Paver Edging Guide: Types of Edge Restraints and How to Install

Paver edging is the restraint that holds the outside row of a patio, walkway or driveway in place. Without it, the perimeter pavers can drift outward, joints open up, and the bedding sand under the edge has nothing to hold it. Good paver edging keeps the whole field locked together so the joint sand can do its job.

There are two main families: plastic edge restraints fastened with long spikes or nails, and cementitious (concrete-based) edging mixed with water and troweled against the pavers. Every size and coverage figure below comes from the named manufacturer's data sheet or catalog.

Why pavers need paver edging

Pavers, joint sand and bedding lock together, and that interlock needs a fixed boundary. Traffic, compaction and freeze/thaw movement all push outward on the perimeter, and an unsupported edge lets pavers creep, joints widen and bedding sand wash or migrate out.

Manufacturers put it the same way. Alliance Gator says its edge system provides the strong lateral support that is "essential for the load transfer" of a hardscape project, and describes its cementitious XTreme Edge as permanent, continuous lateral support. SEK-Surebond's catalog calls edging essential to a project's strength, stability and longevity.

Types of paver edging and edge restraints

Plastic paver edging with spikes or nails

Plastic edge restraints are rigid or flexible strips that sit on the compacted base against the outside pavers and are fastened down with long nails or spikes. Alliance Gator's data sheets describe several profiles:

• Gator Edge Rigid and Flex: 100% polypropylene co-polymer, 8 ft lengths, 1-3/4 in high and 2-5/8 in wide. Rigid is for straight runs and Flex for curves, and the two connect with a Twist and Lock joint. Alliance lists them as UV resistant and non-corroding.
• Gator Edge X4: 100% polypropylene, 4 ft pieces, 1-5/8 in high and 2-3/4 in deep, joined with a Snap and Lock system. It suits straight runs, and curves once the bridge support is removed.
• Gator Edge Mini: 100% polyethylene with a 1 in edge in 8 ft lengths, for thin pavers, slabs, wet cast and natural stone 1-1/2 to 2 in thick.
• Gator Tile Edge: 5/8 in high, for porcelain tile on Gator Base panels, fastened with Gator Base Screws.

Cementitious and concrete paver edging

Cementitious edging is a bagged, polymer-modified concrete mix. You add water, then trowel it into a continuous wedge along the edge of the pavers. No separate strip is needed, and several products are made for curves and irregular edges. Products in our paver edging and restraints collection include:

• Alliance Gator XTreme Edge: polymer-modified and reinforced with 3D micro-fiber mesh. Alliance lists it for traditional, open-graded, permeable, Gator Base and overlay applications, and for pedestrian and vehicular use.
• SEK Surebond EdgeCrete: fiber-reinforced, polymer-modified concrete edge restraint for open-graded and standard bases, suited to pavers, stone and porcelain. SEK states no spikes are required.
• SRW Crete-Rail: fiber reinforced and polymer-modified, for curved, straight or irregular edges on pavers, permeable pavers, natural stone and wetcast, over traditional or open-graded bases. SRW lists it for residential or light commercial use.
• Techniseal Edge Bond: a polymer-modified hardscape concrete edging made with Techniseal's NextGel technology, with dispersible reinforcement fibers. Techniseal lists it as ideal for permeable installations.

Spikes and nails

We carry SRW paver edging spikes, SEK Surebond steel spikes (3/8 in diameter), Techniseal 10 in edging nails and Alliance Gator nails and spikes. Alliance makes Gator Nails in 10 in and 12 in lengths, in common or spiral styles. SRW's catalog explains the differences: smooth spikes are the most common, spiral spikes have more surface area in contact with the base, bright spikes can rust into the base over time and lock in place, and galvanized spikes resist rust, which makes later repairs easier.

Paver edging comparison table

How to choose paver edging

• Paver thickness: match the edge to the units. Alliance rates Gator Edge Mini for 1-1/2 to 2 in thick material, and Gator Tile Edge is made for porcelain tile on Gator Base panels.
• Shape of the layout: for straight runs, rigid strips are simple. For curves, use a flexible profile such as Gator Edge Flex, remove the bridge supports on X4, or use a cementitious edge that can follow curved and irregular lines.
• Base type: on open-graded or permeable bases, check that the product lists them. XTreme Edge, EdgeCrete and Crete-Rail all do, and Techniseal lists Edge Bond as ideal for permeable installations.
• Traffic: Alliance lists XTreme Edge for pedestrian and vehicular use, and SRW lists Crete-Rail for residential or light commercial use. For driveways, confirm the rating on the data sheet.
• Estimating: measure the perimeter that needs restraint. Plastic edging comes in fixed lengths (8 ft for Rigid, Flex and Mini, 4 ft for X4). For cementitious edging, divide your linear footage by that product's published coverage and round up. For example, a 60 ft edge using XTreme Edge at about 15 ft per bag needs about 4 bags.

How to install plastic paver edging

This summary follows Alliance Gator's Gator Edge Rigid and Flex and X4 data sheets. Other brands have their own spacing, so follow the instructions for the edging you buy.

1. Build the base wide enough. Alliance calls for a compacted structural aggregate base 6 in (15 cm) deeper and wider on all sides than the paved area, so the edge sits on the same compacted base as the pavers.
2. Place the edge. The edging can go in before or after the pavers. Set it firmly against the outside units.
3. Connect the pieces. Join lengths with the Twist and Lock or Snap and Lock connections so the restraint is continuous.
4. Fasten it. Drive one 10 in Gator Nail every second hole and at every junction. On Gator Base panels, use Gator Base Screws at the same spacing, with the panels extending 6 in past the paved area on all sides.

How to install cementitious paver edging

These steps come from Alliance Gator's XTreme Edge data sheet. EdgeCrete, Crete-Rail and Edge Bond each have their own mixing and placement instructions on the bag and data sheet.

1. Clear the edge. Remove bedding sand or aggregate along the pavers to a width of about 4 in, and 1/2 to 1 in under the edge pavers, so the edging sits on the structural base.
2. Mix. Combine 1/2 US gallon of water with one 50 lb bag until the mix is uniform.
3. Trowel a wedge. Spread about 4 in of mix at a 30 degree angle against the side of the pavers. Cover any voids and at least 1 in of the paver's vertical side, or half the height of the material.
4. Finish the surface. Alliance says the final compaction of the paved surface with polymeric sand should take place while XTreme Edge is still curing. Check the data sheet for the timing.

Paver edging and polymeric sand

Edging and joint sand work together. The restraint holds the perimeter, and the joint sand locks the units to each other. In Alliance's XTreme Edge instructions, the edge goes in before the final compaction with polymeric sand. Whatever edging you use, fill the joints with a polymeric sand rated for your joint width, and browse our polymeric sand collection to compare joint ranges. Our polymeric sand calculator works out the bags for the field once the edge is in.

Frequently asked questions

Do pavers really need edge restraints?

Yes. Edge restraints provide the lateral support that keeps perimeter pavers from shifting outward. SEK-Surebond calls edging essential to the strength, stability and longevity of a hardscape project.

Is plastic or concrete paver edging better?

Neither is right for every job. Plastic edging comes in set lengths and is spiked or nailed down. Cementitious edging is mixed and troweled, follows irregular shapes and, for products like EdgeCrete, needs no spikes. Choose based on your layout, base type and traffic.

How far apart should edging spikes go?

It depends on the product. Alliance specifies one 10 in Gator Nail every second hole and at every junction for its Gator Edge profiles. Follow the spacing in your edging's instructions.

How many bags of concrete paver edging do you need?

Divide your edge length by the product's coverage. Alliance lists about 15 linear ft per 50 lb bag of XTreme Edge. SEK lists 13 ft (open-graded base) or 17 ft (standard base) for EdgeCrete, and SRW lists 13 to 17 ft for Crete-Rail.

Can paver edging be installed after the pavers?

Alliance says its Gator Edge Rigid, Flex, X4 and Mini can be installed before or after the pavers. Cementitious edging goes in against the laid pavers once the bedding is trimmed back.