Mow Strip/Mow Curb/Continuous Footing

by amanda
(Riverside, CA)

Question:

Can you tell me the difference between the terms:

Mow Strip
Mow Curb
Continuous Footings

as it might pertain to a fence project?

Is there a place where I can find definitions for these words or a place where I can find that they are all one in the same?

Answer:
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for visiting.
There is no place that I'm aware of that provide distinct definitions to the meaning of these terms.

My experience after years of studying and bidding from construction plans I found that mow strip and mow curb refer to a strip of concrete curb about 6 to 12 inches wide by 6 to 12 inches high that run along side flower or garden bed.

In most cases, these strip of concrete separate the grass from flower bed. I think the word mow defines the purpose of these concrete curbs. By the way, if you're looking at construction plans, the only place you can find these are landscape drawings or site plans and some times building elevations.

From structural engineering stand point mow strip and mow curb are not the same as continuous footing because their functions are for decorative purposes.

Footing on the other hand supports something such as fences, screen wall, retaining wall, etc. Continuous footings because they serve different purpose than a mow strip are often much deeper anywhere from 18 to 30 inches deep into the ground and often have rebar reinforcements.

If Continuous footing is build to protrude above ground than it can serve as mow strip as well though it is very common to build the continuous footing for fences much deeper than come back later after the fences is installed to pour the mow strip.

In short a footing can be a mow strip if protrudes above ground but a mow strip cannot be a footing.

That's my 2 cents

Good luck and thanks for visiting
Tonga