Steel Reinforcement
Wire is standard ( included in the price) in all our residential bed edging. This is a significant cost benefit, because most installers charge $1 per foot for reinforcement added to their curbs. An UPGRADE is still available to braided cable which is stronger. We still recommend cable in areas where there are a lot of spruce or poplar trees that tend to grow roots at the surface which can disrupt the curbing.
The reasons for steel reinforcement:
Most curbing over the years has been installed without steel reinforcement, and continues to perform very well. Here is a photo of approx 19 year old curb showing some “gaps” from normal ground movement. Of course these gaps can be easily filled with caulking so that grass does not grow in them ( see Edging (care) ).
Gaps in 19 year old curb. Easily fixed, but steel may reduce normal gapping due to ground movement
CABLE: We are being asked more frequently now to add steel reinforcing. In about 2013 we noticed some operators in the USA offering this as an option, so we began to offer it as well. The thought is, that the curb will stay tighter together. There is some experience to say that this is true, and we have observed a long term benefit from adding the steel. Control joint cracks develop as normal, and perhaps the odd random crack, but the steel keeps it tighter together.
What we can do, is feed 2000 lb test steel cable into the extrusion as we go with the machine, leaving the cable inside the concrete, tying it all together. Theoretically things will stay tighter for more years. We charge $0.50 per foot for adding steel braided cable to residential curb. We do not generally install steel on runs under 8′ long for technical reasons.
The problem is, that Cable is expensive material! The cost adds to the price of the curb, so many people have turned it down. This led us on a quest for a cheaper alternative. At the same time, we had to experiment with modifications to our machinery and techniques in order to facilitate efficient installation of the reinforcement.
Introducing WIRE REINFORCEMENT. It is now standard on ALL our curbs.
in 2017 we experimented by using wire reinforcement on all our curbs. We tested a 600 lb test galvanized wire by installing it at our expense on all residential jobs. We were very pleased with the results, and now plan to install wire on all jobs from here on in. The wire holds the curb together for long term freeze/thaw cycles and keeps gaps tighter, leaving less opportunity for the tufts of grass to grow in the curb joints. There are some limitations: wire cannot be extruded into small shapes or short lines. But otherwise, we feel it is a major improvement to the long term durability of a curb job, so we feel it has to go in on all jobs.
Wire is standard ( included in the price) in all our residential bed edging. this is a significant cost benefit, because most installers charge $1 per foot for reinforcement added to their curbs. An UPGRADE is still available to braided cable. We still recommend cable in areas where there are a lot of spruce or poplar trees that tend to grow roots at the surface which can disrupt the curbing.