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Bad Curb

How to tell if curb is good or bad

Curbing is a handmade product. Installation takes some artistic skill as well as technical knowledge with a large variety of factors from concept through completion

Just drawing a good guide line on the ground takes some skill, let alone actual design considerations. If the estimator can’t draw a decent line, that might be a warning flag.  The quality of the ingredients, the mixing ratios used, equipment limitations, dealing with rough or unusual ground conditions, crew experience, choice of materials, weather, all factor into getting a good job.

There are always novices in the market, showing you photos of someone else’s work. Keep an eye out for that scam! You need to be aware that they may have little experience and can easily be using yours as a practise job. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, from thunderstorms to equipment trouble, a messed up mix, bad timing, or simply poor technique.

Curbing should be installed so it flows smoothly without sudden side to side “kinks”  in the lines or “bumps” up and down. Admittedly, the ground can be difficult sometimes, and you might see some wiggles in anyone’s work. But this should be minimal.

Curbing should function as a mowing edge. Curbs installed too steeply or too high above the ground are useless as mower strips. You need to mow beside them and later go all along with the weedeater to trim the grass. I just do not understand the rationale behind that kind of curbing.  There are franchise system curbs  seven inch wide and taller than ours on the market that are useless as a mowing edge. You have to mow beside them then use a string line trimmer to tidy up along the edge. What is the point of that?  Maybe people think they show nicely but in reality they can look just too bulky. Our six inch residential bed edging curbs have proven to be the most popular choice by far.

Quality not quantity:  Bulkier is not necessarily stronger. The key is the quality of the mix. We do not cheap out on cement or other vital ingredients.  Our concrete has been laboratory tested at 45mpa- a very strong mix!

We are including this gallery of “bad curb” so you can see some things you shouldn’t do, or shouldn’t accept in a curb installation.