Paver bedding sand — screed a uniform 1″ over a compacted base, never level the base with sand

Sand is a setting bed, not a fill. Leveling a low base with 2–3″ of sand (left) lets the bed consolidate unevenly, so pavers rut and pond water. The fix (right): compact the aggregate base to grade first, then screed a constant 1″ of ASTM C33 bedding sand (ICPI Tech Spec 2). Fix the grade in the base, not the sand.

A wrong-versus-right cross-section of paver bedding sand. On the left, sand is used to level a low, dished aggregate base: the bedding runs 2 to 3 inches deep in the dip, and because deep uncompacted sand consolidates unevenly under traffic, a paver over it tips, ruts, and ponds water in a birdbath. On the right, the aggregate base is compacted flat to grade first, then a thin, uniform 1-inch screed of ASTM C33 bedding sand is laid over it, so the pavers land level. The rule per ICPI Tech Spec 2 is to fix the grade in the base and screed a constant 1 inch of sand — sand is a setting bed, not a fill. — Source: ICPI Tech Spec 2 (1″ ASTM C33 bedding-sand screed over a compacted base)

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A wrong-versus-right cross-section of paver bedding sand. On the left, sand is used to level a low, dished aggregate base: the bedding runs 2 to 3 inches deep in the dip, and because deep uncompacted sand consolidates unevenly under traffic, a paver over it tips, ruts, and ponds water in a birdbath. On the right, the aggregate base is compacted flat to grade first, then a thin, uniform 1-inch screed of ASTM C33 bedding sand is laid over it, so the pavers land level. The rule per ICPI Tech Spec 2 is to fix the grade in the base and screed a constant 1 inch of sand — sand is a setting bed, not a fill.

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    <img src="https://remodelcalculators.com/api/figure-embed/sand-paver-bedding-screed" alt="A wrong-versus-right cross-section of paver bedding sand. On the left, sand is used to level a low, dished aggregate base: the bedding runs 2 to 3 inches deep in the dip, and because deep uncompacted sand consolidates unevenly under traffic, a paver over it tips, ruts, and ponds water in a birdbath. On the right, the aggregate base is compacted flat to grade first, then a thin, uniform 1-inch screed of ASTM C33 bedding sand is laid over it, so the pavers land level. The rule per ICPI Tech Spec 2 is to fix the grade in the base and screed a constant 1 inch of sand — sand is a setting bed, not a fill." width="800" height="470" style="width:100%;height:auto;border:0" loading="lazy">
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    Diagram: <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com/construction-diagrams/sand-paver-bedding-screed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paver bedding sand — screed a uniform 1″ over a compacted base, never level the base with sand</a> — courtesy of <a href="https://remodelcalculators.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RemodelCalculators.com</a>
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