Whats your Guarantee?

Concrete curbing is a quality product, and our reputation is very important to us. We want you to be completely satisfied. We guarantee our curb installation for one year against defects in our concrete mix and quality of workmanship.

We guarantee against rain, hail, or frost damage incurred on the day of installation. We do not guarantee against footprints or other damage caused by the owner or third parties during the early curing stage, though we will do all we can at no charge to remedy such incidents.

All concrete is subject to random cracks, and like sidewalks, occasional cracks are normal in curbing and are expected due to shrinkage during curing or ground movement. We cannot guarantee against ground settling or damage from vehicles. The curb is supposed to crack on some of the control joints placed for this purpose. If there are unusually many cracks between control joints, spalling, or other problems, we will work hard to resolve your concerns in a professional, courteous manner, filling cracks or replacing sections of curb as necessary.

Colour match is not guaranteed, as concrete colours are dependent on may variables, most beyond our control. To see normal colour variations in production concrete note the Edmonton LRT barriers along 111 St near Southgate. There you will see examples of normal colour matching of tinted concrete done by the best contractors in Edmonton.

We have done thousands of jobs in the area, and have not failed yet to address any realistic concerns. The product and processes we use have been proven through thousands of installations over 20 years. There are environmental factors, labour and supply issues that can adversely affect the occasional job.  We have the experience and integrity to accept this, and work to your complete satisfaction.  Call us if there’s a problem!

Is curb worth the cost?

Curbing is the most resilient landscape edging option on the market. Both plastic and metal edging don’t provide much of a margin, allowing grass and weeds to penetrate the gardens easily.

Brick and Block style edging moves and warps with the frost heave. Grass tends to creep into every joint as the bricks move.

Curbing is a continuous stream of concrete, interconnected by an internal cable. It doesn’t move like brick and it provides a 6″ margin between the grass and gardens.

Longevity?

20 years or more is common with basic care ( see care page). With no care, it will overgrow with grass and weeds in 3-5 years. However, it can be recovered by proper edging and sealing. Continuous curbing is an investment in a product as durable as a concrete sidewalk. The main risk is driving over it when the ground is soggy.   If this happens the sections can usually be adjusted into alignment with a spade and some soil or sand.

What about frost heave?

NO. In general, Curb does not heave any more than your sidewalk does. The ground moves up and down an inch or two with wet/dry, freeze/thaw cycles. As the ground shifts, the sidewalks and curbs move with it.  Curb is not as massive as a sidewalk, so it is somewhat more vulnerable to damage. We have responded to a few calls about “heaving.” Most of the time, we have found that this is actually caused by driving on the curb with a vehicle.

Tree roots and mushy wet ground conditions can lift the curb. Otherwise, it stays put. It floats with the freeze thaw cycles in the ground. Steel cable reinforcement installed with the curb can reduce issues where curb is subject to settling or heaving forces. Curb that has shifted for whatever reason can be realigned by prying it up and packing material underneath. PL Premium construction adhesive can be used to  glue separated ends together

How is your curb different from others?

Our curb is made with a similar process to others. Most franchise systems originate in and are designed for the southern USA climate. In contrast, ours is a local product. It is specifically designed for the EDMONTON ALBERTA climate and proven for 30 years. Installers often take a course in the USA. They follow the instructions that will work well in a warm climate. These instructions do not work well here.

Some installers use a “mortar” mix which lacks strength, with a thin high strength slurry coating. It will look good for a couple of years then will erode, spall, or crack more easily than our concrete.  Our concrete is stronger, and we use integral colour throughout the mix, not just in the slurry coat on top. It is misleading to say one uses “integral colour” when in reality it is only coloured in the slurry coat.

Others say they have a bigger, bulkier curb, but that does not mean it performs better. In fact it may be just a very low strength mix with a lot of sand but not much cement or other important additives. We have frequently seen this type of curb crumbling away after a few years in our climate.

Some curbs stick out of the ground so high. You have to mow beside them. Then trim the bits of grass left by the mower wheels. What’s the point of that?

Does curb crack?

 There are “good cracks” and “bad cracks” . The good ones happen at the control joints. The curb is supposed to crack at the “control joints” which we put approximately every 18″. The bad cracks are between joints and sometimes open up a bit.  People are referring to the bad cracks when they ask if curb cracks. Yes it can crack, as all concrete does. Just like sidewalks, curbs almost always crack somewhere besides at a control joint, yet they continue to perform well.

We do a lot to minimize cracking which mainly happens in the first 4 days of curing.  Using the horizontal steel option keeps the cracked pieces together. Watering the curb during the curing process helps. It minimizes curing shrinkage, which is the main cause of cracks in all concrete. This is why they often flood bridge decks under water to cure them right after being poured.  If you have some cracks develop, don’t panic! It does not mean that the curb will crumble into oblivion next year. Very rarely do new cracks develop after the first year. Even if cracks do appear, they can be safely ignored. If grass is growing into cracks, fill the crack with inexpensive caulking. You can find this caulking at any building centre.

We do not generally repair cracks under warranty. An exception is made if there are several cracks in a short section in a high visibility area.

Sealing

All our concrete products should be kept sealed with an acrylic based sealer every 2-3 years. This is especially true of stamped products. We use coloured releases which give an antique look to the concrete. This is a colour that works with your sealer to create your finished look. It will begin to peel away in spots if it isn’t maintined.

How to Reseal Concrete

First clean off your curb. We usually just wash with a big brush and some water. Then we blow the water off with our leaf blower. This cleans the surface before we paint on our sealer. Sealer should be painted or rolled on.

Use an acrylic based sealer (Unicon or Conspec are local suppliers) in either a low or semi gloss. We don’t tend to recommend a high gloss. We would rather you just use another coat of semi gloss to make your curb shine.

Edging

On a bi annual basis it is good to cut out the edge of grass trailing the curb. Grass grows and grass thatches. This means as your grass grows tall so does its roots grow deep. Our lawns have a habit of expanding upwards and outwards. Over the years this will eventually bury the curb slowly.

Fixes

Stamped concrete can be fixed quite well. Never perfect! With a little patch and some colour, most damages can be blended to match the curbs colours.