Install Paver Edge Restraint That Won't Tip or Kick Up

The Problem

Plastic snap edging gets a bad reputation for kicking up and tipping over, and the usual cause is where it was set: on top of the bedding sand. Sand doesn't hold the spikes, and water migrating through the joints undermines the edging until it leans away from the pavers.

The Technique

1. After the pavers are laid, pull the bedding sand back along the border until you're down to the compacted aggregate base. The edging never sits on sand.
2. Set the snap edge on the aggregate, tight against the outside face of the pavers, with its top about 3/4 inch below the paver surface.
3. Start with a 10-inch spike in the first two holes at each end of a run.
4. Then spike every other hole along the run, and double up the spikes at the ends.
5. Drive each spike at a slight angle, turning it in as it goes, while holding the edging tight against the paver. The angled spike pulls the restraint toward the field instead of letting it drift.
6. Backfill aggregate against the outside of the edging and work it in so there are no voids.