Building Sand vs Ballast

Building Sand vs Ballast

Building projects both small and large-scale will need carefully selected aggregates to ensure the entire process runs smoothly, and you get the strong, aesthetically pleasing finish you desire. Two of the most commonly used would be building sand and ballast, so we have decided to break each of these down and explain why they might be more suitable for certain applications. 

What is Building Sand? 

Its soft and highly durable construct makes building sand perfect for things like bricklaying and other common uses for both commercial and residential projects. These aggregates will often be extracted from quarries. 

Benefits Of Building Sand 

Durable 

Building sand is strong and highly robust, made possible through incredibly firm compacting between various minerals and fragments. Such credentials are essential for pretty much all building projects. 

Cost-Effective 

Large projects often run with stringent operating costs, so to ensure you get this streamlined, use building sand, as this can often make up a large volume of the specific construction you’re looking to build. This can also be used to help create things like mortar and cement. 

What is Ballast? 

Ballast is primarily concerned with improving stability, often for trains as they move across tracks. Its construct is made from small broken up pieces of rock along with other common aggregates such as sand. The key difference is the material won’t be quite as refined. 

Benefits Of Ballast  

Long-Term Solution 

Compared to a number of alternative aggregate products, you will find ballast requires far less maintenance and often lasts much longer, which also makes this a shrewd investment when working on large-scale commercial projects. 

Solidity 

You’ll also find ballast to be stronger than building sand, and this can certainly prove beneficial when creating a concrete mix, where such credentials are vital when laying bricks.   

Our Ballast Product For Sale 

We supply a ballast product made with a healthy blend of both gravel and sharp sand, so ideal for making concrete. This product is highly versatile, so also suitable for a larger range of typical building uses. As always, choose from a range of size options to get the quantity you need in relation to your project. 

Also available is Network Rail approved rail ballast, which has been carefully sourced from a quarry in the midlands. Use this aggregate to boost solidity around railways and ensure both vegetation and weed growth are never a concern. 

Our Building Sand For Sale 

Building sand is also in sure supply, with both red and yellow variants available. The product is also suitable for a range of building and construction projects, with some of its more common applications being bricklaying and paving.

Discover Quality Aggregates Here 

Do you have a major construction project planned for 2022? Then be sure to use our unrivalled delivery network to ensure you get the aggregate products you need and always within incredibly proficient timeframes. To learn more about what we can offer, simply reach out to a member of our expert team today for further details.

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.