Driveway Edging Ideas That Hold the Drive Together
Driveway edging is the line of kerbs, blocks, setts or steel that runs along the sides of a drive, and its first job is structural: it stops the edges of the surface spreading, crumbling and sinking. The look comes second. For tarmac and resin, a properly bedded edge restraint is essential; for imprinted concrete, the edge is formed in the slab and a border is mainly a design choice.
What does driveway edging actually do?
A drive is a set of layers: compacted sub-base, then the surface. At the edges, nothing holds those layers in unless you give them something to push against. Without a restraint, tyres running near the edge push the material outwards, the side of the drive breaks away, and water gets into the base.
Good edging does four things:
holds the sub-base and surface in place under load
gives a fixed level line the surface is laid to, so falls and drainage work
separates the drive from soil, lawns and borders so weeds and mud stay out
frames the drive visually
That is why the kerbs go in before the surface. On a tarmac drive, for example, the edging is set on a concrete bed and haunched (packed with concrete) at the back, then the sub-base and tarmac are laid and rolled up against it.
How should driveway kerbs and edgings be laid?
Edgings and kerbs should be bedded on concrete, not on soil or loose stone. A typical detail for a tarmac drive is a concrete bed at least 75mm deep beneath the base, with a haunch at the back at least 100mm thick to stop the kerb rotating outwards. The front haunch is usually smaller, or left off where it would get in the way of the surface.
Cheap jobs skip the haunching or bed the edging straight onto the sub-base. It looks identical on day one. Within a year or two the edging tilts, gaps open up, and the surface starts breaking at the edges.
Edging ideas for each driveway surface
Tarmac: kerbs and block borders
Tarmac is a flexible surface and the one that most needs a rigid edge. Common choices:
Concrete kerbs or edgings: a plain, hard-wearing line, often laid flush with the surface along lawns, or raised slightly beside borders.
Block edging: a single or double row of concrete blocks gives a black or red tarmac drive a crisp, finished border. This is a detail on a tarmac drive, not a block paved drive.
Granite or concrete setts: a more traditional frame for older houses.
Block edging or a concrete kerb is the usual finish on the tarmac drives we lay for homeowners getting new driveways in Wolverhampton and the Black Country. Our tarmac driveway in Finchfield, for example, is finished with a single tumble-block border.
Resin bound: a firm, slim edge
A resin bound surface is only around 18mm thick on a driveway (about 15mm on a path) on top of its base, so it cannot hold its own edge. It needs a restraint at the right height for the resin to be trowelled up to.
Steel edging: slim and almost invisible, good for a modern look and for curves.
Kerbs or setts: a stronger frame that suits a traditional house or a contrasting colour scheme.
An existing wall or step: where the drive meets a building, the wall or step acts as the edge.
The edge also has to be solid enough not to move: a wobbling edge will crack the resin along its length. Our resin bound driveways page covers how we prepare the base underneath.
Pattern imprinted concrete: a stamped border
Imprinted concrete is poured inside formwork, so the slab itself forms the edge. Borders here are about the design: a band of contrasting colour or a different pattern, such as a brick-effect border around a slate-effect centre, frames the drive and tidies up irregular edges.
Exposed aggregate and artificial grass
Exposed aggregate is cast like other concrete, so its edges are formed in the pour. Artificial grass needs a firm perimeter (timber, steel or a kerb) to fix the edges of the turf and stop the base spreading.
Timber edging: a cheap option with a short life
Treated timber boards and pegs are cheap and easy, which is why they appear on budget jobs. Many timber edgings last only 5-10 years before rotting or moving, although better pressure-treated timber can last much longer. Timber is fine for a garden path or the edge of artificial grass. On a drive that carries cars, it is liable to move, and when it moves the surface goes with it. We would not use it to hold a tarmac or resin edge.
Edging as a design feature
Once the structural job is done, the edge is one of the cheapest ways to make a drive look designed.
Contrast colour. A charcoal border on a light resin or slate grey concrete gives a sharp outline.
Match the house. Brick-red edging picks up red brickwork; buff or grey setts suit rendered or stone houses.
Define zones. A line of setts across a drive can mark where parking ends and a path or patio begins.
Curves. A curved edge softens a wide frontage. Steel and small setts follow curves well; long kerbs do not.
Planting edges. A low kerb between drive and border keeps soil off the surface and gives plants a defined bed.
On a slope, raised kerbs also help guide water down the drive rather than across it, which is one of the steep driveway ideas that keep a sloping drive safe and dry.
The kerb at the pavement is not yours to change
The kerbs along the road belong to the highway. If you want the front edge of your drive to meet the road, the public kerb has to be lowered by the council or its accredited contractor, after a dropped kerb application. Your own edging stops at your boundary.
Edging questions, answered
Does edging need replacing when the drive is resurfaced?
Not always. If the existing kerbs are sound, firmly bedded and at the right level, a new surface can be laid up to them. If they are loose, cracked or tilting, they should be reset or replaced first, or the new surface will fail at the edges.
Should the edging be flush or raised?
Flush is usual next to lawns so a mower can run over it. Raised edging suits planted borders and helps contain water and soil. It must never be raised in a way that traps water against the house.
Does edging need sealing?
Concrete blocks and kerbs do not need it to function. Whether the surface itself needs a driveway sealer depends on the material: imprinted concrete does, resin bound does not.
Edging is set out and bedded by our own team on every drive we lay, as part of the groundwork rather than an afterthought. If you are planning a new drive, we can show you edging and border samples alongside the surface on a free site visit.
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