Using Plastic Bender Board For Landscaping

By Janet Davis


Using a barrier between a flower garden, sidewalk, or other landscaped area to prevent grass and weed growth provides a nice change. There are a couple of options in the type of material used. There are both composite and plastic bender board. The composite is great but deteriorates over time and becomes part of the soil. You may have to replace it after a few years to continue having that barrier. With the plastic option, you are using a material that will not break down or need to be replaced. It is usually made from environmentally conscious recycled plastics that would have gone to the landfill.

Wood fibers and glue are used to make the composite borders. They retain some flexibility but may be a bit harder to work with. Often you will use water to help shape them. The nice thing about them is that they deteriorate over time. If you aren't wanting this to be a permanent solution, this is the way to go. They'll naturally rejoin the soil over a matter of years.

The other type is made from recycled plastic. This helps the environment by keeping it out of the landfill and putting it to good use. Being plastic, it will be able to last a very long time and you won't need to replace it. Plus, if you decide to move the border and redo some of the landscaping, you can dig it up and use it again.

Installing both of them requires the same steps. The first being measurements. Put stakes in the ground in various places along the path where the material will be installed. Wrap a string along with the stakes and measure how much string you used. This will tell you how much material you need without having to use an inflexible metal tape measure that will give inaccurate measurements for circle or wandering angles.

When you have your shovel ready and you've marked where the border will go, start digging. The trench you dig needs to be at least six inches wide to hold the border and deep enough that it will sit below the turf line. Put in stakes on the side that is away from the turf to be able to hold the material in place. Later, when you're putting the material down, you'll need to add a stake every spot that has a break in the material to hold both ends together.

Lay out the material to put in the trench. You can lay it next to it or just put it right in the hole. Make sure it sits below the line and dig out any extra dirt to get it deep enough. Attach it to the stakes and put in an extra stake every time there is a break in the material.

Fill in the dirt. This is why you want to keep the dirt near where you dug the trench. You'll be able to just push it over and fill in the area and cover the board. You shouldn't worry if the dirt sticks up a bit but do try to pack it down with your foot or a packer tool. Once it is settled you can add decorative rocks or other border material to make it look nice.

It's not hard to make a nice border to keep the weeds from growing into the flower bed or decorative rocks. After you've dug the trench and put in the border, you'll be well on your way to creating a great looking landscaped yard. Having a border between areas is essential to keeping it looking great over time.




About the Author:



0 comments: