A Visual Guide to Concrete Landscape Edging Styles

Edging mulch or stone beds is a project that gardeners find themselves doing once or twice a year. But does it really have to be done so much? With concrete borders, you may never have to edge again.

What is concrete landscape curbing?

Continuous concrete borders are a permanent solution to the recurring task of redefining the edge where the grass meets the landscape bed.  

The concrete border usually has an angled profile to retain the landscape material behind it like mulch or stone and then slopes down to better meet the lawn.  We are able to color and stamp the concrete based on your preferences.

They are more of a premium option when it comes to landscape edging, but they last many more years than plastic or rubber alternatives.

Within a few seasons of cutting the grass by plastic borders they are damaged and unsightly, not to mention they are usually falling out of the ground.

We install concrete garden border edging in the Pittsburgh area with our machine that pours a continuous concrete curb.  In addition to the installation of the curbing, we would be happy to install any of the related mulch or stone that your project may need.

Continuous concrete curbing is a very low-maintenance option, because it does a good job of keeping grass out of the stone or mulch bed for a long time.

People commonly take their low maintenance to the next level by replacing their mulch with stone as well during these projects.

Is concrete curbing worth it?

Concrete curbing is an efficient and thorough way of replacing the continuous need to re-edge landscape beds year after year.  Your initial investment is guaranteed to conserve time, money, and energy over the life of your borders.

How long does concrete curbing last?

Concrete curbing can last 10-15 years when installed by a professional and maintained properly.  The terrain in which the border is installed and the physical abuse it endures also plays a large part in the longevity of your border.

Every few years you can consider resealing the border to protect the concrete and keep the finish glossy.  There are different levels of gloss sealer available as well as slightly tinted sealers if you ever wanted to add a little color in the future.  It is important to put the sealer on evenly and with optimal weather for the best results.

Does a concrete curb need rebar?

Yes, we run a continuous steel cable through the middle of our concrete borders to act as rebar.  Our highly specialized concrete curb machine lays the flexible steel cable in the border as the concrete is being placed.  This provides increased strength and more durability than some of the older techniques to install concrete borders you may see around your area.

Concrete curbing styles

Concrete borders have many patterns and styles to choose from. Alternatively, your border can be carved to resemble natural stone, almost like a Belgium block. We are able to color the concrete a wide variety of colors, but popular choices are usually shades of grey, brown, and tan.  

There are various natural stamps we can apply and also some more organized patterns.

Before we can install your border, you will need to pick from one of the patterns below:

1. Cobble Stone

2. Castle Rock

3. Spanish Tile 12"

4. Wood Grain

5. Soldier Course

6. Flagstone

Once you've picked a style, we'll then mark where you want the curbing to go, and start digging the few inches deep trench where the border blocks will go.

Depending on which height you've chosen, we'll dig that far down and run our border installing machine that lays wet concrete along a line of rebar.

And boom. You're done.

Q&A Landscaping can wrap up a project like this start to finish in no time flat. We install concrete curbing because it's a permanent way to define the edge between your lawn and landscape beds. When done by an experienced professional, your border can last for years and years to come.  Not only is continuous concrete border highly durable, but also aesthetically appealing.