Here is my experience with this tool. I laid 79ft in 10 1/2 hours. Hour 1, I'm getting started with high hopes. It's not coming out like the guys in the video but I can smooth it out with the tool and the sponge is a miracle worker. Hour 3 my knees are killing me, back is hurting and I can't feel my feet from being hunched over in a little ball shoving cement into this small tool. Hour 4, I start praying for rapture and quality control goes out the window. I look at my starting line and it looks like I have gotten no where. Hour 5, hands are torn up from not wearing gloves like an idiot because I am in the gym everyday and have hard hands from the weight bar I figure I didn't need them. My body from the lower back down is killing me except my feet because I stopped feeling them at hour three. As I sat there with my curb it yourself in my hand and buzzards circling above I started calculating the weight the tree limb above me could hold in case I wanted to hang myself. I decided to push on to hour 6 running out of light and completed 49ft. This day I had a buddy helping me mix and keeping my bucket filled so I didn't have to get up from my hunched over ball I was in. Day twoWoke up, lower back, butt, legs and feet were killing me I felt like I was hit my a truck. I finally understood why they called it curb it yourself because if there is a day two no one in there right mind would help you. Friends will abandon you, your own mother will call block you, if you are a Siamese twin they will take off too. I said a quick prayer and muscled on by my self. With a protein bar, a full scoop of pre workout, pure rage and determination. Hour 8 into it, I look back and I'm actually getting the cub built, can't feel anything from the lower back down so that's a good thing. Along with the voices I'm hearing chanting like I'm getting ready to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl coming from somewhere, I think I even saw Jesus. Hour 10 six more feet to go. I just make it to my feet to stand up to get the last shovel full in the bucket. I'm walking like I just ran backwards naked through the blue oyster bar because my legs and butt are hurting so bad. Finally the end of the job, I step back and stared at the demon tool because I defeated it. Tears are running down my face and I walked back into my house looking like a competitor on the last 500ft of an iron man race. Curb was complete, it had my heart, sole, tears, blood and dignity left in that curb but I finished it. So you decide if this is what you really want to do, I'm mean really dig deep to make this decision and just remember I tried to warn you.
this is the funniest comment ever!!!! haha haha I know exactly what you mean. not that I have ordered that product. But I do curbing installation myself. but the professional way. it's hard work as you can see. I loved your comment. My wife had to smack me so I could stop laughing.
+1savoyspevial Well, you gotta wear gloves, concrete is corrosive. Just like working out, you have to pay attention to your position when doing this kind of work. Hunching is not good. Gotta get up and straighten out periodically.You gotta use a kneeling pad or knee pads that you wear. You gotta have a piece of wood or something to use to put the concrete into the form, so your hands won't get so overdone. Stay hydrated, for all the reasons plus your muscles need it. When you go in at the end of the day, shower off and then soak in a bath with plenty of plain epsom salts. Go to bed. When you save this kind of $, take plenty of time, don't try to rush and know what you'd have paid for it would be very well earned, had you paid someone else to do it ;)
That was the best thing I've read in months. And exactly what I was thinking would happen if you tried this DIY tool. I have a curbing machine which works great other than when you get really close to the house or fence. They you're left with the hand trowel for a few feet which is exactly what this DIY tool is only it's actually metal. It sucks. You never get good compaction or even height. I can't imagine doing this all with a trowel. This review of the product above is golden and keep it in mind.
I lay concrete borders professionally. (600-1000 linear ft)everyday at least 5 days a week. Only advice I’d give is put pressure with another hand at the front of the form, while you’re sliding it. This will give it a better working and looking finish. And cut expansion joins every 3 feet going about halfway down.( you could cut these joints with a pie server)
I’m about to put in 300 lineal feet of curb at my house, after buying the plastic tool ,I ended up buying a professional steel trowel 6” wide and 4 inches high and after consulting my local supplier they suggested adding some fiber to the mix and I was thinking of a one part Portland to two or three parts cement ?
This Curb-it Yourself tool is so easy to use!! My husband mixed the concrete for me and I used the tool myself. I did close to 48 feet this past weekend and we love the results. I can't wait to use it again this coming up weekend!! I'm a 55 year old female, if I can do it anyone can! I watched all of James Shelton's RU-vid videos before I began for tips and tricks. Don't be fooled and buy imitation, his is the only one. I highly recommend the Curb-it Yourself tool by James Shelton. I'm going to finish putting a concrete border around my house and patio and I can't wait!!!! It's going to look amazing and it's not going to break the bank.
I'm 55 and I just finished a 50ft perimeter kidney bean shaped island in my front yard with this tool and I love it. It turned out just as I hoped it would. This was my first try and I was able to do this in 4 days (non consecutive - spanned over about two weeks) I did about 10 to 12 ft each time and I added charcoal liquid color to it. I highly recommend for small projects.
I thought the concrete would dry and affect the point where the dry concrete meet the cool when you spanned the work for over two weeks, even the next day.
Just completed my first try with the curb it tool and I am very impressed. It takes a little practice, but what doesn't. One key thing I learned was when you are ready to put the finish on it wet the tool. Smooth a buttah.
I feel your pain...once I decided my small family of 4 could roof our house ourselves...same feeling. At least one of us knew what he was doing and it turned out beautifully...but oh, what an experience!
I did this last year, about 24'. I am about to do some more. It IS hard, physically... not for everyone. But I enjoy the exercise, the cost saving, the did-it-myself thing, and the end result. I sit on a low stool, only mix smallish amounts, and take lots of breaks.
Linda B Thanks for your comment. Check out our latest Tutorial video where we instruct you how to make small batches and do just like you say smaller sections at a time.
Tool works great , like anything else involving concrete ,its tuff work .Mixing the concrete is the tuff part . You can use pre mixed concrete 40 pound bags that is a sand topping mix less of a pain than Portland and sand .I enjoy working a few hours a weekend doing it myself .whoever is crying on the comment's below about body ache's and knees hurting ( your in horrible shape )
For people talking about rebar it is absolutley unnecessary. Curbing is a decorative element and is not meant to restrain a load. However, expansion joints every 2 to 5 feet are necessary in areas where freezing/thawing cycles or heavy clay soils exist. When a section cracks or needs to be replaced or moved then having rebar will be a hindrance. Most important, as was mentioned in the video, is that the ground is disturbed as little as possible. If you must dig a rock out or accidentally dig too deep then make sure you tamp the ground thoroughly. When filling deep hole tamp thoroughly every half inch of dirt that is added. Otherwise a decent example of diy curbing. Follow the directions and practice making a good mix that YOU can work with. With a helper mixing concrete and shoveling it out in front of you, several hundred feet a day is good progress.
Ive never done curbing and wondered how it was done. Thus I ran into your video. But when I stated to research tools I noticed something. How is your product innovative when others have the same thing. And they seem to have released theirs before yours? Any how I will say yours is cheaper to purchase because it’s made of plastic. I appreciate the how to video. I’m going to give this a go for around my garden.
I just ordered this tool. Looks like it will work well. I have done many concrete and brick jobs in the past. Looking forward to trying this out. I am interested in adding color to the Portland/sand mix. However, my concern is that since I will be forced to mix small amounts at a time, I will not be able to get the color the same in all batches of mix. I am considering another option. Have you had any experience with coating the finished curb with colored sanded grout after it has fully dried? Lastly, I live in New York. I have seen your other comments instructing NOT recommending cutting slices for expansion. I would think that adding fiber expansion joints at say 10 foot intervals would allow for expansion, however, it raises my concern for weakening the curb to where it may be pushed around by the soil it will be retaining.
Great tool, will be trying it. I think in this video, the technique is pressing down into the dirt too much, rather than adding a good amount of concrete and smoothing it out. In some areas he's pressing down as much as two inches into the ground underneath while the top of the trowell is empty. Jim says he has more videos and hopefully those show better technique. But failing to add enough concrete and then pressing down on the trowel will tire you out fast. Maybe a companion packing tool instead of your hands. Great tool tho!
Your custom-shaped trowel for making a nicely contoured curb is really a good innovation. My concrete work is limited to a few pads at rhe landing of porch and deck steps, so just a curious commenter, no expert. When I finished the perimeter of the rectangular pads, I used a trowel that was curved up at one end, and not at the other. I quickly discovered that the curved end was the front and the end with no flared-up end was the trailing end, because it left such a smooth finish to the cream. I wondered, when looking at your tool in the video, if you had considered having no flare at one end, just cut odd sharply, so it didn't suck up the concrete as it moved along the surface. When I used my edging trowel backwards, lifting the sharp end ever so slightly so it floated along, there was a little suction between the curved trowel end and the concrete, and it made rough patterns on the surface from the suction. I hope I explained that well enough. I wondered if you had thought about that, though, as a design feature to make a very smooth finish on your curved curbing. Anyway, I like what you've done, so congrats!
I just got a quote of $10.50 per foot to put in a 200' curb and that price includes shape, texture, color, and sealer. I was wondering if I could save money by doing it myself but after watching this video and the labor involved I can see that it's worth the money to pay a professional to do it right the first time so it looks good, and not break my back doing it myself.
Have you tried using a sack of mortar mix? That's really what you have because without rocks, nothing is really concrete. Mortar mix has plastic cement instead of Portland, but it should work just fine.
I'm not reading all comments so excuse if already addressed. But do you do in cold climate States when the ground heaves up and down , and breaks this product with no rebar or gravel?
thanks for your comment traditional curbing companies use a 4-1 mixture of sand and portland cement, which is concrete however, you are welcome to use anything that you desire. it is your project I will recommend the standard 4-1 mix
Sand and cement is mortar. Concrete is cement, small aggregate/sand, and large aggregate/gravel. There are many concrete mix designs basically falling close to a 1-2-3 ratio.
Hmmmm - not sure if this method would hold up in areas with freezing winters. I think ground heave and temp variation would lead to significant cracking. In the North, we would have to lay forms and trowel in a reinforced cement mix (polypropylene fiber and maybe some thin bendable rebar). After setting up for a bit, the shaping trowel could be run over the top.
Hey troll, the curb actually looks pretty good. It has a few cracks in it that appeared after it dried but I am happy with it. I would never do this again but I am happy with it. Honestly everyone, I was just being funny in my post but it does take a long time. I really did have to take a prework out the next morning 415mg of caffeine in it to get motivated to finish it. Your body will be very sore for about a week if you take on a project that's as long as the curb I built. I don't care how good of shape your in. I am in the gym 7 days a week doing deadlifts, squats, bench, cardio and every lift you can imagine. It's just a matter of being hunched over for so long and the tool is tiny. It is almost impossible not to put your weight on the tool which causes it to bend and the more worn out you get the more weight you put on it. I hate to say this because the guy has a good idea and it works but if someone put a gun to my head and I had to do it again I would look online, spend a little more and buy the metal one that's out there. I think a metal version of this would be a lot easier to work with and help with quality control.
@@guycalleddave To be honest, knees pads would make it worse! The straps will cut circulation off. Common sense should prevail with this video. I did "Curbing for two years with a machine. IF you are hand troweling..Sand and Concrete are rather cheap. Bulk dump, way more than you need and then form the curb. Reuse what you can. BTW @1savoyspevial...I loved your commentary...NOT the pain!
thanks for your comments I just had a customer tell me that he contacted a professional company in order to have 15 feet of curbing installed He was quoted $450 (required minimum charge) With curb it yourself, you can easily complete 15 feet in just a few hours for about $20
I live in Canada and would like to do this myself. What can I do so the concrete wont break apart with the extreme temperature changes we have? What should I use for a base? Also what could I add to make a dark grey/ charcoal color?
@@mv3380 I live in michigan so I deal with the same thing and one of the best things you can do with concrete work like this is use lime, it's not structural so it doesnt need a high strength mix, my fave recipe is 2 parts portland 5 parts sand but substitute 10% of the portland for hydrated type S lime, if you'll be mixing multiple batches dont try to dye the mix and go with an acid stain when it's done otherwise quikrete makes a charcoal color additive dye, cut joints halfway through every 3 feet, put the curbing on top of plastic and seal it when it cures and I promise you it will outlast the life of your house. Moisture is the death of concrete in freeze/thaw regions and adding lime gives it better waterproof properties, the plastic underneath will prevent it from wicking moisture off the ground
@@s.91.a 15 feet in 2 hours is about right but you'll have an hour in to mixing and prepping another into cleanup and touch up but 15 feet isnt very far when you break it down
Very nice. What would you do if you could only do about 10ft a day on a 40 ft job. I am because I'm doing it myself plus rolling a texture on there. Do you need to add some small rebar to tie the pieces together? It's better to put some joints in there? Thanks for the best lesson
Hello I just ordered it I can't wait for to come in the mail I have a ? Can I use maybe a little kind of oil lubrication Pam? On the tool before I use? This way will not stick? Thankyou
Isn't Type-S pre-mixed mortar basically the exact same thing as the sand and cement mixture? Type-S mortar is the same price as buying bags of sand and cement, but is pre-mixed and saves work & dust.
Agreed. I did a $3000 curbing job for a client last week. I bought the premixed quikrete stuff in buckets; SO MUCH easier to work with. Also, just sit on your ass and work; easier on the knees and back. It took me 2 days in total to knock it all out. Also, I didn't attack the project from the side. I sat Indian style in front of the curb I was making so I could rest my elbows on my legs as I worked. It wasn't too bad over all.
Hello all. I live in Michigan with harsh winters. Has anyone tried this method in a similar climate? How has it held up? I have 600 linear feet to tackle this spring. Thanks.
I just ordered one!!!...I can't wait to use it and review it!!!...it looks easy (but Long process )depending on how much curbing you plan on doing. anyway I looked at other videos ,professional etc and for the price of your product it's saving us 1000's if we do it right!!! can't wait! !!
I just found your video because I was just found your product in my shed!! Smh I think I'm going to do it this month! 2 years ago.....wow and I never started 😢😂
Curbing can be done anywhere. I do it professionally in Southern Utah where it gets 100° in the Summer and 5° in the winter and ours holds up very well. It really depends on how well you prep your ground/base and how well you compact your cement. I'd also recommend stress cracks. They help with the expansion/contraction and, when it cracks (it's concrete, it's going to crack eventually), it should crack at the stress Crack where it's not real noticeable.
why dont we put a layer of bricks ( either mud or concrete bricks) first on the surface and then do this curb on top of it? That way we dont have to worry about the the level of teh ground and also any vegetation underneath.
I noticed the palm trees I'm guessing you don't have freezing temperatures like here in the northeast? I would image it wouldn't last on winter where I live Lol!
In addition, I would put in 1/2" steel rebar. Mesh is too difficult to work with in that small an area, but the pieces of rebar (tied together of course) makes it much easier. I have Texas adobe that looks like the San Andreas fault after a long dry spell, and even with an inch sand base would still shift the ground enough to affect the concrete if it wasn't reinforced.
I have a quick question, my grass is taller than the edge of the soil line about 4-5 inches. So I was wondering if I put a line of bricks first then use crub it yourself trowel on top of it will it work? Basically I'm raising the curbing to match my lawn so I won't have any issues with my mower.
I couldn't help but notice in the video that the trees in the background had Spanish Moss in them, so I'm guessing you're fairly far south. Will this work up where we get winters? With all the freezing and thawing, how long do you think a curb like this will last? Cool product, thanks for your time.
Excuse my ignorance, but this will be my first concrete project. In the video you give a 1 concrete to 4 sand ration. To be clear that would be 40lbs sand to 10lbs concrete correct? This invention looks amazing, will order soon.
Tool worked great! I had one issue and I’m not sure if it was because of my mix ratio. I had a really difficult time removing excess material from my mixer like yours? Would it be wise to coat with motor oil or did I just use too much concrete
You can add latex paint to the mix for better performance. If using a powder colorant, be sure to mix an entire batch in a separate container for greater chance of color consistency.
Want to do something like this but my garden is huge and I will have to do it steps... if I do a stretch and stop, can I come back weeks/ months later and continue? I mean will the new cement stick tight to the old or..??
Add expansion Joints. So if you doing say 20 meters have a Join every 5 meters so you do what you wish in increments of 5 meters. Finish off with straight edge. then continue whatever Days/Weeks,Months later. OR A new mix will adhere to a older lay. Just taper off (bevel down/in)the edges of your last pour so you can smooth off where the old pour meets the new pour.
It’s called a cold joint. While possible, these are usually spec’s to have a connector protruding from the old and extending another foot into the new. You might want to thicken the curb for the last/first few feet and cut construction joints.
You can mix it in a bucket or in a wheelbarrow. Just make sure you have a rinse area that you can collect the remaining cement and dispose of it when it dries.
I've purchased your product and have laid about 15 ft. already. My concern is with the overall smoothness of the curb. I used regular sand from HD. Is there a way to create a more polished, smooth curb? Thanks.
Use screened river sand 4 5 gallon buckets and 47 lbs of portland cement and call a curbing company we use a machine that extrudes it and are done in a day
I do landscape curbing. I use masonry sand and add fiberglass mesh. To get it smooth use a spray bottle with a fine spray and cut your expansion joints every 3 feet .
I know several guys that do a 50/50 combination of concrete sand and masonry sand and it makes it more smooth. Straight masonry sand will also create a smooth finish.
If you are good at making the mix I would recommend getting you a small pool trowel from home depot or lowes and stacking it in the shape you want. I would recommend getting a piece of stainless steel cable and running through the middle of it. Just poke it down in it. More or less just stack it in the shape you want it and pack it in tight. Use the pool trowel to smooth it out. You will probably want a slightly wetter mix than you would use for the curb.
So . . . . I was doing some concrete work - creating a slab for my propane tanks. I had some concrete left over, and thought I'd try my new Curb It Yourself trowel. I'm throwing it out. Maybe the concrete was too wet, or maybe it was because I was working on an incline. But the concrete would not stay in the trowel. There has to be a better way. I think I'll use some flexible material and just pour it.
I would like to see a video on how it stands up over time. Using the 4 and 1 method in his video. I live in Ohio and we can have all four seasons in one day.
Great idea and product! QUESTION: Do you need to cut "slices" into the curb to prevent it from Cracking? QUESTION2: Can you change the color to Red Concrete? Thanks very much!
The “slices”, formally referred to as construction joints don’t prevent cracking. They just control where the concrete cracks. All concrete cracks. There’s also all sorts colorants that can be added. Cement and sand can have inherent colors, but also can be white. Using white base material can make adding your color easier.
Jonathan Jacobo why do you need to use such filthy language? An expansion joint isn’t only for expansion, it is also to relieve stresses so that your curbing would crack at the joint, rather than at unwanted places.
@@John5.24 fealty language? What's wrong with what I wrote.and And I mentioned Expansion joint so that it would crack where the joints are at. That's exactly what I meant. Lol
I would think you should have a gravel base of sorts, and it should be wetted down, since the earth below your wet cement will draw the water/moisture out of the cement you have laid, therefore making the cement boarder weak and not last.
no need for all that I would recommend that you review other videos of professional concrete curbing services and you will see that curb it yourself follows the same installation process thanks
hes doing it EXACTLY how its done professionally! nicely done ! this thing almost works as good as the fancy lil bubba curb machine ! good in tight areas ! I might grab one for the areas I dont want to Lug in big machines.. this is nicely paired with a small engine powered trencher! thanks for the video! super cool tool you made there!
All concrete cracks. It’s inevitable. The key is to cut construction joints after it starts to cure. Cut the joints so you choose where it cracks and can even conceal it.
Just received my trowel and I'm ready to put it to work. Do you all sell a stamping tool that works with this curbing trowel? Or know of one that would work?
Will this work as a driveway edging? And would stopping and starting at a later date be a problem getting the old and new sections to adhere together properly?
As shown, the curb is absolutely not structural. You could place it along a driveway, but it would absolutely crumble under a car/truck wheel load. Might crack under a lawnmower’s wheel load. Your local public agency would have specifications for a vehicle curb. Usually about 12” deep and using a real concrete mix. Concrete without gravel is just mortar.
Hi Jim, good job. I am thinking of a DIY curbing project in my yard. Would you please tell me how many feet of curbing edge one bag of 80 lb. pre-mixed concrete (pro-finish 5000 without rocks in it) can make? Appreciate it.
Why pack individual inchs take a shovel lay down a glob and run the tool to the desired shape. Yes your way has minimum waste but time is money and at a slump thay stiff pick it up and throw it on low spots on next section. I plan on buying this tool amd will test this method and mine and report back
