Why pavers need edge restraint — the perimeter creeps and unravels without it

Edge restraint is the #1 thing that keeps pavers tight: without it the perimeter creeps out, joints open, and sand washes away. Spike the restraint to the compacted base (not the soil), tight to the outside course.

Two paver edges compared. Without an edge restraint, the perimeter pavers creep outward under load, the joints open, and the bedding and joint sand wash out, so the field unravels from the edges inward — the most common paver failure. With a spiked edge restraint set on the compacted base tight against the outside course and spiked about every 8 to 12 inches, the perimeter is locked and the field stays tight. — Source: CMHA / ICPI Tech Spec 3 (edge restraint)

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Two paver edges compared. Without an edge restraint, the perimeter pavers creep outward under load, the joints open, and the bedding and joint sand wash out, so the field unravels from the edges inward — the most common paver failure. With a spiked edge restraint set on the compacted base tight against the outside course and spiked about every 8 to 12 inches, the perimeter is locked and the field stays tight.

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    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/paver-edge-restraint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why pavers need edge restraint — the perimeter creeps and unravels without it</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
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