22 Mar 2023
Benefits of Using Edging Paver Restraints for Your Garden!
Installing edging is essential to ensure your outdoor pavers are structurally stable and look great. Whether you're creating a paver yard, road, garden, or drive, it's important to set a border around your pavers for improved aesthetic appeal. In this article, we'll explore a few options to help you make the best decision for your garden edging. With the best edging pavers, you can create a beautiful garden that will last for years.
The Need for Installing a Paver Edging
The need for edging pavers is essential for any outdoor project. Edging pavers provide a finished look to any patio, walkway, driveway, or garden. Not only do they enhance the aesthetic of your outdoor oasis, but they also help protect the integrity of your hardscape. By keeping gravel, dirt, and other debris away from your pavers, edging pavers ensure that the surface remains level and reduces the risk of cracking and shifting. Additionally, edging pavers also help keep grass, weeds, and other plants away from your pavers, which reduces the maintenance involved in your outdoor space. With so many benefits, it's clear why edging pavers are an essential part of any outdoor paving project.
How Do Paver Edgings Work?
Contrary to common belief, paver edging does not support the pavers, but instead the bedding layer. For the edge restraint to work effectively, the bedding layer must be removed to reveal the underlying gravel. Although the pavers may stay in place for some time if the edge constraint is placed on the bedding layer, the layer under the edge restraint will eventually be worn away due to traffic and weather conditions, resulting in the deterioration of the edge.
Importance of Choosing the Right Edging Paver
It's important to choose the right edge restraint system for your base. Incorrectly installed systems used for the wrong application can lead to major problems. When selecting an edge restraint system, take into account the type of base you're creating. It should extend past the pavers by the same amount as the depth of the base - for example, if the base is 6 inches deep, it should extend 6 inches beyond the pavers. Soft surfaces, such as soil or moss, require edge restraints to be installed. However, they are not necessary for pavers bordering any hard surface, such as foundations or existing driveways, as these surfaces can hold the pavers in place.
Choose From a Variety of Edging Pavers
- Wall or Stone Edge Restraint
For hard surfaces that can support pavers, there is no need to put in an edge constraint. The best way to keep the pavers in place and prevent them from moving around is to construct a wall, curb, or edging stone around the softer areas of the project. It's the best way to ensure the project's functionality and to make sure it looks good. A well-built wall will be an effective way of containing the area, while the weight of the pavement along the perimeter will be just as effective. Another option is to use an edge stone with a spike installation.
An alternative to the base's edge restraint includes attaching a stone edge with a concrete mix. This will provide restraint around the pavers with stability. For proper installation, the 1'' bedding layer of the paver set-up must be taken away and substituted with new mixed concrete. Stone edge units are put into the concrete after being submerged in a bucket of water. This process is known as wet placement and it keeps the concrete from drying.
The edging provides a strong bond between the concrete and the stone. Once the edging stone gets installed, a steel or fibre-reinforced concrete edge restraint is applied to secure the stone edge. It is an excellent edge restraint option for a permeable or open-graded base system, as it ensures the stone edging units are kept in place and provides an extra layer of restraint for the pavers.
- Metal Paver Edging
For those looking for a more reliable and structurally sound paver edge system, the aluminium version is a perfect choice. This system allows for bends and curves for a continuous installation, and its metal construction makes it far more reliable than the plastic version. Moreover, its metal construction is better suited for a base and provides structural support for straight runs. Although the aluminium version is more costly than the plastic edge restraint system, it is well worth the investment in the long run.
Metal paver edge is also a solution for an open-graded base or base with fines. Its main feature is that its holes are made in a way that the spikes are crisscrossed at a 60-degree angle for a base with fines, where a 10-inch non-galvanized spike is installed. This helps prevent the spikes from getting forced out of the edge restraint device by any upward pressure. Furthermore, a larger V-shaped spike is hammered into the edge restraint through a separate slot in a permeable or open-graded installation. This further reinforces the foundation and prevents lateral movement, as it offers more support to the pavers. Additionally, the metal paver edge prevents freeze-thaw cycles from forcing the edge restraint up, solving the issue of spikes getting forced upward.
- Concrete Paver Edging
Installing a concrete collar to enclose your project is a practical choice as it won't be affected by freeze-thaw cycles and provides strong adherence to the pavers and base material. However, it is prone to fracturing over time which weakens its ability to resist lateral movement. To avoid cracking and potential separation, reinforce the concrete by adding fibres or rebar to the concrete mix. The advantage of using concrete as an edge material is that it can be shaped into any shape, making it easy to fit curved pathways. Plus, installation is simpler than with metal. So, you can easily fix this problem by adding reinforcement materials to your concrete mixture for added stability and strength.
- Plastic Edging Restraint
Plastic is one of the most popular materials for paver edging, often visible in home improvement stores and on pavers. Unfortunately, in areas with high traffic or during extreme weather conditions, plastic edge restraints can fail to serve their intended purpose. Common causes of failure include severe seasonal extremes, inadequate base compaction, and placing the base too high without properly preparing the foundation layer. It can result in the supporting construction becoming exposed and the edge shifting, creating an undesirable look. To avoid this issue, one must ensure the base is properly installed and exfoliated before installing the edging.
Summing It Up!
When it comes to selecting a system for placing a paver edge constraint, there is no one-size-fits-all solution due to the vast array of options available. To ensure you go for the best paver edge restraint for your application and budget, consider the material, base, spending limit, the shape of the walkway, and the climate where it will be installed. Taking all these factors into account will ensure you choose a paver edge constraint that will keep your pavers in good condition and help you avoid costly repairs in the future. With the right combination of knowledge and careful consideration, you will find the perfect paver edge restraint for your project.
*Disclaimer: All information and advice given above in the blog are to the best of our knowledge. Please reconfirm at your end before execution.
