There are many types of sand available on the market.
Each of these sand types is going to serve different purposes.
Tube sand is typically a heavy tube-like package of sand that is sold in a heavy bag.
The bag is typically made of a material that is hard to penetrate.
There are several great ways to use tube sand.
It is always important to make sure that the tube sand you are purchasing is safe to use for the purposes we describe.
Some manufacturers will wash their tube sand, and others will not.
What Can I Use Tube Sand For?
1. Weight During Winter Driving Conditions
The main reason people purchase tube sand is to keep their large cars safe during winter driving conditions.
Tube sand is quite heavy, but it is typically relatively easy to manage because of the tube that it is sold in.
People will take tube sand and put it in their vehicle’s truck bed to ensure that it does not slide around during wet and icy conditions in the winter.
The tube sand is typically placed in the bed of a pickup truck over the wheel wells and then across the truck’s axle.
Depending on the size of your truck, you may need to add some extra tube sand.
The bag that the sand is sold in is often very durable which will help it to last from one winter to the next.
In very cold climates, it is common to keep the tube sand in the back of the truck for several months.
If a truck were to get stuck on the ice for some reason, the tube sand could then be opened up and used to create some traction with the ground.
This traction will help to get the wheels out of a difficult position.
The stability and weight that the tube sand provides will undoubtedly make it safer to drive in wet winter-like conditions.
2. Landscaping Projects
There are a few ways that you can use tube sand to do landscaping projects in your yard.
One way to use it is as a base for pavers or steppingstones.
If you put steppingstones in your yard to get from one area to another, you can use the tube sand as a base.
The sand will keep grass from growing up between the stones, and it will help keep the stones from sliding.
The same can be said for pavers that you may lay out in a small patio area.
Once your pavers are in place, you can then use the tube sand to fill in the gaps between the pavers.
When you fill in with sand, it will lock the stones in place and keep them there.
3. Protect from Flooding
Tube sandbags can be used to protect your home from flooding.
If you live in an area that experiences flooding for any reason, the tube sandbags can be stacked around the perimeter of doorways to keep the water from getting into a home.
You may have heard of sandbags when coastal areas are preparing for a storm.
If you happen to have tube sandbags around, they will certainly do the trick.
When using sand to protect against flooding, you don’t have to choose the most expensive kind.
Any type of low-priced sand in a durable bag is going to do the trick.
Many choose the tube sand because of the packaging it comes in.
The bag is quite durable and will hold up in difficult conditions.
4. Keep Basketball Hoop in Place
If you have a basketball hoop or a backyard goal that keeps falling over, a bag of tube sand is a great choice to stabilize it.
You can take the tube sand and put it directly in the base of the hoop to keep it from moving.
Otherwise, you can simply place the bag of sand on the base.
Regardless of how you do it, the tube sand has enough weight that it will undoubtedly keep your basketball hoop from toppling over in the middle of your game.
For outdoor nets, you may use two bags, one on each side, to make sure that it stays completely stable while it is being used.
Part of the reason people like tube sand for this purpose is that it will not require much.
5. Stay Safe on Ice
Tube sand is a great choice to keep from slipping on ice in the winter.
When you use tube sand to stay safe on the ice, you will have to open the package and lay it out on the ice.
Some people will use salt, but in areas where the temperature gets very cold, the salt does not always work quite as well.
These areas will do best with sand, and tube sand is a great choice.
This sand will also not be all that harmful to your turf in the spring when you see the damage that the winter season has done.
The sand will simply blend into the turf and grass, and it will not cause anything to die off or be damaged.
When you spread tube sand on ice, make sure you do it across the entire path or driveway so that people have a clear and safe walkway.
Even with tube sand on the walkway, you must still make sure that you proceed with caution.
As great as this sand is at keeping you from getting hurt, nothing will be as good as being careful and diligent as you move around in the winter months.
6. Sandboxes
Tube sand can either come washed and treated, or it can come in a natural form.
If you purchase tube sand that has not been washed, you will not want to use it in a child’s sandbox.
Sand that has not been treated can have harmful chemicals or even sharp pieces in it.
You must be very careful about the sand you use in a kid’s sand box.
However, if you do purchase tube sand that is in excellent condition, you can absolutely use it as a sandbox filler.
Sandboxes for kids can be purchase in ready-made kits, or they can be built rather quickly.
Keep in mind that, if you are going to use tube sand in your child’s sandbox, you are also going to want to make sure you have a cover for the box.
As you will see in one of our later suggestions, children aren’t the only ones who are going to use the sand.
Chances are you may need quite a few bags of tube sand to completely fill a child’s sandbox.
The good news is that these bags are relatively easy to carry and transport back to the play area.
Better yet, at the end of a winter, pull the back of your truck right up to the sandbox and dump the sand in for the kids to play.
If you can save the bags, you can always put them back in your truck again after the summer season.
This may take some time, but it could also save quite a bit of money.
7. Fence Support
As we have seen, the shape and the weight of the tube sand makes it a good solution for a number of reasons.
One way you can use tube sand is as temporary fence support.
If you are putting a fence around your property, chances are you will have several posts that will need to be cemented to the ground.
If the posts are not adequately cemented to the ground, you won’t have the ability to lay in the other fence sections.
The entire fence will fall to one side or another.
Therefore, the first day of a fencing project usually means putting posts in place and waiting for them to dry.
However, it is very important that these fence posts are straight and level when they are set in the concrete.
If a post happens to slip or move to the side when it is being put in the concrete, you will have a mess on your hands.
Making sure that the fence post stays in place overnight while the concrete dries is very important.
Instead of having to stand and watch the concrete dry, you can simply place the bags around the post, and it will not move.
We recommend placing a bag on each side of the post so that it will stay level and stable until it is dry and in place.
If you are doing a fencing project, it is well worth picking up at least two bags of tube sand to make the process easier.
8. Cat Litter Boxes
Last but not least, you can use tube sand for cat litter boxes.
This is precisely why we said that, if you are going to use sand in your sandboxes, you will want to make sure you have a top for it.
Tube sand is a good choice for a cat litter box that may be located outside.
The problem with using this sand for cat litter boxes that are located indoors is that they don’t control odor.
When you use kitty litter, the odor will be a bit controlled by the product and the smell it has.
It is completely fine to use sand with cat litter boxes that are in garages or even outdoors.
Make sure that you change the sand in the litter box often if you are using sand.
Typically, once or twice a day is going to be ideal.
If you don’t clean the box enough, the good sand and the bad sand will get mixed, and you will end up having to replace the entire bin full of sand.
This is an excellent choice for the tube if you have purchased it for another project and you are done with that project.
We wouldn’t specifically recommend going out to purchase tube sand for the sole purpose of using it as cat litter.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of how to use tube sand.
The main purpose of this sand is to help you get through the winter season safely.
However, there are other ways to use tube sand to complete other household projects.
If you have never purchased tube sand before, you will notice that it is typically sold in a few different sizes.
Make sure you can handle carrying and transporting the bag that you purchase.
Tube sandbags are exceptionally durable and will remain in good shape as long as they are not punctured.
If you get a leak in your bag, you will likely need to get a new one.
When you have a few of these helpful bags around, you will quickly find ways to use them.
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