For bedding sand under pavers, you need a 1-inch layer after compaction. Calculate your paver area in square feet and divide by 324 to get cubic yards. For a 200 sq ft patio, you need approximately 0.62 cubic yards (about 0.8 tons) of concrete sand.

Concrete sand (also called C-33, coarse sand, or washed sand) is the best sand for paver bedding. It compacts well and provides a stable base. Never use play sand, masonry sand, or fine sand for bedding as they dont compact properly. For joints, use masonry sand or polymeric sand.

No, never use play sand under pavers. Play sand is too fine and wont compact properly, causing pavers to shift and settle unevenly. Play sand also washes away easily with rain. Always use concrete sand (C-33) for paver bedding and masonry sand or polymeric sand for joints.

Sand bedding should be 1 inch deep after compaction (1.5 inches before compaction). Never exceed 1.5 inches of bedding sand as too much sand causes settling. For patios and walkways, 1 inch is perfect. For driveways, some contractors use 1-1.5 inches.

Polymeric sand is a special joint sand mixed with polymers that hardens when wet. It prevents weed growth, ant infestations, and joint erosion. Use polymeric sand for paver joints (gaps between pavers) but never as bedding sand. It costs $20-40 per 50lb bag and lasts 5-10 years.

Concrete sand costs $30-50 per cubic yard or $40-60 per ton delivered. Masonry sand costs $40-60 per cubic yard. Polymeric sand costs $20-40 per 50lb bag (covers 50-100 sq ft of joints). Bagged concrete sand costs $5-8 per 50lb bag. Bulk delivery is cheaper for projects over 2 cubic yards.

Bedding sand goes under pavers (1 inch layer) and uses concrete sand for stability. Joint sand fills gaps between pavers and uses masonry sand or polymeric sand. Bedding sand must compact well. Joint sand must resist erosion. Never use the same sand for both applications.

No, masonry sand is too fine for bedding and wont compact properly. Use masonry sand only for joints (gaps between pavers). For bedding layer under pavers, always use concrete sand (C-33) which has larger particles that compact firmly and provide stable support.

A 50lb bag of sand covers approximately 0.5 cubic feet. For bedding sand (1 inch depth), you need about 2.5 bags per 100 sq ft. For a 200 sq ft patio, you need 50 bags of concrete sand for bedding plus 8-10 bags of polymeric sand for joints. Calculate precisely with our calculator above.

NO! Never compact bedding sand before placing pavers. Screed it level at 1 inch depth, place pavers, then compact everything together. Compacting sand first creates an uneven surface. The weight of pavers plus compaction embeds them properly into the sand base.

Paver joints typically need 1/8 to 1/4 inch gaps filled with joint sand. For every 100 sq ft of pavers, you need 5-10 lbs of polymeric sand or 10-15 lbs of regular masonry sand depending on paver thickness and joint width. Calculate based on paver depth and gap width.

For driveway paver bedding, use concrete sand (C-33) at 1-1.5 inch depth after compaction. For driveway joints, use polymeric sand rather than regular sand to prevent erosion from vehicle traffic and rain washout. Polymeric sand hardens and lasts 5-10 years vs 1-2 years for regular sand.

You can reuse bedding sand if its still clean, coarse, and compacts well. Sift out debris and check that its concrete sand (not contaminated with fine particles). Never reuse joint sand—always use fresh masonry sand or new polymeric sand for joints to ensure proper bonding and weed prevention.

Break irregular shapes into rectangles, triangles, and circles. Calculate each section separately, then add them together. For curves, use the largest rectangle that fits. Always add 10-15% waste factor for irregular areas and 5-10% for rectangular areas. Our calculator above handles complex shapes easily.

Add 10-15% waste factor for bedding sand to account for compaction, spillage, and leveling. Add 10-15% for joint sand to account for multiple applications and settling. So if you calculate 1 cubic yard needed, order 1.1-1.15 cubic yards. For small projects under 2 yards, round up to the next half yard.