FAQ
HAVE A QUESTION?
If you have existing grass it will not be effected by our machines. The grass in the area the curb is laid is trenched to install your curbing. The outside area of the grass remains the same. We transfer the concrete using a 2 wheel wheelbarrow. Your curb is extruded through a curb machine. The concrete is mixed onsite with a specialized trailer and mortar mixer. We may need to use your water and electricity, so please make sure the breaker is not tripped.
The question you should be asking is “why are their prices lower than ours? We set the standard for what curbing is at for pricing. Other companies look at this and because they can’t meet this standard, lower the price to get your work. It’s very simple, if you can’t offer what the best companies can, lower your price. If a company has no experience or knowledge of what they are doing and can’t offer any of the options we can, the only thing they can resort to is a lower price so they can practice on your yard.
Curbing is a concrete product and if a curbing company says their curbing never cracks they are simply not telling the truth. We have very minimal cracks as we use the correct ratios and techniques when it comes to mixing concrete and finishing. Spider cracks can occur in concrete and must not be mixed up with seperation. You must remember that cracks can and will occur in concrete. Many factors contribute to this including materials, layouts, and temps. The main issues with landscape curbing are extreme angles, inclines, and declines. You must realize that a curbing machine weighs approx 210 lbs so getting enough compression is extremely difficult in these situations. Cracks are concrete issues, they can and will happen. Cracks that are over 1/4 wide on level ground are an issue with operator error or lack of compaction, these cracks will be covered under warranty. Cracks in all other situations are not. We put the control joints closer to relieve stress but cracks can occur, they are a fact of concrete life. We are dealing with moving concrete.
We put expansion joints approx every 3 feet for the relief of stress in the concrete as it cures. These joints are no different than the cuts in sidewalks or driveways, we are essentially putting cracks in ahead of time so the curbing will expand there. If it does then there may be a small crack that runs down the back or the front close to the ground. This DOES NOT mean the curbing has cracked, it means the control joints are doing their job and releiving stress.
Landscape curbing is just that, for your landscape. You need to keep this in mind and not compare it to curb you see in a parking lot. It isn’t the same as it doesn’t have the same aggregate. PSI for normal landscape curb varies on the type of sands used and ratios mixed. Most are in the 2000 psi range. You can do several things when it comes to reinforcement. Rebar like in flatwork isn’t an option when it comes to this. Some run cable in their curb as that may help with seperation which is tensile strength. Others, like us, use blended polymers which not only increase tensile strength but compression strength as well.
If your yard has existing grass and sprinklers you can for sure have curb put in. There are a couple things to be aware of though. Normally curb goes in before the sprinklers and rock or mulch so the curbers can create smooth flowing lines without obstruction like sprinkler heads etc. Since they are already in along with the plastic or brick edging, the curb must go outside those areas and create new lines. We don’t come in and move rock, remove existing edging, and place curb where edging was before, there will be a charge if necessary. Curb can easily be placed outside the sprinkler heads and not obstruct spray that way we can create smooth, beautiful flowing lines. The space behind the curbing then can be filled with your material. You must realize that it’s being done backwards.
For sure! Smooth flowing lines and curves are the very best look you can get. Straight lines and corners first of all aren’t aesthetically pleasing but are a pain to mow. You also can’t get proper drainage with them. Realize that a 200 lb machine is laying your curb, it’s constantly moving so straight lines will NEVER be straight, no matter what company does them. You want the curb around your house to flow so it’s easy to mow and you don’t have to stop. You want it to transition cleanly to the next. Look at yards that have curbing, do the lines flow or are they a jumbled, jagged mess.the is a tell tale sign the operator has no experience. Flow is extremely important and it’s the first thing you see when someone drives by.
Our warranty on curbing is a 1 year workmanship warranty. Because this type of concrete cures so fast, any issues you will have will commonly occur in the first 24 hours. Spider cracks are a concrete issue that can and may occur. Do we ever have issues with them? NO, but you need to be aware, if a crack forms and it’s more than a 1/4 inch wide, it is operator error and will be fixed. Cracks that occur due to vehicles, heavy mowers, natural occurrences such as tree roots, ground heaving, etc will not. Common sense really comes into play, when a car or riding mower drives on landscape curb it is probably not going to hold up. Spider Cracks are a fact of life in concrete and may occur in certain situations.
All sprinklers need to be marked either with a flag, plastic fork or paint. When we cut the sod we use a sod cutter with a blade that will cut or damage your sprinkler head. We aren’t responsible for sprinklers ruined if they aren’t marked. Make sure your driveway, if cars need to get out, or area on street is clear of vehicles so we have room to park. Our truck and trailer is approx 30 ft long.
This is a huge issue that MUST be addressed. Area’s that may hold water we suggest to plavce a small “v” cut in the concrete to let water out. The Vs that are put in around your house are put in the areas where gravity will take water, it must have a place to exit. Where there are gutters, your downspouts must be extended over the top of the curb or into the notch that is cutout so the massive amounts of water from the roof will be outside the curb. It is imperative that the spouts are extented. We are not responsible for any damage that may occur due to homeowner or landscaper negligence. It is a 4 inch concrete dam and it will hold water.
A high gloss acrylic sealer is sprayed on curb that is stamped or has any pattern. This is what brings the color out and makes it pop. Water based sealers DO NOT work as well, make sure it is not used on your curb. All sealers regardless of what they are will need to be reapplied. Sealer that is exposed to sunlight and UV rays will break down over time, this doesn’t mean they will peel off or disappear. They will lose their luster and need to be re emulsified. Another coat will darken all your colors like the first time and make it look nice again. If a company tells you they have a 10 YEAR sealer, that is just not true. If that’s the case then every concrete company known to man would be using it. Imagine you get your car waxed and they say it will last 10 years, you would probably not believe? If it’s sounds too good to be true??? Most likely it isn’t true.
We have a $700 minimum for any new project we do.
If you run over your curb with car, riding mower or someone stepped on it after install it’s the same. We have to bring the same equipment and crew to do 10 feet as we would for 500 feet. Repairs start at $300
