In terms of colouring, builders sand normally tends to be a light grey colour and can in some instances appear almost white. As it is mainly mined from inland areas away from the coast it does not contain salts that would otherwise allow it to absorb atmospheric moisture and this makes it idea for use in the building trade where moisture and damp issues need to be avoided. As the name suggests (e.g. river sand) this sand-type is normally collected from the beds and banks of rivers or from around more inland water sources as, again, the presence of salts and other organic matter needs to be kept to a minimum to ensure that atmospheric moisture is not absorbed that could then cause damp issues. This is due to the fact that if there is a greater silt content then this can seriously effect the structural integrity of the concrete it’s used in. As a general rule, sand is classified as such if its particles range from 2mm at largest down to 0.06mm at their smallest.

Sand 15kg - Orange Coloured Sand 15kg - Orange

One important note is that for any concreting or mortar applications, there should be absolutley no more than 4% silt present in the sand. Aside from the size and shape of grain and where the sand originated from another very important fact that should be considered is how clean the sand actually is. By this we mean establishing its silt content.But with a 4:1 mix and standard Blue Circle cement, both come out largely grey (the golden sand comes out a lighter grey). Unlike the sharp sand above, builders sand is much finer due to the fact that the grains are much smaller.

nice warm sand-coloured mortar for pointing? How do get a nice warm sand-coloured mortar for pointing?

As the grains are smaller and smoother, this results in a much smoother overall finish hence the reason builders sand is used in screeding and plastering applications. Before we get into exactly what types of sand there are and how each should be used, it would be a good idea to find out what sand actually is and where it comes from. Olivine Sand: Not suitable for use in construction applications due to the fact that it’s unstable, but is used for creating casts and moulds for steel Without colouring, can anyone recommend how to get a strong pointing mix that is a sandy colour? The original pointing was strong cement so we are planning on a like for like. In terms of the grains, unlike the coarse sharp and angular grains that make up sharp sand, the grains found in builders sand are much more rounded and smoothed off.

The reason for this is down to where the sand has come from. Sand produced in one area of the country may have a slightly higher iron-oxide content, giving it a reddy orange appearance, where as sand from another area of the country may feature more coral or shell content giving it a whiter appearance. Desert Sand: Sourced from desert areas and not suitable for construction uses due to grains being too fine and overly smoothed at present, although some are developing concrete substitutes using desert sand To those new to the world of DIY and construction, you may think that sand is just sand but this is certainly not the case, there are quite a few different types of sand, with each specific to certain jobs.

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Beach sand is also known as washed sand which relates to the way in which it’s processed in that it is washed through to remove any unwanted dust, clay, silt, sediment etc. after which it is then left to thoroughly drain. I have tried adding in a little Snowcrete and it does soften the colour a bit to allow some sandy tones but it's still not proper sand coloured.

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Aside from the main or common types of sand above, there are other less common type available that are used mostly in specialist applications: If you have already read through the above type of sand you should now have guessed that artificial sand (or M sand – manufactured sand) is named as such as it’s artificially created and not naturally sourced. One other issue is that it also contains chloride and if you have ever witnessed an old piece of metal that’s been exposed to sea air for a period of time, you may have noticed that it’s probably heavily corroded (rusty). Typically, sand and other similar materials such as gravel/grit or silt (commonly found on river beds and river banks) is classified by the size of its grains. Sand itself sits between gravel and silt with its grains being smaller than those that make up gravel but larger than those that make up silt.

Different Types of Sand and What They Should be Used for Different Types of Sand and What They Should be Used for

On a comparative level, artificial sand is a very close match to building sand mostly because building sand tends to be more widely used than any of the other types. One of the other key constituents of sand is Feldspar. Feldspar is an extremely common group of minerals that makes up nearly three quarters of the Earth’s surface. More often than not, sharp sand or pit sand has a orangy red colouring as it is often found in areas with concentrations of iron-oxide.

Top up the jug to the 150ml mark with some more of the salt water solution you previously mixed and then cover the top of the jug and give it a good shake up to mix it all up.