Hybrid HD Edge Restraint vs. Concrete: Which Is Better?

Seeing and designing innovative changes in the hardscape industry is what I live for. As an installer and business owner for over 35 years in the industry, I've had a front-row seat to all the beneficial changes over the years.   

Today's major area of change in the hardscape industry is in base materials from a densely compacted base, also known as ASTM D2940, to a clean stone base. Our hardscaping company has tremendous success installing on a clean ¾" base (ASTM #57), providing countless consideration benefits.   

One of the most important processes that are overlooked today in our industry is restraining the edge of pavers properly to prevent lateral shift or "creeping," especially in freeze and thaw cycle climates. Standard edge restraints fail because a standard landscape spike does not create any stability for the edging when inserted into clean stone.  

At Pave Tool, we knew that we had to positively impact the hardscaping industry – to invent an option for the clean stone that would work. We created a paver edging for clean stone and an edging that serves as a stabilized installation for dense grade and landscape solutions. It is a clean, environmentally friendly, easy-to-install solution. A hardscaper can carry one edging to serve all their installation needs. We designed a "V" shape stake for clean stone bases that can be driven down through the edging into your clean stone base. The "V" shape gathers a large mass of stone and prevents the lateral shift. The "V" stake, known as the Hybrid stake, was created with a tab on top, allowing the installer to insert the stake with a hammer or our Hammer bit coupled to an SDS Max hammer drill, which requires minimal effort. The Hybrid edging also has a flip-up tab that can be engaged when used for vehicular applications. The edging also has a built-in connection tab and spike flanges on 60-degree opposing angles when used on dense grade bases to prevent uplift.    

Old, outdated solutions such as concrete and heavy curb stones are a thing of the past. Our crews would tackle the grueling task of hauling heavy pavers all day just to be rewarded with having to haul, mix, and trowel heavy and messy concrete. The ICPI (interlocking concrete paver institute) also requires concrete edging to be reinforced with steel when used in a freeze-thaw environment, which not only takes extra time but also adds cost. Our light-in-weight yet strong integrity system is more than five times lighter and three times stronger in a lateral pull test.  

We receive complaints regarding concrete edging regularly. Maintaining green grass against a restrained concrete edge is extremely difficult. Bagged concrete must stay in a dry, moisture-free area. Not to mention the particles emitted from concrete dust can be extremely hazardous to your health. Concrete often gets tracked onto your pavers, which impregnates the pores and can add extra time to clean. Water is also needed with concrete and can be challenging to find on the job site, and a conscientious contractor will be sure to wash their tools to keep them pristine. In addition, concrete will not cure properly if applied in weather below frozen temperatures unless an additive is applied to the mix. Concrete is known to crack over time if its foundation is above the frost line in a freeze-thaw climate. Formally, I would integrate geogrid 4' minimum to lay out under the bedding layer and tie it into concrete or edging. This adds a fair amount of expense to labor as well. If you are a contractor that cuts your pavers in place, this also becomes an added challenge because if you cut down through the paver into the base, you will cut the geogrid, and it will lose the integrity you put into place from the start.  

Here is an outline of the weight differences between Pave Tool's Hybrid HD Edging versus concrete for you to gain a better visual understanding. One full pallet of Hybrid Edging is 5,200 linear feet. The weight of the edging with stakes is 3,305 lbs. It is recommended to use one bag per 20' of concrete edging, which equals 260 bags of concrete, and weighs 20,800 lbs. If we were to add the water to mix the concrete, that would be an additional 2,080 Lbs. You will need more than six pallets (42 bags each) of concrete to equal one pallet of Hybrid HD edging. Our compact edging (full pallet) is only 84" long, 32" wide, and 22" tall. A full pallet (52 boxes) of Hybrid stakes is 48" X 40" X 18" tall. The difference in weight is incomparable. Lastly, the edging can be stored outside and is simple to calculate. If you are using concrete, stop the madness! Take the "Hard" out of "Hardscaping" ™