Submitted by Acrobatic-Studio-298 t3_127gz45 in DIY
I have a concrete yard on a slope which I'm trying to level out with a sand base and pave with bricks.
Is just sharp sand on its own enough to support the bricks or will I need to add in anything else? It will need to be about 10 inches deep at the bottom of the slope!
How sloped is it. If you need a lot of material maybe earth then sand. Or I’ve used gravel then sand. And I’ve used pea gravel instead of a sand base. Then flashed sand into the cracks.
Use two layers, first is base rock tamped down tight and properly sloped then a couple of inches of masonry or paver sand. Finally paver sand is used to fill the cracks after the bricks are laid. Do not use pea gravel. The roundness of pea gravel does not allow it to tamp down tight.
You also need a border to keep everything tight.
Fun fact, there is no such thing as compacted sand. Sand is the absolute worst base for anything.
It has a purpose in hard scaping, but filling isn't it.
This is good advice for sunny southern geographies.
If OP lives somewhere with a freeze thaw cycle, don't do this.
I was building a green house in my back yard; my brother said to put sand and then gravel on top. I checked with a landscaper friend who made me remove every bit of sand and put small gravel in it instead. It worked out great. But it was a pain getting the sand out.
10” is too tall for just sand. You will need a retaining wall (1 course plus cap blocks should do), then fill and level (string level with proper slope markings) with aggregate (abc, crusher run, etc). Vibrating plate compactor on that to get it tight. Then 1-2” max of sand. Lay down edgers to retain the bricks where there is no wall. Level the sand and lay your bricks/pavers. Plate compactor over that to bed them in. Then I would use polymer sand to fill the gaps. You can use paver sand (different than bedding sand) to lock them in, but polymeric sand keeps the weeds at bay and less maintenance over time.
Are you sure it isn't slope like that for a reason, like seasonal rains where you need the drainage? If there is ever large amounts of water the sand will get washed out.
Exactly. Sand doesn't compact.
When we installed our above ground pool, I used what was called "dead" sand. It was very fine. It did compact to a very firm base.
I don't know if its appropriate in the OPs situation but it does compact.
Beach sand....can't say.
They’re using compacted sand for the entire foundation of a new stadium they’re building in my home town - they had a huge sand compacter machine thumping into it for days, so it must be usable to some extent… Stadium build
Very helpful thanks
Good advice thanks 🙏
It’s a really unnecessarily steep slope - we’re in the UK and do get rain but not THAT much
Sand sucks for various reasons. Mason/Paver/Concrete sand is commonly used as a bedding material for pavers (only ~1” depth on top of compacted base) but it erodes easily with water and doesn’t compact well. I know several Hardscapers that strongly recommend against sand.
Depending on your area, you want a minimum of 3-4 inches of compacted Road 2, 3/4 minus, or equivalent. If you have poor foundation and/or get a lot of rain and settling, 6-8” is more ideal. On top of that use 1” or 1 1/4” rails to screed a 1”layer of DG or 1/4” chip stone and then lay your pavers. Use polymeric sand to fill the joints. If you must use sand as a bedding material for the pavers, then concrete sand is preferred because it is more coarse. I would NOT use sand as a base.
Even sharp sand? I was led to believe it might be more suitable
Sand is rated coarse -> fine
“Sharp sand” is coarse sand, like concrete sand. Mason/Playground sand is much finer so it feels “softer”.
That is why I mentioned, if you must use sand, to use a coarse sand like concrete sand BUT it should still ONLY be used as the top 1” of bedding under the pavers, and NOT used for the base foundation. Even then, I would still recommend DG or 1/4” chip stone for the 1” bedding instead of sand.
Watch a few videos by “The Christian Hardscaper” on YouTube.
Btw I sent you a PM if you want to check it out!
DONGivaDam t1_jee3dqq wrote
When it comes to laying brick. Make sure that the sand is compacted with a mechanical tamper. Make a border with cement and bricks laid into them to keep the sand somewhat in. After you lay your brick I have seen a mixture of something of 3 sands to 1 cement mix to fill in the voids, broom it in powder mist it wet..top seal everything and you should be good.