Online training program
Natural Stone Training
Get instant access video training modules filmed on-site at one of our in-person trainings.
The Curb Depot founder, Ryan Wolfrath, takes you on a full day of curbing with a natural stone technique. This method allows you to create beautiful curbing that looks like natural stone. Create any type of look, color, or shape that your client wants, and make more money from this profitable style.
St. Louis, Missouri
Natural Stone Training Job #1
Lesson #1
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Our secret technique for getting deep stone textures quickly and easily
- How to create a look of individual stones
- How to shape your stones
- Smoothing out stones
- Moving stones
- What slag is and how to remove it
- How to get a deep, detailed grout
- How to finish off your curb and keep the most color
Lesson #2
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Dealing with a dry mix
- Improving your speed and efficiency
- Fixing a misalignment in your curb
- Smoothing out the edges and turns of your curb
- How to avoid blowing out a curb
- How to fix a blown out curb
- How to move large stretches of curb quickly
- Tips for loading the extruder
- How to level out the extruder
Lesson #3
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Adding color
- Cleaning up the edges of your curb
- How to decide the length of each stone
- Extruding tips
- How to fix an over-troweled curb
Lesson #4
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Preparing for a job
- Sodcutting/bededging
- Cleaning up before a job
- Extruding
- Dealing with a wet mix
Lesson #5
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- How to put curb next to a wall
- Applying colors
- Learn our secret method to getting the perfect natural stone look
- Creating natural sized and shaped stones
- Getting a natural stone look through color
- Maximizing your time on the job site
- The overall workflow of pouring and extruding
- How to find the right mix
- How to end a pour
- Tips on shoveling the mix into the extruder
Lesson #6
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Working with wet mix
- Tapering off an edge of curb
- How to apply colors
- Which colors to use and how long colors will last you
- How to deal with cracks in your curb
- Designing the curb around the existing landscaping
- Providing value to your customer
- How to set yourself apart from the competition
- Removing slag
- Getting a natural stone texture
- Shoveling tips
Lesson #7
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Fixing curb when the cable breaks through
- Working with a dry mix
- Building out a curb by hand
- Ending curb at a fence or column
- Adding control joints
- Creating a natural stone texture
- Designing a curb
- Designing a tree ring
- Ground prep for a tree ring
- Extruding a tree ring
- How to get a smooth finish across the entire curb
- How to make a perfect circle for a tree ring
Lesson #8
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Finishing a tree circle
- How to get a perfect tree circle
- The importance of trenching for a tree circle
- Pouring a tree circle
- How to round out a tree circle
- Getting the deepest stone texture possible
- Adding grouts to a tree circle
- Adding control joints to avoid any cracking
Lesson #9
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Finishing off a tree circle
- How to connect the two ends of a tree circle
- How to apply pressure when using a trowel
- Best troweling technique
- How to apply the natural stone texture
- Overlapping the natural stone texture
- Tips for having a mix running
- Creating an end
Lesson #10
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Rounding out a tree circle
- Troweling tips
- How to get an even trowel
- How to fix a flattened curb
- How to get more out of your yard signs
Chesnee, South Carolina
Natural Stone Training Job #2
Lesson #1
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- How to use a bed edger
- Dealing with tall grass and tight yards
- How to remove extra grass and dirt
- Preparing the ground with sand
- Picking out a color based on the home
Lesson #2
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Organizing colors
- Prepping colors for application
- When to seal
- Matching colors to home
- Mixing
- Proper amount of water to add while mixing
- Starting the extruding process
- Repositioning misplaced curb
- Troweling around corners
Lesson #3
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Troweling
- Applying color release
- Natural stone texturing
- Brushing and touching up textures
- Creating joints
- Creating corners
- Creating custom keystones
Lesson #4
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Texturing individual stones
- Chip brushing and smoothing out stones
- Cutting control joints to look more natural
- How to pick control joint spacing
- Dealing with a wet mix
- How to avoid a wet mix
- Following a proper line while extruding
- How Assurance affects your mix
- Cleaning a trowel
- Moving a misplaced curb
Lesson #5
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Minimizing waste on the job site
- Natural stone texturing
- Adding control joints
- Cleaning off a trowel
- Building curb where an extruder can’t fit
Lesson #6
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Touching up natural stone curbing
- Adding small final touches to natural stone
- Cleaning up a job site
- Handling client approval before starting a job
- Prepping a yard for extrusion
- Starting a mix
- Extruding
- Troweling
- Full job from beginning to end
General Natural Stone Training
Full Lesson #1
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Planning out a curb design
- Cutting and pulling sod
- Putting the cable into the plunger
- Mixing
- Adjusting the height of the curbing machine
- Pouring and extruding
- Troweling
- Applying release
- Rolling
- Removing slag
- Texturing
- Stamping
Full Lesson #2
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Planning out a curb design
- Cutting and pulling sod
- Putting the cable into the plunger
- Mixing
- Adjusting the height of the curbing machine
- Pouring and extruding
- Troweling
- Applying release
- Rolling
- Removing slag
- Texturing
- Stamping
Full Lesson #3
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Planning out a curb design
- Cutting and pulling sod
- Putting the cable into the plunger
- Mixing
- Adjusting the height of the curbing machine
- Pouring and extruding
- Troweling
- Applying release
- Rolling
- Removing slag
- Texturing
- Stamping
Natural Stone Curbing Color Options
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Picking the right color for the job
- Giving your customer multiple options of colors
Curb Depot Headquarters
In-House Natural Stone Training
Full Lesson #1
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Proper mixing technique
- Adding color during mixture
- Checking for proper mixture consistency
- Raising and lowering the machine
- Proper extruding and troweling technique
- Applying color to extruded curb
- How to make natural stone curb
- Creating individual stones and where to make cuts
- Brushing and tips for the best possible texture
Full Lesson #2
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Brushing technique
- Applying the natural stone texture
- How many relief cuts are needed
- Using the chip brush for final touches
- Mixing, extruding, and troweling
- Dealing with a wet vs. a dry mix
- Adding texture to the side of natural stone curb
Full Lesson #3
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Starting a new mix mid-job
- Tips for lining up the extruder properly
- Troweling while extruding for a faster job
- Creating an end to a curb
- Texturing and cutting natural stone curb
- Troweling tips
- Applying a natural wood texture
- Working on different designs
Full Lesson #4
In this lesson, you’ll learn about:
- Looking for a dry mix
- How to deal with kinks in your curb while troweling
- Fixing uneven curb
- Troweling tips for amount of pressure to apply
- Adding color
- Applying texture to natural stone curb
- Adding control joints
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