# Edge restraint on new paver walkway



## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

There are many types of edge restraints that are commonly used, but your supplier chooses to only offer the minimal grass/garden types. You can use the deeper flexible plastic, steel or aluminum and then spike it in from the outside.

Normally the sand setting bed is a uniform 1" thick (uncompacted and just screeded off the edging restraint) concrete sand. The pavers are set tight and fine sand (masonry sand with NO cement) lightly spread over the surface and then everything is vibrated with a plate vibrator to true up the paver surface and draw the surface and bedding sand into the joints to create the interlocking strength and stability. Just sweep it clean when done. There is really no need for the polymeric sand and it is rarely used on major paver installations like driveways, streets and especially not used on heavy-duty large commercial installations, but you can always use it if it is already on site

Dick


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## TRUEPRO (Apr 10, 2012)

concretemasonry said:


> There is really no need for the polymeric sand
> Dick


Wont the wash sand wash away in time and leave gaps in the joints, leaving them open to have grass seed blow in and cause growth?


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

No it will not wash away of the pavers are laid with tight joints. - You could have a problem with clay brick because of the tolerances and variations possible.

Look at the Interlocking Concrete Paving Institute web site (icpi.org) for all technical information and installation options that is based on decades of use.

Dick


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

I'd be using the metal one's not plastic. They come in green brown and black.


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## Andy54 (Jun 30, 2012)

Thanks for the replies. I'll hunt further for an edging that's higher than 1.75".
Andy


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## concretemasonry (Oct 10, 2006)

No one is hiding the deeper/higher restraint since it is used routinely everywhere.

The steel and aluminum could be coil that is usually available in different thicknesses and "heights". Also some aluminum can be anodized, but sine the edge retrain is not really seen, it is not worth the concerns and complications.

If you need just a few feet, you will be limited when it comes to sources.

Dick


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## Andy54 (Jun 30, 2012)

I ended up using the short edging. It's 1.65 inches high. My bedding sand layer is 7/8-inch (the diameter of electrical conduit that I'm using to help maintain accurate thickness) ... so this leaves 3/4 inch of edging holding the sides of the pavers. I used 196 feet, at $1.02 per running foot. And I used 200 steel 10-inch spikes, at $0.32 each. OK, the steel ones will rust ... but they are much cheaper, and the spikes become less important after the whole arrangement has settled in and the grass is against it.

I checked about six local masonry supply shops. Only one had anything taller ... and that was steel and heavy, at $6 per foot ... designed for road construction.

Thx again for all the replies.

Andy


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