Sunday, September 2, 2012

DIY Landscaping Curb



As you know we have been trying to get our yard in for a while and do it under budget.  We decided to put in our own concrete curbing, and the result was great! So here is the step-by-step of one section of curbing we did.

First, you prep the area and set the forms.  We used bender board and 1x4's for the forms, wood stakes (very cheap) come in a bundle.  Place the stakes two feet apart unless when placing them where the bender board is, these areas need more support due to the flexibility.


Next mix your concrete and place in-side the forms.




Next, using a trowel, shape the concrete to expose only the cream. This will make the surface smooth.
You can remove the forms when the concrete is somewhat firm.



Next you may want to put in expansion joints. This is where the concrete will most likely crack when it does expand. Space these points out 4-5 feet using a small trowel, cutting only half way through.

Use an edging trowel to shape the expansion joints and edges of the curbing.

This project cost came to $18.00 (just over a dollar a foot).





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47 comments:

  1. very cool little project and something I have been considering myself for a while Love the total cost callout and great finished product. thanks for sharing.

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  2. Great Idea! we need a lot of curbing!

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  3. this looks so good! i've been looking for something for YEARS so that we can show the curves we added to the flower beds, and this might be it! love it!

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  4. You look like you did a great job. I was wondering... how did you attach the stakes to the benderboard and/or 1x4's? I've got many, many feet to do... looking at grass this year after ten years of living with weeds and new construction. With having to do literally a couple of hundred feet of this, would you recommend the steel stakes, or will the wood ones work equally as well? In any event... thanks for the photos. Best regards.

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    1. Hey did he reply back to you on your question about how to attach? taking a close look at the pictures provided and it looks like he used 1/4 boards and the benderboard for the curves. I would use drywall screws about one inch long and leaving the head of the screw outside the stake. Around the benderboard it will be about the same thing but have to make sure that only the point of the screw makes contact with the board thru the stake.

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    2. Hey did he reply back to you on your question about how to attach? taking a close look at the pictures provided and it looks like he used 1/4 boards and the benderboard for the curves. I would use drywall screws about one inch long and leaving the head of the screw outside the stake. Around the benderboard it will be about the same thing but have to make sure that only the point of the screw makes contact with the board thru the stake.

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    3. The stakes are driven into the ground on the outside of the bend. Pressure from the bend against the stake holds them in place. Always place the stakes on the outside of a bend, not on an inside bend, but an OUTSIDE bend. Look at the picture closely and you will see what I mean.

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    5. Not sure why it posted twice. I see that he does have two on the inside bend, but I am sure once they started to set up, he removed then, filled in the hole with concrete and then let that set up a bit before removing the forms.

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  5. I've done this before with my garden, I think it was last year. But I don't put a expansion joint on it. And still, it turned out well.

    littleton patios

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  6. my wife s uncle did this in SW FLORIDA AFTER HE GOT IT HALF FULL HE LAYED A PEICE OF 3/8 REBAR IN IT HELD IT TOGETHER VERY WELL

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  9. Awesome. I need to do something like that. I'm assuming the $18 is only for the concrete and not the supplies? What is bender board?

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  10. Seen this done a lot! I'm gonna add concrete dye for a more "natural" look. Trying to figure out a way to stamp it after toweling...?? Any suggestions?

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    1. You could shape it with your hands a bit, make the edges rounder. And they have stamps for concrete now. I'm sure the annual home show would be a good place to find them. Hope this helps.

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    2. I've pressed everything into wet concrete to make impressions, including leaves (get strong ones and put the backside down and rub the leaf veins into the concrete), shells, rubber stamps, and cookie cutters. Anything with a texture you like, including pine needles and cones, and burlap.

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  11. Nice! We did this project for our back yard as a retaining wall for mulch around our jungle gym. Turned out great

    http://thisinsanehouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/diy-concrete-edger-or-retaining-curb.html

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  12. This looks so good! I have been meaning to contact charlotteoutdoordesign.com to help me with my landscaping, I want to try this too and do some DIY projects as well. Thanks!

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  13. I've been thing about doing my own lawn curbing in Utah. But I'm worried that it won't turn out that good. Is it worth paying a professional?

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  14. Wow, got to do something like this in my garden, thanks for your exemplary post.

    retaining walls quincy IL

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  15. Thank you for all your comments...hopefully this spring will bring more projects to post!

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  16. Hey, that looks great! Really sturdy, steady and straight! Great job!

    Regards,
    Helen Guann, Landtech Landscaping

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  17. The blog is unique that’s providing the nice material. Please post more interesting articles here.
    Krain Advantage Homepage

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    2. THANK YOU FOR THIS IDEA AND GREAT JOB I HOPE MINE TURNS OUT AS WELL !THANKS AGAIN

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  18. Great commentary on the whole landscape curbing. I learned a lot and am ready to tackle the task at hand. I appreciate the blog and your work that has gone into it.

    James | curbing poulsbo wa

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  19. I did not know that you could do something like that so easily. That is way cool and something that I would love to know how to do myself. It does not look too hard to do curbing myself, but I would not mind have a professional do the job for me though.
    Jak Manson | http://www.northernasphaltllc.com/services.html

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  20. I am wondering if you can do this in sections? Like do 20 feet this week and another 20 feet next week? Will the concrete stick together? Any ideas?

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  21. My question is how did you prep the ground. Obviously you dug down and took out the grass. But did you lay any sand or gravel underneath?

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  22. Is your curb flat on top? I would like to do this with and angled or mower edge.

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  23. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  24. We decided to put in our own concrete curbing, and the result was great! So here is the ... cconcreteforms.blogspot.com

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  25. So glad I have found this. Only started mine a couple hours ago but will put these tips in practice when it comes to the finishing touches.

    Regards,
    Pedro
    Methadone Clinic Locator

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  26. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  27. I love it. ..u also can color the concrete!

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  28. I love it. ..u also can color the concrete!

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  30. No matter how you perfectly cropped you lawn, it will still look a little slopply if you did not edge it properly.
    <a href="http://best4garden.co.uk/more/>Buy Lawn Edging</a>

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  31. This is a really simple curb project for your home. I like how simple it is and how easy you could make it. I want to cut the concrete curb on the side of the house to allow the mower to pass over it and not get ruined would you suggest just installing a new curb or cutting it down? I want to cut it down as of right now because it would be quick. http://www.garrettconcrete.com/curbcut.html

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  32. I was wondering how you mixed the concrete, was it a mix of Portland with sand and some gravel or the premixed quikcrete. Thank you

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  33. Among the urban gardeners across the world vertical and roof gardening is also gaining popularity and this is another type of concrete landscaping. concrete delivery

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  35. I was wondering where you can get a tool to round the edges of the concrete? Or where to buy the rollers or stamps to make a pattern on it?

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    1. Hello...You can get tools at a Lowes or Home Depot. Not sure about stamps though ☺

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  36. You did a fantastic job on constructing that curb in your backyard. We would love to have a mow edge curb in our backyard. I really like how you lined the other side of the curb with plants and rocks. Since I'm not nearly as construction savvy, we will be reaching out to a professional to help us. https://www.curb-right.com/

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