Paver sand calculator for Illinois

On a 300-square-foot patio, the bedding takes about 1.25 tons, while the joints need only 4-8 bags. They are both sand, but the amounts are roughly twenty-fold apart. The calculator below calculates the 1 inch coarse-sand bed using 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Below that, the bag chart covers joint fill, including polymeric coverage for a 50 lb bag.

Two separate calculations

1. Bedding: use the paved area plus the base's 6-inch overhang, with an exact 1 inch depth. A deeper sand layer can leave pavers loose later.
2. Figure joint material by the bag, not by tonnage. For 1/8 to 1/4 inch joints, a 50 lb bag covers 40 to 75 square feet.

Bagged joint sand

Paver thickness and joint width change the coverage, so follow the bag label and buy extra. Save some joint sand for the quarter inch of settling that can follow the first wash-in.

Bedding rules for the wheelbarrow

• Set pipes or rails to make a one inch layer, pull the screed across it, and backfill the channels during installation.
• Use angular, coarse mason or concrete-grade sand. Play sand is rounded and can move around under loads, both below and between pavers.
• Wait to compact the bedding until pavers are installed. Compaction of the finished paver surface sets them into the sand.
• Install from the finished pavers ahead of you so the prepared sand layer stays untouched.
• Screenings make a firmer bed, though leveling is a little less forgiving than with sand. Keep one material across the full area.

Plain versus polymeric joint sand

After wetting, polymeric sand firms up and helps keep weeds, ants, and rain from disturbing joints. It is several times more per bag, requires completely dry installation, and a stray sprinkle can ruin a full sweep. Fine plain mason sand is inexpensive, quick to sweep in, and needs replenishing every season or two. Use polymeric for driveways, slopes, and heavily used pavers. Mason sand suits a level garden path. Under either option, use plain coarse sand for bedding because polymeric sand is only for joints.

The joint re-sanding timing

Rainfall, insects, and leaf blowers gradually remove joint sand. With plain mason sand, add another sweep every year or two. Polymeric material can last 5-10 years before the joint edges begin separating. Start dry, sweep it in, compact, and mist lightly. Keep leaf blower output low near filled joints.

Example: a 20 x 15 patio

For bedding, include the overhang and use about 320 square feet. A 1 inch layer equals 27 cubic feet, or 1 cubic yard at 1.35 tons, so order 1.5 tons of mason sand. For 300 square feet of typical joints, allow 4-8 bags of polymeric sand or 2-3 bags of mason sand. Beneath those layers, use a 4-plus ton crusher run base sized with the Paver Base Calculator. Cover the sand pile with a tarp: material that is damp-to-dry screeds well, while saturated sand does not.

Paver bedding and joint sand guide

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