
Can the granite curbs be cut?Yes, the granite can be cut. This is advisable, for example, if odd gradients are desired. Wavy lines or curves are also easily possible and have a particularly decorative effect. If you do not have the appropriate tools, this can also be done in some hardware stores, for example.
Can a metal hammer be used?This is not advisable. The stones could jump or be otherwise damaged. If necessary, whole corners break off. In any case, only a rubber mallet should be used so as not to destroy the granite curbs.