Kerb Dropped!

Adapting to a new life as a wheelchair user can be difficult both physically and psychologically. With time however, you'll come to appreciate the truth in the phrase 'disability is not inability.' Of the various adjustments you'll have to make, dropping a section of the raised kerb around your residential premises is among the most important. A dropped kerb will make it easier to access the kerb-enclosed areas of the landscape. This article highlights a few important things you shouldn't forget.

Call Utility Service Providers Before You Call The Contractor

Dropping the kerb could interfere with utility lines running below the ground surface. The exact depth and location of these lines must be established before any kerb-related works begin. Your contractor can easily provide this service, but it's likely to attract an extra labour charge. Utility service providers would be more than glad to establish the depth and location of their underground fixtures. Utility companies are likely to offer this service for free since they have a vested interest in protecting their infrastructure. Taking advantage of this fact could help you make substantial savings on the overall cost of dropping your kerb. However, note that this is not a standard service provided by all utility companies.

Minimize Excavation Works    

Lowering concrete kerb blocks will create the need for excavation along the kerb line. If a service provider doesn't offer utility identification services, the contractor remains your best bet in the fight against damaged utility lines. Insist that he or she uses the least-disruptive means to achieve the desired objective. The use of concrete GPR scanners is an example of the less-disruptive methods that can be used to locate utility lines. GPR (ground penetrating radar) scanners use waves of energy to locate the position of underground utilities. The scanner sends these waves through the existing concrete kerb. It then analyzes the amount of time it takes for such waves to be reflected/refracted back to the ground level. If excavation is kept minimal during the kerb-dropping exercise, you'll have less cleaning up to do once the kerb has been dropped into place.  

Watch Out For Future Problems

As only a section of the raised kerb is being dropped, you should ask your contractor to inspect remaining sections of the kerb so as to ascertain that the concrete kerb blocks are in good structural shape. If you fail to attend to potential defects (e.g. cracks) on the remaining kerb sections, you'll be forced to call in the contractor for kerb repair soon after the kerb has been dropped.


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