Which sand for which job
- Concrete / sharp sand — coarse and angular. Used in concrete and mortar mixes, where the angularity gives strength.
- Masonry / builder's sand — finer and softer, for bricklaying mortar and render.
- Bedding sand — the layer beneath pavers. Must be coarse and sharp; it locks under compaction.
- Play sand — washed and screened for safety, too fine to carry load.
- Jointing sand — swept into paver joints after laying. Often polymeric, setting slightly when wetted.
Cubic yards = (length ft × width ft × depth ft) ÷ 27
Tons ≈ cubic yards × 1.35
Paver bedding depth
The bedding layer under pavers should be about 1 inch — and it should not be compacted before laying.
This surprises people, but a thick or pre-compacted bedding layer is the usual cause of paving that settles unevenly later. The sand is there to let individual pavers seat to a consistent level, not to provide structure. Structure comes from the compacted aggregate base underneath.
A bedding layer much over an inch allows pavers to sink into it unevenly under load.
Don't use play sand under paving
Play sand is rounded and fine. Rounded grains roll past one another rather than interlocking, so it never stabilises and continues to move under traffic. Use coarse, angular bedding sand.
Moisture affects weight
Sand sold by the ton is usually weighed as delivered, and wet sand is noticeably heavier than dry. After rain, a ton covers less area than the same ton would dry. Where quantity matters, order by volume if the supplier allows it.