Bags of Limestone Screenings for a 8x12 Patio
How many bags of limestone screenings for a 8x12 patio: at 2 inches deep you need about 16.0 cubic feet, which is 32 bags of the common 0.5 cubic foot size. If your store sells limestone screenings in 50-pound bags instead, figure about 34 bags, since limestone screenings weighs roughly 104 pounds per cubic foot.
Volume and tonnage calculator →Bag count by depth
| Depth | Cubic feet | 0.5 cu ft bags | 50 lb bags (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 8.0 | 16 | 17 |
| 2 in | 16.0 | 32 | 34 |
| 3 in | 24.0 | 48 | 50 |
| 4 in | 32.0 | 64 | 67 |
How to figure it
- Area: 8 × 12 = 96 sq ft.
- Volume: 96 × (2 ÷ 12) = 16.0 cu ft.
- Bags: 16.0 ÷ 0.5 = 32 bags (round up).
Bags or bulk?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 16.0 cubic feet is 0.59 yards, about 0.8 tons. This is a small enough job that bags are reasonable, especially if a bulk delivery fee applies. Compare the bag price × 32 against a bulk quote for 0.9 tons delivered.
About limestone screenings
Screenings hold moisture and can crust over. Use them in thin layers over a compacted stone base instead of as a thick layer on their own.
Before you spread for a patio
- Dig and level. Remove sod and set the base slightly below the surrounding grade.
- Edge it. Steel, plastic or stone edging keeps material in place.
- Spread in layers. Rake to depth, then tamp or wet and compact.
- Buy a few extra. Grab 5 to 10 percent more bags for settling and touch-ups.
The volume and tonnage calculator handles other sizes and depths.
Good and poor uses for limestone screenings
Works well for:
- Paver and flagstone setting beds
- Firm walking paths
- Top-dressing a compacted stone base
Think twice for:
- Deep layers on their own
- Low spots that collect water
- Under heavy vehicle traffic without a base
Quick reference numbers
- Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.43 tons of limestone screenings (0.31 cubic yards).
- Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.3 tons.
- Another size for comparison: a 10x20 area at 4 inches takes about 3.5 tons.
- Weight used here: about 1.4 tons per cubic yard.
Common estimating mistakes
- Using inches as if they were feet. Depth has to be divided by 12 before you multiply; skipping that step inflates the order twelvefold.
- Forgetting that compaction shrinks loose material. A loose 4-inch spread of a dense-graded stone may finish closer to 3 inches after rolling.
- Skipping drainage. Water sitting under any surface softens the base and leads to ruts and potholes.
- Ordering exactly the math. Uneven ground and spillage nearly always need a little more than the flat calculation.
Questions people ask
How many bags of limestone screenings for a 8x12 patio?
About 32 bags of 0.5 cubic feet at 2 inches deep.
How many 50 lb bags of limestone screenings for 8x12?
About 34 bags at 2 inches.
How many 0.5 cubic foot bags are in a cubic yard?
54 bags.
How many cubic feet is a 8x12 patio at 2 inches?
About 16.0 cubic feet.
When does bulk make more sense?
Usually once the job passes about a cubic yard, or when you would need more than a few car trips.
Related guides
- #10 Stone (Stone Dust): Size, Uses and How Many Tons
- Tons to Cubic Yards for Gravel: Conversion Chart
- How Much Does a Ton of Gravel Cover? Depth Chart
- Bags of Limestone Screenings for a 8x10 Patio
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