V
6

Overheard a guy at the supply house say all new sand is basically the same

He was picking up a pallet of silica and told the clerk any brand would do. I've been mixing for fifteen years and the binder take-up from our local Ohio supplier is consistently better, by about five percent less waste. Anyone else notice a real difference between regional sand sources?
4 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In
4 Comments
paul_ramirez
Yeah, that five percent adds up fast on big jobs. I mean, is it just the grain shape from the local pit that makes it pack better?
3
jenny_lane12
Oh totally, it's wild how much that little bit matters. We had a driveway job last year where the base from the quarry south of town just locked together like a puzzle. Barely any settling after the first winter. The stuff from the other place? Felt like we were spreading marbles, had to come back and top it up twice.
8
the_holly
the_holly2d ago
Jenny_lane12, that marble feeling is too real. My first patio job looked like a bag of chips after one season.
9
davis.olivia
So is it more about the rock being sharp and angular, or does the actual mix of sizes from that pit matter more too?
4