Kiln dried sand

[SB Cleaning Services]

Just been to Wickes to pick 6 bags up £7.30 each!!
It looks a horrible browny colour too It used to be nice bright colours....anyone else noticed?

 

[tench0771]

home base £6.50 and its nice and yellow sand its getting silly ive lost out on 3 jobs now due to cost of hypo and sand increase im considering lowering my rate or just getting shot of the washer

 

[Truckcab79]

Travis Perkins. £4.80. Less if you’re trade.

 

[RickyG]

Bought 4 bags from Selco 5.50 each inc vat if you have one nearby

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

I have got 10% trade discount at Wickes but its still ridiculous for a bit of sand...Will try Travis next time.

 

[K in Kent]

Wickes KDS regularly changes colour. Jewson do a very nice bright, light, off-white KDS and last year was about £7 a bag

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

The dark sand looked nice against the coloured blocks , customer was over the moon , 2nd time I have done this drive.

 

[Iron Giant]

Wickes KDS regularly changes colour. Jewson do a very nice bright, light, off-white KDS and last year was about £7 a bag

Jewsons sand is or was very fine though it sharp washed out on my own sloping driveway when it was pw'd around 2 years ago

 

[Truckcab79]

Slight aside does anyone wash their sand in like a slurry to get around times when you don’t have time to come back on a dry day? I’ve only ever done it dry but seen it done wet online. Any particular technique or is it just flood the area and wash / brush in? Any pitfalls?

 

[Pjj]

Slight aside does anyone wash their sand in like a slurry to get around times when you don’t have time to come back on a dry day? I’ve only ever done it dry but seen it done wet online. Any particular technique or is it just flood the area and wash / brush in? Any pitfalls?

Problem I can see doing it wet is how do you get rid of the excess sand it will look a right mess surely?.

 

[Truckcab79]

Sweep it up and keep brushing? Add a little at a time to make sure you don’t have a massive excess of wet sand to deal with? Don’t know to be honest, hence the question. Seen it being done online a few times and makes sense in theory.

 

[K in Kent]

Jewsons sand is or was very fine though it sharp washed out on my own sloping driveway when it was pw'd around 2 years ago

All KDS by definition is meant to be fine which is why it's ideal for sweeping into narrow block paving joints. Water at pressure or just a large volume of it will wash away any KDS quite easily, and easier still if it's unsealed.

 

[K in Kent]

Sweep it up and keep brushing? Add a little at a time to make sure you don’t have a massive excess of wet sand to deal with? Don’t know to be honest, hence the question. Seen it being done online a few times and makes sense in theory.

Good luck trying to get sand down narrow joints filled with water and at the end of it you'll be left with partially filled joints and wet sand stuck to all the blocks.
I know the theory sounds so easy, the reality is rather different. I wouldn't even attempt it with KDS but have used different wet paving mortars eg Easy joint etc and they never work as advertised.
This idea of the mix just flowing into the joints so effortlessly and then washing away any excess is a fiction as far as I'm concerned. It needs 2 people to be done properly and no matter how much water is used still end up needing a squeegee or trowel to get it in the joints - and being sure to get the face of the blocks/slabs clean before it dries.
OK yeah I'm talking about a cement based mortar which needs more care but the principle is the same with a wet surface - sand sticks to it.

Far far easier working on a bone dry surface and just sweep it in and blow off excess with a leaf blower. That's my preference anyway and I've done quite literally 1000s of sq metres of block paving resanding.

 

[Truckcab79]

Good luck trying to get sand down narrow joints filled with water and at the end of it you'll be left with partially filled joints and wet sand stuck to all the blocks.
I know the theory sounds so easy, the reality is rather different. I wouldn't even attempt it with KDS but have used different wet paving mortars eg Easy joint etc and they never work as advertised.
This idea of the mix just flowing into the joints so effortlessly and then washing away any excess is a fiction as far as I'm concerned. It needs 2 people to be done properly and no matter how much water is used still end up needing a squeegee or trowel to get it in the joints - and being sure to get the face of the blocks/slabs clean before it dries.
OK yeah I'm talking about a cement based mortar which needs more care but the principle is the same with a wet surface - sand sticks to it.

Far far easier working on a bone dry surface and just sweep it in and blow off excess with a leaf blower. That's my preference anyway and I've done quite literally 1000s of sq metres of block paving resanding.

Yea only ever done dry myself. Not that I’ve ever needed to but the theory seemed sound maybe the online chaps were just blagging it when their method was queried.

Hate easy-joint and the like. Try and talk clients out if it whenever possible and if I have to use it I laboriously push it in and compact same as I would sand and cement.

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

I wouldn't even contemplate resanding in the wet, you want both the blocks and sand to be bone dry so it falls into.the gaps nicely...it would leave a right mess doing it wet and there's no way the gaps will be filled properly.

 

[Truckcab79]

Out of curiosity what do you do then. Save all the re-sanding and do it all on the first week of decent weather after, or just tell them it can’t be done / do it themselves when dry?

 

[SB Cleaning Services]

Out of curiosity what do you do then. Save all the re-sanding and do it all on the first week of decent weather after, or just tell them it can’t be done / do it themselves when dry?

I just clean it and tell the customer i will be back ASAP to resand, I can do some on the same day in the summer when it's hot but usually done within a few days...as long as the sands in within 7-10days your fine.

 

[cnc patios/drives]

Just been to Wickes to pick 6 bags up £7.30 each!!
It looks a horrible browny colour too It used to be nice bright colours....anyone else noticed?

Mate I buy a good few when I need it and just store it our business premisis as sometimes they change the brand and shade is slightly different,customer might never be able to tell but I know and I'm a bit weird about out like that ?
Got a big job on now as preparing a massive drive for a customer,due to cold iv drained the pressure cleaner and wrapped it up so I'm cracking on with cleaning his astro turf from leaves and gutter cleaning (all in price) while I wait for cold to pass....
My point is I'll be needing a good few bags sand soon and I'm gutted now seeing your post,,was about £4-5 a bag last time I bought some from Travis perking...
Anyway thanks for spoiling me night ??? kidding m8 ?
Have a good night pal
Kindets regards
j

 

[K in Kent]

I book it as a 2 day job usually and pressure wash with a view to return the next day to resand and seal (which is actually not even half a day). Or if I've got a few block paving jobs that week I might set aside a day at the end of the week to do all the sand and sealing together.
Or as SB has said I might do the whole thing in one day if its hot enough and relatively small driveway - and depending on where it is, i.e. I wouldn't bother travelling for a small job eg 40-50sqm but if the weather is good getting it all done in a day can make it a decent earner

 

[THL4KEL]

I had to wet sand last November a few final jobs of the year. One of the jobs I clean the neighbours windows so I was able to keep a very close eye on how well it went. I thought it may of needed a top up of sand. But every time Ive had a look since it still looks pristine.