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CURB IT YOURSELF : TIPS AND HINTS TO BETTER CURBS
GROUND PREP:
Clear the ground of grass and weeds. Avoid digging into the ground. The curb will sit right on the surface, so there's no need to dig.
CEMENT :
Use a ratio of 4 parts sand, 1 part Portland cement (Portland is a type of cement. It is carried at Lowe's and Home Depot. As for it specifially.)
A typical 5 gallon bucket is approximately 50 lbs of sand. Thus, two 50 lb bags of sand will require approximately a 1/2 bucket of cement. That's 100 lbs of sand to 25 lbs of cement.
Mix the sand and cement together dry, then add water.
Slight differences such as 60LB bags of sand or 94LB bags of cement are acceptable. The concrete mixing is not an exact science. A 5 gallon bucket is an acceptable measure. A bathroom scale is also acceptable (ie. 25LBs of cement).
Any form of sand is acceptable. Finer sand will produce a smoother finish than coarse sand.
Note: Premixed concrete is NOT a usable alternative. It contains rocks and will not form a nice, smooth curb. Additionally, it requires too much water and will not hold itself free standing as is necessary to create good curbs.
FORMING THE CURB:
Pack the wet cement into the form tightly, and slowly advance the form. Add more concrete, pack and advance the form. Rinse the form, add concrete to low places, tap and smooth the formed curb with the tool.
CALCULATING MATERIALS:
400 lbs of sand and 100 lbs of cement (4 to 1 ratio) will create approximately 50 linear feet of finished curb.
FINISHING TOUCHES:
Finished curbs can be stained, painted, etched, etc. Colors, designs, and textures can be added to wet concrete. However, these would require additional materials and techniques that are not covered
or provided by Curb It Yourself.