Not all sand is the same — the right one makes or breaks a job, whether you’re rendering a wall, laying pavers, building a golf green or bedding a pipe. Here’s a plain guide to the sands we supply at Elite Sand & Soil and what each is for.
Render, tiling & general building — Newcastle Sand
Newcastle Sand (also called Sydney, tiling or rendering sand) is a fine, clean, light-coloured sand with low clay content. It renders and plasters to a smooth finish and works well for tiling beds and grouting.
Concrete, paving base & topdressing — Washed River Sand
Washed River Sand is a coarse, gritty sand screened and washed from natural river sources. It’s free-draining and compacts cleanly — ideal for paving base layers, concrete, pipe bedding, and lawn topdressing to improve drainage.
Bricklaying — White & Yellow
For mortar, colour and texture matter. White Bricklaying Sand is clean and fine for light-coloured mortar and face or architectural brickwork; Yellow Bricklaying Sand is coarse and clay-rich for strong, traditional mortar with a warm tone.
Paver joints & artificial turf — Kiln Dried Sand
Kiln Dried Sand is oven-dried silica sand that flows freely into the narrowest joints — perfect for locking pavers in place, and as infill for artificial turf and sports surfaces.
Golf greens & sports turf — Elite USGA Sand
Elite USGA Sand is our flagship angular sand that exceeds USGA specifications and is independently tested by the AGCSA — the choice for golf course construction, turf renovation and elite sports surfaces.
Trench bedding & fill — Special Fill Sand
Special Fill Sand is a dry, screened fill for trench backfill and void fill (it’s not a compaction sand). For a firm sub-base, use Blue Quarry Dust. For cement-stabilised bedding or a base that needs to set hard, our stabilised road base (natural or recycled) is the pick — see our Road Base guide.
Specialty turf & sports sands (special order)
Beyond our everyday sands, we supply a range of high-performance turf and sports sands to spec, available on special order:
- Elite 800 — balanced top-dressing sand for levelling and rejuvenating sports turf
- Elite 1500 — high-drainage rootzone sand for sportsfield slitting and sand injection
- Elite 3000 — fast-draining turf sand for sand grooving and tight slit applications
- Elite Bunker Sand — golf-course bunker sand, fine-to-medium grade for playability and drainage
- Elite Racetrack Sand — for racetrack construction and high-stability surfaces
Available on special order — call 1300 935 483 to discuss your project and lead times.
Which sand do I need?
- Render, plaster, tiling → Newcastle Sand
- Concrete, paving base, topdressing → Washed River Sand
- Light mortar → White Bricklaying · strong mortar → Yellow Bricklaying
- Paver joints / artificial turf → Kiln Dried Sand
- Golf greens / sports turf → USGA Sand
- Trench fill (no compaction) → Special Fill Sand
- Trench bedding (sets firm) → stabilised road base
How it’s sold & delivered
Available in 20kg bags or 1-tonne bulka bags, or loose. Loose pickup from 250kg; loose delivery from 500kg, 6 days a week. Call 1300 935 483 for a delivered price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sand do I use for laying pavers?
Use kiln-dried sand swept into the paver joints to lock the pavers in place, and washed river sand or a stabilised bedding sand for the compacted base layer beneath.
What's the difference between white and yellow bricklaying sand?
White bricklaying sand is clean and fine for light-coloured mortar and face/architectural brickwork; yellow bricklaying sand is coarse and clay-rich for strong, traditional mortar with a warm tone.
What sand is best for rendering?
Newcastle Sand (also called Sydney, tiling or rendering sand) is a fine, clean, low-clay sand that gives a smooth render finish with good adhesion.