Q: Is Borders Unlimited a Canadian Company?

YES!  Borders Unlimited is a Canadian company owned and operated by Bill Vanderlip.  Bill was born and raised right here is Simcoe, Ontario.  Bill has a background in commercial and residential constuction including concete constuction dating back to early 1970. With his wealth of experience working with concrete Bill is one of the most knowledgeable landscape curb installers in Ontario.  All cement, sand and aggregate used in our concrete border constuction is manufactured and purchased locally from Canadian companies.

Q: Can you install borders in our cold Canadian winter climate?  What time of year is best?

A:  Yes.  Landscape borders may be installed in our ever changing Canadian climate.  ( See frost and ground movement below )
The question that customers should be asking Installers is what time of year is the best to install your borders.  ( See next question below )

Q: Can borders be installed in freezing conditions?

A:  NO!  Concrete borders are primarily comprised of portland cement, sand, aggregate and water. A few additives and color may be added to you concrete. Integral color or fibers to strengthen the concrete mix are common additives.
    Do not be mislead by inexperienced installers that tell you that you may install borders in below freezing temperatures.  The mix of sand cement and water will freeze if installed in below zero temperatures.  Sodium may be added to the concrete mix to attempt to prevent the concrete from freezing but this raises other unwanted issues.  Concrete takes 28 days to fully cure.  If at any time during this 28 day period your borders freeze the integrity of your borders will without question be compromised.   Borders must not be installed if there is any chance of freezing with in 30 days of installation!  At Borders Unlimited we will not install borders before April 15 or after November 15.  These dates have been a guide line for the commercial concrete industry in Canada for decades.  By using these dates and studying reports from Environment Canada we are insured that you will get only the best, strongest borders possible on the market to day.

Q: How long are those pieces and where do I buy them?

A: "They" are not pieces or sections. The breaks you see approximately every 3' are expansion/control joints. The continuous concrete borders are installed on each job site. Please refer to the Process page .

Q: How deep do you dig and how deep is the footing?

A: We dig about 2½ inches deep by 10 inches wide. This can be done without disturbing your existing plantings and lawn. There is no footing as the curb is concrete and is its own footing. Like your concrete sidewalk, patio and driveway, the concrete border floats on the surface. Please refer to the Process page .

Q: What about frost and ground movement?

A: The benefit of our concrete border is that is a continuous piece of concrete. Individual blocks or bricks will shift over time and in the winter. Our curb is reinforced with fibermesh which is designed to take the place of rebar or steel and adds strength to the curb. We add air entrainment additive to all of our concrete mixes to further protect your borders against our harsh winters. We place control joints every 3 - 4 feet and are cut about 40% into the curb. This is designed to control the cracking of the curb during shifting periods and our freeze and thaw cycle. If the curb should crack, it should crack on the back of the expansion joint and not be noticeable.

Q: Is the colour painted or stained on the curb?

A: All of the colors are specifically designed for use in exterior borders and are added to the concrete during the mixing process. The color will not flake off or disappear over time. You may experience a little fading, but this is normal in any outdoor color application. We will seal all curbs after installation to protect the colour from UV rays and harsh winter weather. A sealer will aid in the lifetime of the color, we recommend sealing every year. This annual service is one that we will provide at a nominal additional charge. See the Styles and Patterns page for colour options

Q: What kind of base is placed under the curb?

A: We make sure the base under the border is compacted and level. Sometimes we will put a small layer of sand under the curb to ensure the level of the border. If the border should settle a little, the control joints should control the cracking.

Q: Will the curbing crack?

A: We experience very little cracking however concrete will crack. We take every precaution to limit the cracking and try to control it with contol joints. Concrete borders like any other type of concrete can and will crack. Borders Unlimited places expansion joints 3-4 foot apart to control cracking. Typically you might see one or two small hairline cracks develop in a long stretch of curb. This is not usually very noticeable, and can be safely ignored. If cracking does occur, it will usually be in the control joint. See Care & Warranty.

Q. Will my existing landscape be disturbed?

A. No, the only piece of heavy equipment we use is our truck and trailer to get us to the site. This remains on the street, back alley or driveway. Our other equipment is small and specifically designed to work on and around existing landscape without disturbing it.

Q. Will concrete borders stop the grass from migrating into my flower garden?

A. Yes, our borders are 6" wide and will stop regular lawn grass from spreading into your garden area. It will not however stop the spreading of quack grass and some tuberous weeds.