What are some of the advantages of travertine pavers?

Travertine pavers are cut from natural stone. Natural stone paving materials have a special look, very different from man made materials.

It is one of the best material choices for pool paving. One of the best features is that it stays cool underfoot in hot conditions.When you walk barefoot, as usually is the case in a pool area, they will not be hot on your feet. Materials such as pavers, bluestone, and brick do get very hot.

There is no efflorescence. Efflorescence is a discoloration. It is a white deposit, that sometimes occurs on the surface of concrete, often just after the concrete is done. This is typical of bricks laid in concrete.

Matching or coordinating pool coping is available. The copings come in different widths depending on which travertine manufacturer you use.

If the pool is curvilinear, a more narrow coping, such as 15 cm, is a good choice.

Travertine Pavers At The Pool

Wider copings can be selected for more geometric shaped pools, since they
can be easily laid in straight lines and very few will need to be cut.

That is not to say that wider copings cannot be used on curvilinear pools.
A coping that is a wider one, such as 45,7 cm, can be used for free form
swimming pools, but there will be more cutting of the pieces to fit the shape
of the pool, and thus it will be more time consuming for the contractor.

Once again, depending on the manufacturer, available coping widths will vary. However, some typical sizes are 20 cm, 40,6cm , 45,7cm and 61 cm.

Most travertine paver colors have matching bullnose coping. In addition, colors can be easily coordinated for a very nice look. Use one color, for example, for your swimming pool decking and a coordinating color for the pool coping.

To understand the differences between travertine stone types, such as honed, filled and tumbled travertine, visit my page Travertine Stone for an explanation, along with the pros and cons of them all.

**If you have any questions or need suggestions as to where to go for this stone, see bottom of page.

Travertine pavers have a natural non-skid surface. Traction actually increases when wet. This is another great feature and reason to use them around a swimming pool.

Installation methods are the same as concrete pavers, which is dry laid. There is no need to set them in concrete, except for the pool coping, which must be mortared. They come in different sizes and are completely "square". This means that unlike bluestone, all the edges are straight and there is no need for cutting to get straight joints.

Qualified paver contractors who lay concrete pavers should have no problem laying travertine pavers.

The stone color always looks great since the color is retained. They will not fade, for example, as concrete pavers can. In addition, they won't scuff or degrade like man-made surfaces. They are also nice when used for walkways, patios, or even driveway edgings.

Travertine pavers are also freeze-thaw compatible, which means they can withstand conditions of freezing temperatures. They will not crack due to the ground freezing and thawing. They also withstand weathering over time.

 You can purchase matching travertine tile for other hardscape elements, such as retaining walls or outdoor kitchens. For example, a matching or coordinating tile can be used for the facing on a retaining wall or the outdoor kitchen counter top. The material and colors can be the same, and yet different sizes can provide interest. Alternatively, you can use different colors that look well together.

Travertine tile, when used as a paving material, is thinner than the pavers and is normally set in mortar. That is why travertine stone pavers are a better choice for an outdoor paving material.

They are stronger and can be dry laid. In addition, any material set in mortar is more expensive.

The cost of the pavers is neither the most or least expensive paving choice. The cost falls between dry laid brick and dry laid bluestone. (Concrete pavers are less expensive than brick.) Visit my page on paving costs.

*The natural beauty of travertine pavers is enhanced and extended with the use of a travertine sealer, which prevents stains from penetrating into the stone. Sealing also brings out the travertine colors.

Designing With Travertine Pavers

Travertine paver companies import the stone from various countries, such as Turkey, Italy and Peru. I work with the Andes Collection due to the excellent quality of their travertine. Their pavers come from Peru. Many different colors are offered, such as:

• Beige - a nice neutral color.
• Carmel - rich camel with tans, soft
• Gray - shades of light, medium and/or dark grays
• Blends - blended mixture, ie., light carmel color with some gray tones

The beauty of travertine, is that it is a natural stone. Therefore, whatever color you choose will have other similar colors running through it. They are all quite stunning!

This is a sample of a striking travertine stone.

It is even more beautiful when you actually see it in person.

The pattern is not common, which makes it all the more dramatic as it mixes in with the others.

The travertine paver here is just one of many in an assortment. The other stones are different and mixes of lights and darks.

There are many sizes and patterns available. You might use all one size, or mix different sizes for a random look. You can also buy the pavers as a pattern, where the company will ship the correct ratios to make up the design.

As an example, a pattern might be made up of stones which are 40,6x61 cm, 40,6x40,6 cm, 20,3x40,6 cm, 20,3x20,3cm. Any of these sizes can be bought separately also.

For larger areas, patterns with sizes as mentioned above look great; patio paving and swimming pool decking usually encompass a fairly large area of hardscape.

For smaller patios and walkway designs, a pattern made up of the smaller sizes works best.

Travertine Paver Costs

Many pavers are shipped in crates. A particular pattern may have a different amount of square footage compared to another.

How does this affect travertine paver costs?

Once you have determined the square footage of your hardscape area, you will know how much square footage of the travertine pavers to buy.

Depending on what pattern you select, this can greatly affect the price.