How much concrete sand do you need?
Enter the size of the paver bed or the concrete you are mixing. You get tons, cubic yards and truck loads of concrete sand.
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How this was worked out
Assumes concrete sand at 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Damp sand weighs more than dry, so ask your supplier for their number.
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About concrete sand
Concrete sand is coarse, washed sand with grains up to about a quarter inch, the sand that goes into ready-mix. The bigger grains pack into a firm bed, so it holds pavers flat and drains well. Under pavers it is screeded 1 inch deep over a packed base.
Also called paver sand.
More about concrete sand
Concrete sand is screened to a set range of sizes, from fine grains up to small chips, and washed to strip off clay. Ready-mix plants are its biggest buyers. Next to masonry sand it looks grittier, with grains you can see, and it holds a footprint less.
For a paver patio, pack the gravel base first, lay two pipes on it as rails, and spread the sand between them. Pull a straight board across the pipes to screed a 1 inch bed, then lift the pipes out and fill their grooves by hand. Do not walk on the bed or pack it before the pavers go down; the plate compactor sets them into it afterward.
Mixing your own concrete in a small mixer usually runs about two parts concrete sand to three parts stone and one part cement, with water added a little at a time. A pile of it left open to the weather soaks up rain, and the ticket for a wet load can read 10 to 15 percent higher than the same sand dry.