# Can't edge with edger



## h22lude (Jul 24, 2018)

I've been edging with my trimmer. It doesn't do as good of a job as I want. I bought a used edger today and tried it out but it seems the way my driveway was poured I can't use it. Whoever put the driveway in didn't use any kind of frame to how the asphalt in so it isn't a straight edge. The edges "leaked" out and created an angle. How can I edge with this? The edger can't go straight down against the driveway. I have to go into the lawn an inch or so to get to a spot where the blade can fully dig into the lawn.

Any suggestions?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Asphalt driveways are not formed and poured like concrete. They are laid with a machine and then rolled/compacted. I would say what you are looking at is pretty normal for an asphalt driveway.

Suggestions will really depend on your desired outcome and budget. I know @wardconnor is doing a concrete ribbon around his parking area. It will create a very nice clean edge. This would probably require sawing a square edge on your driveway to pour up against though. I would probably just go back to doing the best you can with a string trimmer.


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## Shindoman (Apr 22, 2018)

Maybe do a 6" or so wide border of crushed stone that is held in place by some type of landscape edging or even just some treated 1 x 4 lumber on edge. That way you would have a solid straight edge to keep your lawn neat. Also if the cars wander off the asphalt they will hear it before they drive on the lawn.


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## gene_stl (Oct 29, 2017)

I just edged the grass away from my asphalt driveway and the asphalt road next to my house with a weed burning torch.
It eliminated everything in about a foot strip and I was fairly pleased with how it looked. My front part has a curb so I will use an edger on that but I think I will torch that too , first.


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## h22lude (Jul 24, 2018)

Ware said:


> Asphalt driveways are not formed and poured like concrete. They are laid with a machine and then rolled/compacted. I would say what you are looking at is pretty normal for an asphalt driveway.
> 
> Suggestions will really depend on your desired outcome and budget. I know @wardconnor is doing a concrete ribbon around his parking area. It will create a very nice clean edge. This would probably require sawing a square edge on your driveway to pour up against though. I would probably just go back to doing the best you can with a string trimmer.


I didn't know that, thanks. Makes sense why it is like that now.

Trimmer might be my best option right now until I can figure out (and save for) what type of edge I want. I'd like a concrete driveway but there really isn't a need to replace the asphalt so I won't be doing that. Might wait until we have a paver walkway put in then do the driveway edge at the same time.


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## h22lude (Jul 24, 2018)

Shindoman said:


> Maybe do a 6" or so wide border of crushed stone that is held in place by some type of landscape edging or even just some treated 1 x 4 lumber on edge. That way you would have a solid straight edge to keep your lawn neat. Also if the cars wander off the asphalt they will hear it before they drive on the lawn.


This isn't a bad idea. Will also help with drainage. I do think we will go with pavers later on but this might be a nice temporary solution. Should be pretty cheap and easy to do myself.


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## silvercymbal (Sep 17, 2018)

h22lude said:


> I've been edging with my trimmer. It doesn't do as good of a job as I want. I bought a used edger today and tried it out but it seems the way my driveway was poured I can't use it. Whoever put the driveway in didn't use any kind of frame to how the asphalt in so it isn't a straight edge. The edges "leaked" out and created an angle. How can I edge with this? The edger can't go straight down against the driveway. I have to go into the lawn an inch or so to get to a spot where the blade can fully dig into the lawn.
> 
> Any suggestions?


You aren't alone. Most asphalt driveways are like this. It's more visible on yours since the grass is a few inches away from the edge in that picture. Most landscapers will make a "fake" line using a string trimmer. What I mean is that they essentially let the grass fill in the uneven edge and they don't ride the driveway edge, they hold the trimmer steady and they essentially cut the line freehand and trim the overlap. It's not as impossible as it sounds and you will use up line quicker since you are hitting the asphalt but don't get too stressed if you do it a few times you will get better. You are correct though the edger, reciprocator and tools like that won't work.

_*Crazy like me alternative:*_ I don't know how long your driveway is but you CAN use a diamond blade on a 4" grinder and run it along the edge of the driveway. This will score it about 2inches and then use a cold, hand chisel to square it off.

I did this recently but only on a small area and was astonished that it worked and how clean of an edge it left.....But this isn't great for the driveway since weight on the edge will have an easier time breaking off as opposed to what you have now which provides better support for the edges. The area I did isn't driven on so it wasn't an issue. If the problem is a real headache I can send you a picture of what it looked like when completed mine.


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## h22lude (Jul 24, 2018)

silvercymbal said:


> h22lude said:
> 
> 
> > I've been edging with my trimmer. It doesn't do as good of a job as I want. I bought a used edger today and tried it out but it seems the way my driveway was poured I can't use it. Whoever put the driveway in didn't use any kind of frame to how the asphalt in so it isn't a straight edge. The edges "leaked" out and created an angle. How can I edge with this? The edger can't go straight down against the driveway. I have to go into the lawn an inch or so to get to a spot where the blade can fully dig into the lawn.
> ...


That's exactly what I was doing before. It was ok but not perfect. I like the look of the edge slightly away from the asphalt. That bare spot I posted was where I tried to find the edge. I kept running the edger away from the driveway until I could actually get it to work as it was intended. I sprayed dirt away for the picture to make it easier to see what I was talking about.

The driveway is a little long and vehicles are close to the edge near the bottom because it tapers so cutting it might not be the best idea if it could ruin the structure of the driveway. I do like that idea though.


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## silvercymbal (Sep 17, 2018)

Ok as promised here are the pics. One is of my regular driveway edge that looks like yours. The second is the cut portion that I did with the 4" wheel. This was 3 years ago and it's held up very well.

Regular:


Cut Edge:


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Asphalt is purposely made with an angle at the edge like the side of a pyramid. It gives the edge support to distribute the weight to the base material under it. If you cut it and have a square edge, when you drive over the edge, it will eventually break off. If you don't drive over that part, I guess it doesn't really matter then.


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## wardconnor (Mar 25, 2017)

Like @Ware said.. I am putting in that concrete ribbon for the sole reason of having a hard clean straight edge that I can use an edger on. I have an asphalt approach on my driveway and around the whole corner where my grass meets the street. I HATE that I can not edge it. I am not a fan of the "soft" transition.


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## roundrockag (May 17, 2018)

Not knowing the type of rock that you have available to you, what your aesthetic tastes are, and the length of the driveway, It's hard to know what to do. I think I would do as Shindoman suggested - use something like the metal edgers that you can put into the ground 10" or so away from the edge of the driveway and fill it in with stone. If you wanted a good contrast, you could use a white or light colored quartz rock or if you wanted more natural, some form of limestone or river rocks. I the asphalt hadn't already been done, I would say maybe have the outlines of it poured in concrete (like footers) and then have the asphalt done in between. You might be able to do the concrete borders after the fact, but it would seem hard to make that happen. I know that there are companies that use machines to lay concrete landscaping curbs. This might be a really good alternative for you too. Google "landscaping curb" and check images for lots of examples.


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## h22lude (Jul 24, 2018)

I do like the look of the cut asphalt but I don't want to make the edges weak. We do drive close to the edge on one side.

I'm not a big fan of the landscape curb. It is a good solution but I like an even look without a curb all the way around. Also makes it easier to mow without the curb. I can turn on my driveway.

I think I'm going to hold off on doing anything until we replace our front walkway. I like the look of a paver edge so I was thinking use the same pavers from the walkway to bring it all together. I would still run into the issue of the pavers not being completely even with the asphalt because of the angle. Would they fill in the gap with new asphalt?


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## TN Hawkeye (May 7, 2018)

Check out what these people did. It looks like they used the angle of the asphalt to set the pavers. Kind of different. Would work if you Lawn is higher than your driveway I think.


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## h22lude (Jul 24, 2018)

TN Hawkeye said:


> Check out what these people did. It looks like they used the angle of the asphalt to set the pavers. Kind of different. Would work if you Lawn is higher than your driveway I think.


That is very interesting. I actually don't mind that look. This would work perfectly for the right side since the grass starts at driveway level but quickly goes up. The left side is pretty damn level all the way across the lawn so I would have to add soil then taper it back down which looks like they did.


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