The Brew Cabin

Hi,

I've been reading all the great information on this website but was hoping some one out there can confirm something for me.

As far as i can see for a bedding layer for Marshall Heritage Flags i need to use sharp sand. My local supplier has something called River Sand. Is this is the same thing?

Probably. The trouble with the building trade is that we use so many colloquial terms that it becomes confusing for non-trade readers. River sand is another unspecific description. It doesn't tell me anything about the grain size, which is critical, but just describes the source.

However, if this 'River sand' was a building quality sand, then I'm fairly sure the BM would label it so, whereas calling it 'River sand' suggests it's a coarser material and therefore more suited to bedding.

You can use it 'as is' or you can add a sprinkling of cement to the sand to firm-up the bedding. For patios, and for DIYers, I usually recommend a 10:1 mix - enough cement to 'set' the bedding, but not so much that it goes hard on you in next to no time and cause problems with staining. :)