It is important to purchase conditioners by volume rather than by weight. Even though the materials are sold by the ton and packaged in 50 pound bags, we add material by the 5 gallon bucket, by the wheelbarrow full, by the loader bucket or by the cubic yard.

For this reason it is important to know the bulk density of a product or how much it weighs per cubic yard. This allows us to calculate the cost of the amendment on a volumetric basis or cost per cubic yard. This is especially important when comparing products that have different weights. Infield conditioners have different bulk densities. Vitrified clay and crushed aggregates are up to 2 to 3 times heavier than calcined clay. So, if it takes 1 bag of calcined clay to fill up a wheelbarrow it will take 2 to 3 bags of vitrified clay or aggregate to fill the same wheelbarrow. Even though calcined clay may be more expensive per pound, it costs less to fill the wheelbarrow.

You can determine the bulk density of a specific product by:

1. Looking on the bag.
2. Asking your distributor.
3. Contacting the manufacturer by phone or looking on their Web site.

Calculate the cost-by-cubic-foot advantages of Turface compared to other amendments using this volumetric calculator.

Cost Comparison of Soil Amendments

Based on an equal volume cost, if the selling price of the competitive product is being sold higher than the cost listed above, than one is overpaying.