How much mortar sand do you need?
Enter the size of the pile or layer you need. You get tons, cubic yards and truck loads of mortar sand.
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How this was worked out
Assumes mortar 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 mortar sand
Mortar sand is another name for masonry sand, the fine, soft sand bricklayers mix into mortar. Most suppliers fill an order for either name from the same pile. It weighs the same as masonry sand.
Also called masonry sand.
More about mortar sand
The name comes from the job, not from a grade. Mortar needs sand fine enough to leave a smooth joint and clean enough that clay does not weaken it, and that is what a pit sells as masonry sand. Some yards print one name on the ticket and some print the other.
A common hand mix calls for about three shovels of sand to one of masonry cement, plus enough water to make it hold on a trowel. Damp sand already carries water, so add more slowly or the mortar slumps. Mix only what can be laid in an hour or two.
Keep the pile covered on a hard surface or a tarp, since a mortar mix picks up any soil or leaves scooped with the sand. Wet sand on the scale can read 10 to 15 percent heavier than the same sand dry, so a ton bought after rain lays fewer bricks. Ask for washed sand if the yard sells both kinds.