Hello. I was wondering if anyone knows of a source in the lower mainland to buy sand for a sandbox. I have learned that sand for sandboxes should be free of free crystalline silica and quartz. www.safesand.com has some info. What types of sand from around here would be safe. (ie. Sechelt sand?) Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.
What's the sandbox for? "sand ... free of free crystalline silica and quartz" is an oxymoron; crystalline silica and quartz is exactly what sand is. Remove it from sand and you're left with nothing.
The sand is for a childrens' sandbox...My client is concerned about dust exposure - they read some hazards at http://www.safesand.com/information.htm. On they site they talk about how a lot of sand is not 'real' sand, but crushed quartz. Please excuse my ignorance - I don't know much about geology. Thanks
Hi Laura--years ago I just shoveled a half cu. ft. of sechelt sand into the sandbox for the little guys to muck around in...maybe that explains some of their weird teenage behaviour...silica eh? Seriously, I have seen sacks of play sand for sale in Home Depot...I expect this will be overpriced compared to anything bulk, but then it must be composed of "good" sand according to current wisdom. I like Sechelt sand a lot, it is close to washed sand just as it comes, but cheap. It also varies a lot from year to year...a natural deposit obviously that will not be totally uniform. The silica dust that is mentioned would be reduced by washing, so maybe that is the way to go. Like Michael, I doubt any sand would be free of quartz...washing out the fine dust would probably be as good as it gets. (Then there's the question of all our beaches, especially that bully that kicks sand in my face...law suit!) Keeping the cats out of the sand is way more important healthwise :-)
Even if you get official play sand (Rona probably has it too) I suspect it is the nature of the beast for the particles to wear against each other and create dust, and water is the best defense against that. I think for best safety, if one insists on having a sandbox, one should have a source of kid-accessible water nearby (even just an inflatable pool to fill up) and the kids will inevitably keep it reasonably wet while playing. Having the sprinkler run nearby would also work, but as an incurable water-hoarder I couldn't bring myself to run it for very long (though as long as it runs into the ground and not a sewer, the resource is being renewed). So let's put the sandbox mid-lawn or among flower beds, and water them as we play...?
It is like asking that snowmen should only be made from snow which does not contain any frozen water, because children might suffer from cold hands . . . Clean sand is about 99.999% pure silica. Dirty sand is only 99.5% silica. Methinks safesand dot com are just playing on peoples' fears to make a fast buck. Check their products list and see if they don't also sell snake oil. If sand was dangerous like they claim, people wouldn't be allowed to go on the beaches. Haven't seen that happen yet!
We have a grade available (in Courtenay, but there will be similar products in the "big smoke") called bedding sand which is a screened, washed fairly coarse sand (~1.5mm for the largest particles), available in bulk. Try Ocean Construction Products. Check also with masonry suppliers for finer (but still washed) products. Tell them what it's for; you won't be the first to call. Depending on volume and delivery costs some begged sand can still be a reasonable choice if you buy it by the full pallet. It's certainly easier to get it to the back yard. Ralph
Sucked in by the politics of fear. No doubt sponsored by the Rona/Home Depot/LeFarge sand cartel. Its just a GD sandbox. Carl
Crushed silica (construction sand) will have rough edges and fine dust, which should not be breathed in in large quantities. Play sand is beach sand, a washed sand with consistently sized smooth grains. Because it is washed, it will have little or no dust. I think the main concern would be people putting construction sand in the play boxes, which would not be good and not comfortable to play in. Play sand is generally available at home centres. While we are on the topic, when people want sand to mix into soils, the sharp and varied sized grains of construction sand are what you want to add to increase the drainage and air holding capacity of the soil.
As an aside on sand - did anyone else know that Sweden exports sand to Saudi Arabia? Sounds absurd, but the reasons are in Eric's point above; Swedish sand, from glacial till, is construction quality with rough edges, while desert sand in Arabia is polished smooth like beach sand, and doesn't bind well, so can't be used for concrete making.
Hello! Just to clarify, not all sand is safe for children's sandboxes. Crushed crystalline silica is appropriate for construction uses, but occupational exposure to the dust has been long established to cause respiratory harm in adults, including lung cancer and silicosis. Children in preschools and day care centers may play in sandboxes daily, because play is their occupation. Natural sand, for example river bed sand, tends to be worn smooth by mother nature, and is very different under a microscope than typical machine crushed construction sand. For more information, you can check out our website: www.safesand.com.Very Best, Lisa Safe Sand Company www.safesand.com
