Paver sand calculator for Mississippi

For a 300-square-foot patio, plan on roughly 1.25 tons of bedding sand, while the joints take just 4-8 bags. They share a name but serve separate purposes, with a twenty-fold difference in the amount needed. Use the calculator below for the bedding layer: exactly 1 inch of coarse sand, calculated at 1.35 tons per cubic yard. The chart beneath it estimates joint material, including polymeric sand coverage by 50 lb bag.

Two separate calculations

1. Calculate bedding from the paved footprint plus the base's 6-inch extension, then use exactly 1 inch of sand. Going deeper can leave pavers rocking later.
2. Measure joint material by bags, not tons. For standard 1/8 to 1/4 inch joints, plan one 50 lb bag for every 40-75 square feet.

Bags for joint sand

Paver thickness and joint width affect coverage, so use the chart on the bag and round upward. Keeping some joint sand is helpful once the first wash-in leaves the joints a quarter inch lower.

Bedding reminders for the wheelbarrow

• Keep it to one inch. Screed over rails or pipes, then fill each groove while setting pavers.
• Use coarse, angular mason or concrete-grade sand. Play sand is rounded, so it can move under weight in the bedding layer and in the joints.
• Wait to compact until the pavers are in place. Compacting the finished paver surface sets the bedding layer.
• Keep off the screeded bedding. Set pavers from the installed section and work your way forward.
• Use screenings when you want a firmer bed, but they leave less room for leveling adjustments than sand. Use the same material throughout the surface.

Plain or polymeric joint sand

Polymeric sand sets up after water is applied, helping joints resist weeds, ants, and rain. Each bag costs several times more, installation has to start bone dry, and an untimely sprinkle can spoil the entire sweep. Fine mason sand is inexpensive, goes into joints quickly, and needs replenishing every season or two. Choose polymeric for driveways, slopes, and busy paved areas. For a level garden walk, mason sand works well. In either case, use plain coarse sand beneath the pavers: polymeric belongs in joints only.

The joint re-sanding routine

Rain, ants, and leaf blowers can carry joint sand away. Expect to add plain mason sand every year or two, while polymeric can hold for 5-10 years before joint edges begin separating. Pick a dry day to sweep it in, compact it, and mist it. Keep the leaf blower low near filled joints. A strong nozzle can remove a surprising amount over autumn.

Example: a 20 x 15 patio

For bedding, include the overhang and plan for about 320 square feet. A 1 inch layer takes 27 cubic feet, equal to 1 cubic yard or 1.35 tons. Get 1.5 tons of mason sand. For 300 square feet of standard joints, plan on 4-8 bags of polymeric or 2-3 bags of mason sand. Beneath both is a 4-plus ton crusher run base, sized with the Paver Base Calculator. Cover the sand pile with a tarp; sand that is damp-to-dry levels cleanly, while soaked sand will not.

Bedding and joint sand explained

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