What are screenings?
Limestone screenings are fine crushed limestone: the small chips and stone dust separated out when limestone is crushed and screened. They compact into a firm surface, so their main uses are walking and garden paths and some specified landscape leveling. The dust also makes them drain poorly, so they are not drainage stone, a driveway base, or the default bedding under concrete pavers.
The limestone screenings J1S stocks are ¼-inch minus, meaning everything from ¼-inch chips down to dust. Other suppliers may sell a different size or amount of dust under the same name.
What should I use instead?
| Job | What to order |
|---|---|
| Walking or garden path | Screenings, with the ground prepared and the surface shaped to shed water |
| Landscape leveling | Screenings, where the project detail calls for them |
| Bedding under concrete pavers | The bedding material the paver manufacturer specifies |
| Driveway base | A base stone, commonly crusher run |
| French drain or drainage layer | Clean drainage stone, such as #57 limestone |
| Wall, slab, or pipe support | The material the designer or manufacturer specifies |
Are stone dust and screenings the same?
Often, but not always. Stone screenings, stone dust, and limestone screenings can name the same pile at one yard and different products at another, since the name does not fix the rock type, chip size, or amount of dust. Ask what rock it is, how big the largest chips are, and whether it is washed. The stone dust versus limestone screenings comparison covers what to check when two quotes use different names.
Are limestone screenings good under pavers?
Not under conventional interlocking concrete pavers. CMHA's construction guidance recommends concrete bedding sand, laid about 1 inch thick before compaction, and advises against limestone screenings, stone dust, and mason sand in that layer. Permeable pavers and other systems can differ, so follow the paver manufacturer.
Updated September 9, 2026: We corrected this guide's earlier recommendation of limestone screenings as standard concrete-paver bedding. Check the specified bedding material before ordering.
If a contractor asks you to order "paver base," ask for the material name for each layer. The phrase can mean the base stone, not the layer right under the pavers.
Do limestone screenings get hard?
Yes. They pack into a firm surface when compacted, because the chips and dust lock together. They do not cure like concrete, so the surface can still rut, soften, or wash out when it stays wet. Very little water passes through them, so shape the path to shed water and give low spots a way to drain.
How much do I need?
Cubic yards = length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (in) / 324. Tons = cubic yards x 1.5.
Example: a 40 by 3 foot path at 2 inches deep is about 0.74 cubic yards, or roughly 1.1 tons. One cubic yard covers about 162 square feet at 2 inches.
The 1.50 tons per cubic yard is an estimate; actual weight varies with the material and moisture. The 2 inches is only an example for the math, and the answer does not include extra for compaction or uneven ground. The material calculator does the math for your size. If the path also needs a base layer, figure and order each layer separately.
What to send with your order
Send the use, the length, width, and depth of each layer, any material spec from your installer, and the address and where the truck can unload. Price depends on quantity, haul distance, and site access, and a small load still costs a trip, so confirm the delivery minimum. J1S delivers across Jefferson County and the St. Louis metro. If the drop spot has a narrow entrance, soft ground, or overhead lines, check the truck access guide.
Sources
- Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association, PAV-TEC-002, Construction of Interlocking Concrete Pavements: bedding sand should conform to ASTM C33 concrete sand, limestone screenings, stone dust, and masonry sand should not be used for bedding, and bedding sand is screeded to an uncompacted nominal 1 inch.
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement: 12 inches equal 1 foot and 27 cubic feet equal 1 cubic yard, the conversions behind dividing by 324 and the 162 square feet per cubic yard at 2 inches.