Edging Planks and Setts — Stone Border Edging for Patios, Paths & Driveways

Edging planks and setts are the finishing detail that separates a professional-looking patio or driveway from an amateur one. At Paving and Slabs Ltd, our range of edging planks and stone setts is used by landscapers, contractors, and homeowners across the UK to create sharp, stable, and long-lasting borders that hold every project together — literally and visually.

Whether you need clean, linear edging for a contemporary porcelain patio or the traditional character of granite setts around a driveway, we supply the edging solutions that suit the job. Every piece in our range is selected for consistent sizing, structural integrity, and performance in British weather.

What Are Edging Planks?

Edging planks are long, slim stone or porcelain pieces installed at the perimeter of patios, paths, and lawns. Their job is threefold: they hold the main paving area in place, prevent lateral slab movement over time, and create a sharp, defined boundary between surfaces — lawn and patio, gravel and path, planting bed and paved area.

Edging planks are particularly effective when used alongside our Porcelain Paving range, where the slim profile echoes the clean lines of large-format slabs. They also pair beautifully with our Flagstones for a more natural, textured aesthetic, or with Paving Slabs in general residential layouts. For a coordinated look, match your edging planks to the primary slab material wherever possible.

What Are Stone Setts?

Stone setts are small, block-format stones traditionally used for curves, borders, driveways, and intricate patterned edging. Historically used to pave entire streets and courtyards, setts are now a popular choice for adding structured definition and heritage character to modern garden and driveway projects.

Our setts are available in natural stone finishes suited to a wide range of settings — from rustic country garden paths to formal front driveways. They work particularly well alongside our Granite Paving and Setts collection for driveways and high-traffic areas, and can be used in combination with Cobblestones to create borders and fan patterns with real visual impact. For patio surrounds, setts are also commonly paired with our Patio Slabs to create contrast between the main field and the edge detail.

Edging Planks vs Stone Setts — Which Do You Need?

The choice between edging planks and setts often comes down to the project style and the shape of the area being bordered:

• Edging planks suit straight runs and contemporary layouts. They're faster to install on long linear borders and give a sleek, uniform appearance.
• Stone setts suit curves, fans, and irregular borders. Their smaller format makes them flexible for complex shapes, driveways with sweeping edges, and traditional garden styles.
• For mixed layouts — such as a flagstone patio with a curved lawn edge — many landscapers use setts on the curved sections and planks on the straight runs.

Why Edging Matters for Long-Term Paving Performance

Paving without proper edging is one of the most common causes of premature paving failure in the UK. Without a solid, mortared or haunched edge, individual slabs and pavers gradually shift outward under foot traffic and frost heave. This causes:

• Spreading joints that let weeds establish
• Uneven surfaces and trip hazards
• Water pooling at slab edges
• Cracked or dipped slabs at the perimeter

Installing quality edging planks or setts at the point of laying avoids all of this. It's a small additional investment that protects the entire paving project — and is standard practice for any professional landscaper in the UK.

Applications for Edging Planks and Setts

• Patio borders: Frame your patio cleanly and prevent slabs from spreading over time. Works with any slab material from porcelain to natural stone.
• Driveway edging: Setts are particularly suited to driveway perimeters, providing strength under vehicle load and a traditional kerbed appearance.
• Garden path edges: Edging planks keep pathway gravel or stepping stones in place, while giving paths a neat, finished outline.
• Lawn separation: Define the boundary between paved areas and lawn without relying on plastic lawn edging strips that perish over time.
• Raised bed borders: Low sett rows can double as decorative planting bed edging in formal garden layouts.
• Commercial and trade landscaping: Both edging planks and setts meet the durability requirements for commercial projects — car parks, communal courtyards, and public pathway schemes.

Installation Tips for Edging Planks and Setts

For best results, edging should be installed before the main paved area, not as an afterthought. Key principles:

• Set edging planks or setts on a concrete haunch (a footing of concrete along the outer edge) rather than on sand alone — this gives them the structural resistance needed to hold back the main paving.
• Allow 24–48 hours for the concrete haunch to cure before laying the main slab area.
• For curves using setts, dry-lay the pattern first to check spacing before mortaring.
• Ensure the top of your edging is set fractionally lower than the main slab surface to allow water to drain inward and off the paved area, not pool along the edge.

For more detailed base preparation advice, our blog post on best base preparation for stone setts and cobbles covers everything from sub-base depth to jointing compounds.

Edging Planks and Setts for Trade and Contractors

We supply edging planks and setts to landscapers, builders, and contractors throughout the UK, with pallet quantities available for larger projects. If you're a trade buyer working on multiple sites, our product range is designed around the sizing consistency and lead times that professional projects demand.

Browse our full materials range including Paving Slabs, Granite Paving and Setts, and Cobblestones to source everything from a single supplier and simplify your project logistics.

Frequently Asked Questions — Edging Planks and Setts

What is the difference between edging planks and setts?

Edging planks are long, flat stones or porcelain pieces used to create straight-line borders. Setts are small, cube-shaped or rectangular blocks traditionally used for curved borders, driveways, and decorative edge patterns. Both serve the same structural purpose — containing the paved area and preventing lateral movement — but suit different project styles.

Can I use setts to edge a porcelain patio?

Yes, and it's a popular combination. Granite setts around a porcelain patio create a strong visual contrast between the large-format smooth slabs and the smaller, textured setts. It gives a high-end, landscaped look common in contemporary garden design. Browse our Porcelain Paving range to find slabs that complement granite sett edging.

Do edging setts need to be mortared in?

For most applications — particularly driveways and patio borders — yes. Setts should be set on a concrete haunch with mortar joints to ensure they stay firm under lateral pressure. For low-traffic garden path edging, compacted sand bedding with haunching on the outer face can work, but mortared installation is always more durable and is recommended by most professional landscapers.

How do I match edging to my existing paving?

The easiest approach is to use the same material family — granite setts with granite paving, sandstone setts with sandstone slabs, or porcelain edging planks with porcelain patio slabs. For a more deliberate contrast, dark granite setts against light porcelain or pale sandstone is a classic pairing that defines the edge without looking mismatched. See our Flagstones and Granite Paving and Setts ranges for coordinated options.

Are edging planks and setts suitable for driveways?

Stone setts are particularly well-suited to driveway edging because of their dense, load-bearing nature. Granite setts in particular are highly resistant to vehicle load and freeze-thaw cycles, making them the most popular choice for driveway borders across the UK. Edging planks are better suited to pedestrian areas such as patios and garden paths.

Do you supply edging planks and setts in bulk?

Yes. We supply edging planks and setts in pallet quantities to landscapers, builders, and large residential projects. Contact us for trade quantities and lead times. You can also browse our full paving range to bundle your order.