Aggregates

Building Sand comes in two categories. Sand -gravel used for making concrete contains large, very big particles - stones, particles larger than 6.3mm diameter. Sand used for mortars, as used for brick laying has less diameter. Both of these types of sand are usually bought by tones, and are best for large building projects.

For smaller projects, the choice is usually between medium, fine and very fine. The fineness of the sand used determines how smooth the resultant mix is, since neither lime or cement add to the graininess of the mortar used.

Very fine sand comes from a quarry. It is very pale, with grains 0.1 - 0.3 mm in diameter. This sand is used occassionally for very fine cement work, but is used also for polishing and cleaning. There are few jobs which require a large quantity of this sand.

Fine sandComes from either a quarry or a river. Very pale brown, with grains 0.2 - 0.6mm. This fine sand is used for sandblasting and hydro-sandblasting on materials such as wood and metal. Sand for sandblasting is usually silicon rich Light brown, with grains of diameter 0.4 - 1.6mm. This is usually used for sandbasting stonework and masonry, when the wall is sufficiently stable to support it. The colour of the sand is important when the final product will be visible - for example if you are repointing a wall. The colour of the sand that should be used is very specific to your London area.

The Repair and Maintenance of Brickwork

Maintenance and Repair Cleaning of Clay Brickwork

Maintenance and Repair Cleaning of Calcium Silicate Brickwork

Brick Colour Consistency/Causes of Inconsistency

Repointing of Brickwork

Bricklaying in Winter Conditions

Tinting Brickwork Colour Variation Information

Brickwork Design & Detailing Brickwork Durability

Rigid Paving with Clay Pavers

Flexible Paving with Clay Pavers

Brickwork Design & Detailing Resisting Rain Penetration with Facing Brickwork

Bricks & Mortars Use of Traditional Lime Mortars in Modern Brickwork