Your guide to sand for building, landscaping and more!

We help you choose the right sand for the job.

There are very few building and landscaping projects that don't need sand. Sand is a vital component in every concrete and mortar mix. Some sands act as excellent drainage material. A bed of paving sand is the best way to create a level surface on which to lay pavers. And there's nothing like play sand to keep the kids entertained for hours!

1. Washed Sand

Washed sand is a beach or sharp sand that has been cleaned ("washed") of impurities, such as salt. 'Sharp' refers to the grains--they are angular and provide greater strength in construction as the particles interlock. Washed sand feels fine and soft to the touch. In construction, it's a component of concrete, sand cement and render mixes. It's generally a yellowy white colour. We carry two washed sands: Sydney Washed Sand and Newcastle Washed Sand. These are similar, and both are used for tiling, rendering and concreting. However, most renderers prefer Washed Newcastle for a smoother finish as it is slightly finer. Both are clean and safe for kids to play in; but we also have a certified play sand and soft fall especially for them.

2. Brickies Sand

Brickies sand is often called a 'fatty' sand. This doesn't mean that it's been overeating, but that it has a higher clay content than other sands. This makes is more inclined to stick together, which makes it the right sand to mix with the cements used for bricklaying and blocklaying. We carry two types: White Brickies Sand and Yellow Brickies Sand.

Q. What's the difference between White Brickies Sand and Yellow Brickies Sand?

A. One thing: the colour. When mixed with a white or off-white cement, White Brickies Sand will give you a lighter mortar mix than Yellow Brickies Sand. White Brickies Sand is also sometimes known as Maroota Sand.

3. Kiln Dried Sand

This is a highly specialised sand used to lay and maintain synthetic grass. It's also used as a foundry sand and a fine aggregate in mortar and concrete. Our ACI Kiln Dried Sand is very fine and very dry and we store it in an enclosed and heated shed to keep it that way.

4. Filling Sand

Filling Sand is a low-cost sand used for backfill around pipes or under slabs.

5. Filling Sand Stabilised

This is Filling Sand mixed with cement as a binding agent to achieve a higher level of compaction. Different percentages of cement are used depending on the hardness required.

6. River Sand

Unlike sharper beach sands, River Sand has been rounded by the motion of water and rolling along riverbeds. When it is compressed, tiny gaps are formed between the rounded particles which creates one of the desirable properties of this sand - good drainage. Natural River Sand is brown, while Manufactured River Sand, made from crushed basalt is grey. These coarse sands are used when compaction is required, such as under pavers and retaining walls. Paving Sand is a river sand specifically intended for use under pavers, because it's coarse, free-draining and resistant to being washed away.

7. Play Sand

Our Play Sand is a clean, soft sand which is a certified softfall and is perfect for kids to play in. Unlike some sands advertised as play sand, our sand is washed and any debris removed to make it as safe as possible.

8. Concrete Blend

Our Concrete Blend is a mixture of sand and blue metal, mixed to the correct proportions for making concrete. Simply add cement and water!

Delivery

BC Sands carries one of Sydney's largest selection of sands for all your building and landscaping needs. From different shades of brickies' sand, right through to play sand, we've got them all - loose, bulk and bagged and delivered!

With yards at Brookvale and Taren Point, our landscaping and building products can be delivered throughout greater Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, Sutherland Shire, Northern Beaches, Western Suburbs and beyond. Loose products such as mulch, soil, sand and pebbles can be tipped or delivered in bulk bags.

Book your delivery time when you check out.