Polymeric sand calculator
Work out how many bags of polymeric sand a paver patio takes. Coverage depends on joint width, and a wide joint takes two to three times the sand.
Polymeric sand calculator
You need
- Area
- With cuts
| Format | Exact | Order |
|---|
Polymeric sand is sold by coverage per bag, and coverage depends on joint width and paver thickness rather than on any density. Manufacturers publish a narrow-joint and a wide-joint figure for the same bag, and the two differ by a factor of two or three. Sakrete gives 50 to 80 square feet for an eighth-inch joint and 20 to 40 for a wider one.
Enter your measurements to see what to order.
One 50 lb bag, narrow joints covers 65 square feet, which is 0.02 per square foot.
How to work out how much polymeric sand you need
- Measure the area in feet and multiply length by width.
- Add 10 percent for cuts. Joints are never uniform and sand settles as it is watered in, so most installers go back over a patio a second time.
- Divide by what one 50 lb bag, narrow joints covers, and round up. Suppliers do not sell part units.
How many much polymeric sand for a given area
| Area | 50 lb bag, narrow joints | 50 lb bag, wide joints | 20kg bag (3mm gap) | 25kg bag kiln dried sand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 200 sq ft | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| 400 sq ft | 7 | 15 | 12 | 12 |
| 800 sq ft | 14 | 30 | 24 | 24 |
| 1,200 sq ft | 21 | 44 | 36 | 36 |
Every figure includes the 10 percent overage and is this page's own calculator, not a separate table that can drift from it.
What one 50 lb bag, narrow joints covers
| Format | Covers | Per sq ft | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 lb bag, narrow jointsJoints around 1/8 in (3mm). Sakrete publishes 50 to 80 sq ft; this is the midpoint | 65 sq ft | 0.02 | US |
| 50 lb bag, wide jointsWider joints. Sakrete publishes 20 to 40 sq ft; this is the midpoint | 30 sq ft | 0.03 | US |
| 20kg bag (3mm gap)Easy Mix Paver Bond, at a 3mm gap width | 37.67 sq ft | 0.03 | AU |
| 25kg bag kiln dried sandHolcim UK: three to four square metres, four at 60mm block thickness | 37.67 sq ft | 0.03 | UK |
Why the figures differ between suppliers
Polymeric sand is sold by coverage per bag, and coverage depends on joint width and paver thickness rather than on any density. Manufacturers publish a narrow-joint and a wide-joint figure for the same bag, and the two differ by a factor of two or three. Sakrete gives 50 to 80 square feet for an eighth-inch joint and 20 to 40 for a wider one.
How much extra to order
10 percent. Joints are never uniform and sand settles as it is watered in, so most installers go back over a patio a second time.