Why You Should Use Builder's Sand and Aggregates

1. Builder’s sand and aggregates are essential products in every construction site, whether it’s for road construction or building a multi-story house, so it makes sense to know more about what they are, how they work, and why you should use them instead of others. Here are five advantages to using builder’s sand and aggregates in your next construction project. What is builder's sand? Builder’s sand is a term used to refer to clean, washed quartz sand. It’s typically used in concrete, but there are many other uses for it as well. One of those other uses is simply that of play sand, which is similar to playground bark dust (but sometimes even finer). Play sand can be used for a variety of fun activities: sandbox games; scouring dishes; cleaning off shoes; arts & crafts projects like homemade jewelry or face-painting—there are countless ways to use it around your home! When choosing builder’s sand, make sure you get one that is from local sources (or at least from close by). This ensures that you will have less transportation costs and your house will be happier with less chemicals.

2. Which aggregates are best? There are two main types of aggregates that contractors use. These include sand, which is fine-grained, and gravel, which is course-grained. Most people are familiar with sand as it’s used in most home projects such as brick or concrete patios or driveways; however, many contractors use a combination of both sand and gravel for different types of projects. So which one is best? The answer really depends on what you’re using it for. How do you calculate the right mix? Calculating your concrete mix is simple. It’s equal parts of each component by volume—so for a 2,000-pound batch, you’d need two 1,000-pound bags of cement, two 1,000-pound bags of sand and two 1,000-pound bags of aggregate. If you’re using ready-mix instead of doing it yourself from scratch at home or on site, take note: The manufacturer will usually provide that information on a tag attached to the bag. If they don’t provide exact ratios (which they often don’t), call them up and ask. How much concrete should you order? Buying concrete isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of process. Even if you have 10 feet of wall to pour, you might need 12 yards of concrete. That’s because concrete is sold by volume; each truckload can contain several different batch combinations—with different amounts of water, sand, coarse aggregate (rocks), fine aggregate (sand), cement paste and admixtures. So what do you do when you have to buy a product like that? Many things can influence how

3. much concrete your project will require; but there are a few tried-and-true methods for figuring out just how much material to buy. Other construction project considerations In order to minimize construction costs, it’s also important to consider what other construction projects are occurring in your area. If several home builders are ramping up at once, you may have a tougher time finding inexpensive labor. It’s best to build when there is little other home-building activity going on in your area. The last thing you want is to be competing with all of those other builders for limited labor resources. Also note that building during a downturn could keep your costs low—but that factor could vary from location to location (and from state to state). If possible, find out whether construction prices are rising or falling where you want to build so you can weigh these factors before choosing a property and deciding on an appropriate time period for building.