The most common reason paving falls apart

The edge beam is one of the most common reason for paving falling apart. The edge beam is the last line of bricks which creates the edging to the paving. It was common 15 years ago to lay all the bricks in the area which is to be paved and then pack a collar of cement next to the last brick to hold everything in place. The problem is that the last brick is the only brick which is holding the paving together, once the cement collar gives way so does the entire paving area. If you are busy mowing the grass next to a paved area and you can see the cement breaking up next to and around your paving, be wary as this could be a warning that your paving is about to fall apart.

The only correct way to lay an edge beam is to create a foundation similar to when one builds a wall. The last brick which is to form the edge beam should be laid in wet cement like a wall foundation. Dig a trench the thickness and width of the brick that is being used for the paving, pour cement into the trench and then lay the brick into the wet cement. Once the cement dries in plus minus 48 hours and provided that your compaction was done correctly you will have paving that will never fall apart again. Try and be on hand when your contractor finishes off your paving job so that you can see that the edge beam is done correctly. I cannot stress enough how important the edge beam is in paving, maybe I could just say it this way, “ It is the difference between having a paving investment and a paving expense.” 

So, if your paving has just started falling apart and you can see that your edge bricks are loose, try gently releasing them from their position, dig the trench, fill the trench with cement and then lay those edge bricks into the wet cement. Leave your paving for 48 hours before driving on the paving to ensure maximum strength.