How to Calculate the Amount of Sand for a 289 Square Foot Patio

A sand-based patio is a relatively easy home improvement project. The most important aspect of this undertaking is laying down a level and stable foundation. Once the ground is excavated and leveled and your foundation frame is constructed, the next step is adding the sand. Calculating the amount of sand necessary to fill the frame for a 289-square-foot patio is an easy calculation no matter the shape of the patio. Simply determine the cubic feet that you need to fill with sand and buy the appropriate number of bags.

Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Subtract the height of any foundational materials from your foundation's frame. For example, if your frame is 5.5 inches high and you have lain 1 inch of gravel to secure your landscape fabric, you now have 4.5 inches of height to build the patio within.
- 2
  Subtract the height of your patio's pavers. For example, if your patio will consist of 1-inch high concrete pavers, you subtract 1 inch from the 4.5 inches of height calculated in step 1, leaving you with a height of 3.5 inches.
- 3
  Multiply the number you arrived at in step 2 (for example, 3.5 inches) by 289 -- the square footage of your patio. In your example's case, 3.5 x 289 results in 1011.5: the cubic feet of space that you must fill with sand.
- 4
  Purchase the appropriate amount of sand according to the required cubic feet. The number of pounds of sand that will cover roughly one cubic foot of space is 110 pounds.

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