How to Make Concrete Curbs

Adding concrete curbing to your yard will provide high-quality and long-lasting borders. The availability of curb-extruding machines at rental shops makes this an easy project for the do-it-yourself homeowner. A wide variety of colors for concrete also is now available so you can give your curb a custom look.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Hand tamper
• Concrete curb-extruding machine (rented)
• Ready-mix concrete
• Concrete pigment
• Expansion joints

Instructions

1. Mark the path that the curbing will follow on the ground. Dig out this area with a shovel to a depth of 2 inches and a width of about 10 inches.

2. Compact the soil in the trench with a hand tamper.

3. 

   Mix the concrete. For colored concrete curbing, purchase concrete pigment powder or liquid pigment and add it to the mix. The directions from the manufacturer will specify what amount of pigment to add. Putting in more pigment will get you a darker shade.

4. Set the curb-extruding machine in the trench, fill it with concrete and form the curbing. Insert expansion joints every 3 feet in the curbing to prevent cracking.

5. Let the concrete cure, or harden and set properly. It is important to keep the curb damp for five to seven days by occasionally spraying it down with water. This will allow the concrete to cure to its maximum strength.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're digging the trench for the curb in an area with grass, be careful to cut away the sod in strips, store them in the shade and keep them moist. Then, after your curb is finished, you can carefully re-sod the area right up to the curb for a seamless look.

References

• Concrete Pigments in Integral Color
• Curing Definition

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Liquid Pigment Colors for Concrete