How to Use a Masonry Edger

Pouring concrete for a new section of sidewalk or driveway requires various masonry skills. One skill involves putting a finishing touch to the project, using a concrete edger. One woman compared the edger to using an iron to iron clothes, as it takes a deft touch. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Concrete edger
• Bucket of water

1. Wait until the concrete starts to dry. If you touch your finger to the concrete and it feels like soup, it is too soon to begin edging.

2. Insert the edger between the form that holds the concrete and the concrete itself when the soup begins to thicken. Part of the edger will be against the form, while the other part will ride on top of the concrete.

3. Glide the edger along the surface of the concrete in long, smooth strokes, keeping the edger's top level with the concrete. The goal is to have a smooth edge on the sidewalk or driveway. Keep the pressure light.

4. Keep the side of the edger tightly against the form that holds in the cement as it dries. If the concrete edger slips away from the form during your strokes, you will have an unintended curve in the edge of the sidewalk. Rocks below the surface can sometimes force the edger in a direction you didn't intend.

5. Move continuously in one direction, rather than making choppy back-and-forth strokes. Long strokes create a clean-looking edge.

6. Remove the edger from the concrete slowly, lifting up and leading with the forward edge, then following with the back edge like an airplane taking off.

7. Clean your edger in a bucket of water if you must put it down for a few minutes. Doing this prevents concrete from hardening on the tool.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep an eye on the concrete, as it can dry quickly in hot weather and take longer in cold or damp weather. If it dries too quickly, the concrete is difficult to edge.
• If rocks have created bubbles or holes in your recently edged sidewalk, gently go back and forth over the spot with an edger. This massages the concrete and encourages the "cream" from below to come to the surface and fill in the gap.
• Don't push too hard on the edger during your stroke. Too much pressure will create a groove rather than a smooth edge, just waiting to trip someone at a later date.
• Don't lift the edger straight up from the concrete. It leaves a stucco effect.
• If the concrete is drying faster than you expected, do not put water on it. This will weaken the concrete. Instead, use just enough pressure to encourage the "cream" to come to the top but not enough to create a groove at the edge.

Resources

• Find tools for concrete jobs at Ace Hardware.