What Is Bedding Sand for Patios?

Mortar Alternative

• If you don’t want to set a patio in mortar, bedding sand is an affordable alternative that’s easy to work with. Unlike wet mortar that begins to harden quickly, you can take your time when creating the sand bed and laying the pavement on top. Sand is cleaner to work with than mortar, and results in a more flexible surface that can shift without cracking as the ground expands and shrinks. Sand-set pavers or stones are also easy to remove for replacement or repairs.

Application

• During a patio installation, the bedding sand should be added in dry weather on the same day that the pavement will be installed or it could blow or wash away over night. Once the gravel base is compacted, bedding sand is poured over it. The bed of sand should be 1 to 2 inches thick, but plan to add twice this amount as much of the sand will fall into the cracks between the gravel. Once the sand is poured, screed it by dragging a flat wooden board over the top to level out the surface then compact it.

Maintenance

• Basic patio maintenance helps preserve the surface and the sand bed underneath. Once pavement is laid, fill the joints with polymeric sand. This type of sand contains binding agents that harden to the pavers or stones, and help lock them in place. Sand joints also block water from seeping below the surface and washing away the sand bed beneath. Plan to replenish sand joints every year.

Sand and Cement

• Setting pavers over a bed of pure sand is also referred to as an unbound installation. Another way to use bedding sand is to mix it with equal parts dry cement. The natural moisture contained in the sand reacts with the cement and cures into a hard sub-surface. The result is a longer lasting bed that resists erosion and heavy weight loads.