Bedding sand is the thin, screeded layer of coarse sand spread over the compacted paver base that pavers are set into to level them and lock their final position.
Bedding sand goes down after the paver base is compacted, screeded flat and even with a screed board so every paver sets to the same height without high or low spots that would trip someone or collect water. Coarse, sharp sand is used rather than fine sand because it compacts and interlocks around the paver edges without shifting once traffic starts. It's a bedding layer, not a base layer, and it's never asked to do the structural, load-bearing job the crushed stone underneath is doing.
Rushing this step is one of the fastest ways a patio fails its first winter here. If the sand is laid too thick, uneven, or over a base that wasn't compacted properly, freeze-thaw movement shows up as ruts and uneven pavers within a season instead of the surface holding flat for years, which is exactly what a careful screed pass is meant to prevent.
More masonry vocabulary from the glossary.
The services where this term comes up.
Chelo's Brick & Stone serves Hillsville, Galax, Wytheville, Fancy Gap, and Independence, VA. Call for a straight answer and a free on-site estimate.
