What type of sand should I use under pavers in New Brunswick?

Use coarse concrete sand (also called bedding sand or C-33 sand) as the setting bed under pavers in New Brunswick, applied in a 1-inch thick screeded layer over your compacted gravel base. This specific sand type has angular, sharp-edged particles that lock together under compaction and resist shifting, unlike round-grained play sand or mason sand, which are too fine and smooth to provide a stable paver base in NB's freeze-thaw conditions.

The bedding sand layer serves a specific purpose in the paver system — it provides a level, uniform surface for setting individual pavers while allowing minor height adjustments during installation. The sand must be exactly 1 inch thick after screeding (using pipes or rails as guides to pull a straight board across the surface). Too thin and you cannot level the pavers properly; too thick and the pavers will settle unevenly over time, especially during NB's spring frost heave cycles. One inch is the industry standard and is particularly important in New Brunswick where the deep frost line (1.2-1.5 metres) causes significant ground movement.

Do not confuse bedding sand with the base material. The structural base under pavers in NB must be 6-8 inches of compacted 3/4-inch crusher run gravel (also called Granular A or road base), installed in 2-3 inch lifts and compacted with a plate tamper between each lift. This gravel base is what actually supports the weight of foot traffic and prevents frost heaving from destroying your patio — the sand layer is simply the final levelling medium. In areas with poor drainage like Fredericton's clay soils, consider increasing the gravel base to 10-12 inches for additional frost protection.

For the joints between pavers, use polymeric sand rather than regular sand. Polymeric sand contains a polymer binder that hardens when activated with water, locking pavers together and preventing weed growth and ant infiltration. Regular joint sand washes out during NB's heavy rainfalls and freeze-thaw cycles, leaving gaps that allow pavers to shift and weeds to establish. Quality polymeric sand costs $25-40 per bag (covers roughly 40-80 square feet depending on paver size and joint width) and should be applied in dry conditions with temperatures above 10°C.

Calculate your sand needs carefully. One inch of bedding sand over 100 square feet requires approximately 0.3 cubic yards (or about 500 pounds) of concrete sand. For a typical 300-square-foot NB patio, you need roughly 1 cubic yard of bedding sand at $30-50 per yard from local suppliers, plus 4-6 bags of polymeric sand for the joints. Order 10-15% extra to account for waste and uneven subgrade. Concrete sand is available at all NB building supply yards and landscape suppliers, but verify it meets the C-33 specification — some suppliers sell "fill sand" under generic labels that may be too fine or contain excess clay for paver bedding.

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