The Best Ways to Grade & Compact Soft Sand

Hand Grading

• You can grade small areas of soft sand by hand using a shovel, landscape rake or screed board. In open areas, use a series of grade steaks with a level string strung between them as a depth guide. Level the sand as best as possible using a shovel and use a rake to grade the sand smooth. For concrete and paver work, wood forms built with 2-by-4 or 2-by-6 lumber allow you to get the sand perfectly level using a screed board. Run the board across the top of the forms in a sawing motion, which will get rid of air pockets and grade the sand to the height of the form.

Equipment Grading

• You can use heavy equipment such as a bulldozer, skid steer or front-end loader to grade larger areas of soft sand. Grade steaks with elevation marks allow you to grade the sand to within an inch or so in large spaces. Extra precaution must be taken with heavy equipment because it often sinks into the sand as it grades. Equipment with tracks or wide tires tends to disrupt the sand less than smaller tires such as on a skid steer.

Compaction tools

• A gas-powered vibration tamper uses a combustion engine to power a vibration mechanism that compacts the surface below it. A flat plate on the bottom rides across the surface using the vibration to move it along. For small areas, use a hand tamper that consists of a hand and weight flat end that you hit against the sand surface. These are ideal for patios and walkways, where the larger gas tamper will not fit.

Roller

• A wheel roller is an ideal tool to compact large sections of sand, such as in a road or parking lot project. You need to adjust the wheel weight to prevent the sand from being pushed rather than compacted. Avoid sharp turns when rolling soft sand, as it tends to cause the wheel to dig in, ruining the grade.