How much masonry sand do you need?
Enter the size of the layer you are spreading, or the pile you need for mortar. You get tons, cubic yards and truck loads of masonry sand.
You need about
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How this was worked out
Assumes masonry sand at 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Damp sand weighs more than dry, so ask your supplier for their number.
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About masonry sand
Masonry sand is fine, even sand screened so no grain is much bigger than a sixteenth of an inch. Bricklayers mix it with cement and lime to make mortar, because the small grains leave a smooth joint. Its soft feel also makes it a common pick for the base under an above-ground pool, laid about 2 inches deep.
Also called mortar sand.
More about masonry sand
Masonry sand is usually washed and screened at the pit, which takes out the clay and silt that would weaken a mortar joint. Rub some between your fingers: it should feel soft and leave little stain on your skin. Grains that feel sharp and gritty, or a pile with pebbles in it, point to concrete sand instead.
For mortar, the common rule is about three parts sand to one part masonry cement by volume, so a mason laying a few hundred block goes through a bigger pile than most people expect. Order the sand loose by the ton and keep it covered, because leaves and blowing dust end up in the mix.
Under an above-ground pool, spread a 2 inch layer, wet it and pack it, then screed it flat before the liner goes down. A soft spot left in the base shows up as a dent once the pool is full. Sand bought damp weighs 10 to 15 percent more than dry on the scale, so a load picked up after rain brings less sand for the same tons.