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Not only once. But more than once , our downpipes were damaged by both former and current tenants with their careless use of line trimmers and mowers. Very frustrating.
We are planning to eradicate grass around the downpipe and put gravel to replace those grass ， making it unnecessary to mow near the downpipes
(At this moment , on budget so can't pour concrete path)
So here's an idea we are thinking..:
1) Pluck all grass around the downpipe
2) Put a weed mat over the dirt
3) The no-grass area will be like a circle surrounding the downpipe
4) Place an edging
5) Put some gravel in
However it's our first time doing things like this.
1) What kind of edging in Bunnings has holes allowing rainwater to drain away?
We found one:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/whites-350mm-x-10m-green-pvc-classic-garden-edging_p3321032
Is this edging suitable?
2) What tools do we need to get from Bunnings to pin down + tie both ends of the edging?
We want to make them circles encircling our downpipes.
(Our mate suggests us to make gravel path but that will be for later, as the perimeter around the house is not small. It will require more time and effort. Now we just want to start with smaller coverage first, multiple circles around those downpipes)
Thank you very much for any product recommendations.
x4 bricks (doesnt matter if they match colours) and some cement? Just drop a small amount of cement and make a border using the bricks, once dry render the bricks in cement and backfill with gravel?
Or cheat like i did, some bricks+liquid nails. I did this to protect my tap and I can lift the whole lot off as one piece lols. I knocked both these together pretty fast specifically for mower protection on the tap and irrigation pipe they were supposed to be temporary but sofar lasted 3 years or so. Just chucking another idea out there incase it helps
Hello @ivanptr
Thank you for sharing your question about how to protect your downpipe.
It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Prawns. Using bricks and mortar to protect your downpipe while lawnmowing is very practical. It is quick to assemble and does not require specialist tools to assemble. If damaged by the lawnmower, it is easy and cheap to replace.
You may also make your own border using Bastion 20kg Premix Concrete. You will have to manually shape it using a Spreader & Jackson 175mm Pointing Trowel. Using the Whites PVC Garden Edging is not strong enough to protect your downpipe from the line trimmer and lawnmower.
Let me tag our experienced member @JDE for his suggestions.
Please keep us updated, we look forward to seeing your downpipe protector.
Eric
Hi @EricL , as amateurs who haven't used cement at all,
we wonder if adhesive/caulk/liquid nail can be good idea to substitute cement?
Like this product:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/selleys-415g-brick-and-concrete-sealant_p1230973
We are thinking to get 6 brick pavers:
https://www.bunnings.com.au/brighton-masonry-200-x-100-x-50mm-cream-mypave-paver_p3451475
Then use something to stick 6 of them together:
Is this a good idea? Combined weight of 6 pavers (glued together) seem to be heavier, withstand the wind better , probably, won't need cement to adhere the pavers to ground?
Thank you for any advice, Eric 🙏
Hello @ivanptr
Let me tag @Prawns so that they are made aware of your question. Yes, those materials you mentioned will work. However, I recommend using Selleys 415g Liquid Nails Landscape Stone Concrete Adhesive. It is an adhesive that will work for masonry. I agree that using the Brighton Masonry 200 x 100 x 50mm Cream Mypave Paver is much easier than working with cement. You can assemble it quickly and will save you time. Please make sure to give the adhesive a lot of time for it to cure properly. We would love to see an update once you've put it together.
We look forward to seeing your downpipe protector assembled.
Eric
) (edit-Changed the video to one you could hear audio better hope it worked lols)
@Prawns @EricL ,
Hi Prawns and Eric , just want to bring you some good news about our work. Just want to say you guys are brilliants that the brickwork idea is much better than our imagination. Neat and sturdy. Doesnt even need to dig around the downpipes. The glued bricks are heavy!🙂
With these "brick shields", we dont need to worry about the line trimmer breaking the pipes anymore🤣
Wholehearted thanks for Eric's great product recommendation and Prawn's amazing video showing how it can be done.😊
Cheers,
Ivan
Another simple and more discrete option... get yourself a pryda plate 75mm x 300mm, about 2 bucks. Use a cut off section of pipe to bend the plate to shape and push into the dirt. Ta-daa....!
