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Travertine Pavers Installation

Shashank Nakate
Travertine looks elegant, rustic, classy, contemporary, and modern, all at the same time. Learn how to install it in your pavement step by step, and turn it around by giving it a completely different look.
A type of sedimentary rock, travertine is naturally available in a variety of colors and patterns and thus, is an ideal paving material. The formation of travertine rock is the result of a geological process in which limestone, which gets deposited during the spring season, gets dissolved in the water that flows over it.
Aragonite and calcite are formed due to this. The layers of aragonite and calcite form calcium carbonate, and later, travertine.

Step by Step Travertine Pavers Installation
  • The material required includes travertine blocks, sanded grout, and mortar.
  • Mark the area that needs to be paved with the help of wooden stakes. Next, excavate the soil to a suitable depth to lay down the paves.
  • Once the area has been dug completely, lay down the base material in the form of gravel and crushed stone. A 4 inch deep layer is enough to form a strong base. If there are drainage problems in the soil, geotextile or filter fabric can be incorporated in the layer. A plate compactor is used to make the layer compact and strongly bound.
  • Lay a 2 inch deep sand layer that will provide bedding for the underlying layer of gravel. Adjust the depth of this sand layer depending upon the thickness of the pavers. Increase it if all the pavers don't have the same thickness. Once again, the plate compactor is used to make the layer firm.
  • The travertine stones could be of various types, such as 'filled', 'honed', and 'tumbled'.
  • Paving should ideally begin at the corner and the first few blocks should be laid as close to each other as possible. Use a rubber mallet to set the pavers firmly and spray them with concrete sealers to help them to bind properly.
  • You could also dry lay the pavers. It is not only less expensive, but also allows you to change the arrangement easily.
  • Cutting stones in order to fit them into spaces is also an important task. Hammers and cold chisels are the tools used for cutting stones.
  • The next step is leveling the pavers.
  • A spirit level is used to check the level. Remove the high sections and scrub the unnecessary amount of soil. Repeat this process until all paver stones are at the same level.
  • Fill the joints after laying the blocks. Joint filling is a pretty simple task which requires the sand to be swept across the paved surface. The tile spacers which are ΒΌ inches in size, are used as gap fillers. Finish up the job by laying the grout float 24 hours after the paver blocks are laid.
  • Water regularly to make the flooring compact, which in turn will strengthen the joints. This cycle of sweeping and watering is continued till the joints become firm.

Travertine Usage
Travertine patio pavers and pool pavers are commonly used for indoor and outdoor home decorations. Mostly, tumbled travertine pavers are preferred over the other types.
Travertine acts as an insulator as the heat emitted by sunlight is reflected while the coolness present in the earth is retained by these stones. Apart from keeping the surface cool, it also absorbs water and prevents slipping.
The porous surface also helps in preventing flooding. These stones may also be used for paving driveways, decks, gardens, etc.

With these tips at hand, installing travertine in your pavement should be an easy task. However, make sure you have a professional's help ready, in case things go haywire.