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.
What this diagram shows
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.
Paver & Patio Calculator
Calculate pavers, base aggregate, bedding sand, polymeric sand, and edging for sand-set, mortar-set, pedestal & PICP installs. ICPI Tech Spec.
Related diagrams
Masonry, Stucco & HardscapeBrick bond patterns compared — running, ⅓ running, stack, common, English, and Flemish
Masonry, Stucco & HardscapeWhere bricks-per-square-foot comes from — the nominal brick-plus-joint cell
Masonry, Stucco & HardscapeAnchored brick-veneer wall section — air space, WRB, ties, flashing, and weep holes
Masonry, Stucco & HardscapeThree-coat stucco wall assembly — sheathing, WRB, lath, scratch, brown, finish (7/8″)
Masonry, Stucco & HardscapeStucco weep screed & ground clearance — WRB laps the flange, ≥4″ above grade
Masonry, Stucco & HardscapeStucco control joints — break the wall into ≤144 sq ft panels so it doesn’t crack