Drip edge landscaping is necessary if you want to protect your foundation from factors like water, cracking because of weeds, mud, and destructive insects. Installing a drip edge is not as complicated as you may think. It can be a DIY project if you don’t want to hire a professional.
Read on to learn about installing drip edges around the house.
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What Is Drip Edge Landscaping?
Drip edge involves placing concrete or stone around the edge of your home’s foundation. In most cases, the landscape will extend outward about one foot from the base foundation. The landscaping reaches where your home’s drip line is, which is why it’s sometimes referred to as roof drip line landscaping.
Why Is Roof Drip Line Landscaping Important?
Why should you install drip edges around your house? Below are the reasons.
Drip Edges Protect Your Foundation From Water
When it rains, your roof will not directly pour water on your foundation but about 1 or 1.5ft from it. The rainwater is absorbed and gets to your foundation.
When this happens, it can compromise your home’s foundation in the long run, especially for houses with wood foundations.
A concrete or stone drip edge will help protect the water from getting close to your home’s foundation. It also prevents water spillage into your basement and protects the side of the house from mud.
Drip Edges Protect Your Home From Fires
It is common to see mulch and weed close to your house’s foundation. When weeds/mulch dry up, they can be a fire hazard, especially in homes many people share.
For example, wood mulch can catch fire if someone carelessly deposes their still lit cigarette butt.
A drip edge landscape adds fireproof layer protection around your home.
Drip Edges Protect Your House From Termites and Carpenter Ants
Destructive insects like carpenter ants and termites love places with soil, whether damp or not. These insects can easily reach your home’s foundation, climb and reach window/door frames, and chip away at them.
Landscaping your home’s drip edge with stone or concrete can be a good measure against such insects.
Drip Edges Beautify Your Home
Besides protecting your foundation against the elements and destructive insects, drip edges improve your home’s aesthetics.
You can use a variety of stones or concrete patterns to add to the aesthetic value of the drip edge landscape.
How To Install a Stone Drip Edge?
Below are detailed steps for installing a stone drip edge around your house.
Step 1: Measure and Mark the Landscaping Area
Measure out and mark the area around the house where you want to do the landscaping. Start measuring from the foundation and going outward. There are no exact measurements since drip lines vary from house to house.
Step 2: Excavate the Appropriate Area
Start excavating the area between the foundation and the marked line. You may leave about an inch from the line to help you when installing the edges so you can push (harmer) them in. The depth of the dug area will also depend on your foundation. Dig between 4 and 6 inches from the foundation line.
Step 3: Remove Soil From the Excavated Area
Remove all the sand or dirt from the dug area. Although not mandatory, you may also opt to tamp the site to make the soil compact. Please do not overdo it; only light tamping is required.
Step 3: Measure the Edges of the Dug Trench
Start measuring the lengths of the edge of the trench you dug.
Normally, the measurements will not match the available metal edging material. In such cases, you have two options. Cut the lengths you want for installation and then, later on, install corner pieces, or you can measure the size and score the edging so that it can bend.
The latter is the best way since you will have fewer cuts, and it will be more stable since you have few pieces.
Please ensure you have the proper tools and protective gear to avoid injury when cutting and scoring the metal edging.
When scoring the edging material, remember to cut only about a half or two-thirds of the way to allow the material to bend.
All the bent edging should form a 90 degrees angle. Bending them this way will increase the strength of the border and make it easy to connect other pieces.
Step 4: Put Edge Joiners in Place
Start putting the edge in when everything is cut and ready to go. Once you are done, ensure to place edge caps (edge joiners) along the border at intervals.
Also, put the joiners in all places where two pieces of edging meet. The edge joiners have a welded holder to place metal pins. Place in the pins and harmer the entire edge to the level you want.
Final Step: Place the Desired Stones
The final stage is putting the desired type of stone in the drip edge around the house. Ensure to use stones that have good drainage and are small in size.
How Much Does Drip Edge Landscaping Cost?
Installing drip edges should not be very costly. The cost may vary due to the material used, the size of the area to be landscaped, hiring a professional, and others. For example, concrete is a little bit more expensive than stone.
Below are the estimates when using stone as drip edges.
- The average do-it-yourself cost is around $1-3.50 (per Square Foot).
- Average when you hire a contractor is $6– $20 (per Square Foot).
The typical average cost is about $12 per sq. ft. when you include everything required for the project.
Should I install My Stone Drip Edge or Hire a Professional?
The best part about drip edge landscapes is that with the proper instructions, you can do it on your own if you do not fancy spending money on a professional. Most of the tools and materials to use are easily available in hardware and local landscaping stores.
However, you should be careful when working with different materials and follow the proper instructions to get the desired results.
If you do not like doing it on your own or are not convinced you can, you can hire a professional. It costs more, but if you choose the right person, you should get the desired outcome.
Bottomline
A concrete or stone drip edge around your house can help protect your foundation. Whatever your budget is, there is a drip edge landscaping option for you. Even more so is that you may take it up as a DIY project if you do not want or can’t hire a professional.
Hello! My name is Chris, and I am the founder of Yard Floor. When I was a toddler, my family had a lush green lawn. I was at the center of caring for and maintaining this lawn and even proceeded to take an associate’s Degree in landscaping. I am here to share my years of experience with you – be it repairing your mower/tractor or caring for your lawn.