Driveway kerbs, edgings & restraint
In short
The edge course is structural, not decorative — it is what stops block paving spreading and tarmac crumbling. Kerbs and edgings set on a concrete bed with a concrete haunch behind them, to every free edge, is what makes a driveway stay the shape it was laid in.
Also called: Driveway edging · Kerb stones driveway · Block edging course · Driveway border
Signs you need this
- The outer course of block paving leaning outwards
- Joints opening across the drive, worst nearest an edge
- Tarmac crumbling away in fragments around the perimeter
- An existing edging that has tipped, sunk or lifted out
- Gravel migrating onto the lawn and into the road
- Damage concentrated at the entrance where cars turn in
It is worth stating the principle plainly, because it explains why edges matter so much. A block pavement is held together by friction — blocks pressed tight against each other and against a restrained perimeter. Tarmac has to be compacted against something solid or the edge never reaches proper density. Resin needs a firm arris to bond to. In every case, the perimeter is doing structural work, and in every case it is the part most often quoted as a decorative border.
A properly built edge is a simple thing. The edging or kerb sits on a bed of concrete, and there is a haunch of concrete up the back of it — a wedge of concrete resisting the sideways push. That haunch is what does the job. An edging on a concrete bed with nothing behind it will slowly rotate outwards under load; an edging bedded on sand will simply move. Both look identical to a properly haunched one on the day the drive is finished.
The choice of edging is mostly about the level change and the loading. A block or sett edging course is perfectly adequate on a domestic drive and looks appropriate on most houses. Concrete kerbs — bullnose, half battered, splayed — are the answer where there is a real level change to hold, where heavier vehicles turn, or at the highway edge. Steel and aluminium edgings suit gravel and resin where a minimal visible line is wanted. Timber is fine for a path and is not a driveway product.
Where the edges take the most punishment is the entrance, and that is worth designing for. A car swinging in from the road puts a sideways load into the perimeter that a car driving straight never does, which is why the entrance corners are always the first thing to fail. A radius at the entrance rather than a square corner, and a heavier edging detail at that point, deals with it cheaply at construction.
The other half of an edge doing its job is the ground beside it. A drive whose adjacent lawn has been dug out, whose border has been mulched below drive level, or whose bank has washed away has a perimeter effectively cantilevered over nothing, and it will break off along that line whatever the edging is. Building the adjacent ground up to support the edge, or forming a low retaining detail, is part of the same job.
Retro-fitting a proper edge to an existing drive is entirely worthwhile and is often the single most cost-effective repair available. A block drive that has started to spread, with joints opening across the surface, can frequently be stopped by taking out the failed perimeter, setting a properly haunched edging, and re-laying and re-sanding the loose courses behind it. That is a fraction of the cost of relaying the whole drive, and it addresses the actual cause.
What the job covers
- Every free edge assessed, not just the visibly failed one
- Edging or kerb specified for the level change and the loading
- Set on a concrete bed with a concrete haunch behind it
- Existing failed edging removed rather than propped
- Loose courses behind the edge lifted, re-laid tight and re-sanded
- Entrance radius formed where turning wheels are doing the damage
- Adjacent ground built up to support the edge where it has eroded
- Surface reinstated up to the restored restraint
What it costs
We don't publish a price for this yet, because a number pulled out of the air is worse than no number at all — your contractor has to honour it. On driveways it would also be close to meaningless: the groundworks are usually the biggest single factor, and how deep the dig has to go varies enormously house to house. You'll get a firm price for your actual job when they ring you back, before any work starts. The quote itself is free and there's no obligation either way.
Common questions
Is a block edging strong enough, or do I need kerbs?
A block or sett edging course is entirely adequate for a domestic drive provided it is on a concrete bed with a concrete haunch behind it. Kerbs are worth it where there is a level change to retain, where heavier vehicles turn regularly, or at the highway edge. What is never adequate is any edging bedded on sand, whatever its size.
What does haunching actually do?
It resists the sideways push. A block pavement presses outwards against its perimeter, and a turning car pushes harder still. Concrete under the edging stops it sinking; concrete behind it stops it rotating outwards. Without the haunch the edging slowly leans out and the whole drive loosens behind it. It is the single detail that most affects how long a drive stays flat.
Can a proper edge be added to a drive that has already spread?
Yes, and it is one of the best-value repairs on this site. The failed perimeter comes out, a properly haunched edging goes in, and the loose courses behind it are lifted, re-laid tight and re-sanded. That stops the movement at its cause for a fraction of the cost of relaying the whole drive.
My gravel keeps escaping. Will edging fix it?
It is most of the fix. Edgings on every free edge stop lateral migration onto lawns and into the road. If the drive also has a fall, a cellular grid deals with the downhill movement that edging alone cannot. Angular crushed stone rather than rounded pea shingle completes it — the three together essentially stop it.
Need this doing in Macclesfield?
Tell us the job and it goes straight to our local contractor — one call back, usually the same day. Free quote, no obligation.