Travertine Pavers

How to clean travertine pavers?

The basic way to clean travertine pavers is to use a non-abrasive cleaner. Many stores will carry all kinds of stone cleaners so just check on the container and make sure that the cleaner is designed for travertine pavers. Some people will use over the counter dish soap and if you avoid the abrasive cleaners, you are good to go. Basic non-abrasive dish cleaners will get almost anything out of travertine pavers. I went to a house a few years back and the lady said she had not cleaned her deck in 10 years. I told her a paver cleaner could come out and he would charge her a few thousand dollars to clean the travertine, but I also suggested she use a non-abrasive dish soap. I returned to the job site the following week and the material looked brand new. It was surprising how well it looked. I asked her if she contacted the paver cleaner guy, and she told me she cleaned it up using the non-abrasive dish cleaner. She said it was easy to clean up. She just used a mop, water and the cleaner. What do I mean by abrasive? I wouldn’t want you to use any of the dry powder that could just scratch the surface and damage it. Whenever you clean anything for the first time, it is always best to clean a small surface first. Just use the cleaner on small parts of the travertine pavers and see how well it cleans up the surface. This can save you a ton of money on a paver cleaner. You also want to avoid using an abrasive brush to clean it up. Just avoid anything that would scratch the surface.

Can you use baking soda on the travertine pavers?

Yes. One common method for cleaning stains on travertine pavers is to use baking soda. The method is to mix baking soda in with water and then make it into a puddy and spread it on the travertine pavers. Once a person has done this, they let it sit there for about 20 minutes, and it can extract unwanted stains out of the travertine pavers. It should be noted that stains in travertine pavers are rare so usually this kind of effort is not needed. Baking soda is typically used when leaves get on the travertine pavers and those leaves have extra acid on them. The baking soda will extract that acid from the travertine pavers in most instances.

Another question related to cleaning is can you use a steam cleaner to clean travertine pavers?

The real problem with using a steam cleaner is not the travertine pavers but the polymeric sand in between the travertine pavers. The steam cleaner is going to pull that polymeric sand right out and you want the polymeric sand to keep the travertine pavers from shifting.

Can you pressure wash travertine pavers?

Yes. You can pressure wash the travertine pavers. A pressure washer is probably the most common method for cleaning travertine pavers. You want to remember a few things about using a pressure washer to clean the travertine pavers. To begin with, pressure washers are getting stronger and stronger. Some of those pressure washers are so strong they can break just about anything and can take the paint right off your car. Just remember to be sensible about using a pressure washer and there is no reason to use them on high power. If it hurts your skin to pressure wash, it is probably too strong for the travertine pavers. You can damage almost anything with a high-power pressure washer. Another thing that happens over time with the pressure washer is it just smooths out the surface on the travertine and that can dull the color of the travertine paver. You might like that look and sometimes customers do not even notice but it is happening. The impact of this can be reduced so much by simply using the lower settings on the pressure washer.

Are travertine pavers low maintenance?

Yes. One of the reasons people pick travertine pavers is that they are low maintenance. Even though I describe how to clean travertine pavers, rarely is a professional needed to clean the travertine pavers, and most people can clean the pavers by simply spraying off the deck.

Can travertine pavers be matched?

This is a good question. In some instances, a person will come back a few years later and want to match the travertine pavers they have on their pool deck. They might want to expand the deck or move some of the material around. Will the travertine pavers match in a few years later? That is a tough call. You might have to bring in a sample of the existing pavers to match the current batch. Colors like ivory and Noce travertine pavers tend to match up a little easier than colors like silver travertine pavers. Another factor is the existing travertine pavers are usually dirty making it harder to match. It is generally a good idea to clean your existing deck to match the new travertine pavers. You can then check how close the match will be. Sometimes if your travertine pavers are placed on a sand base, you can take some of your existing travertine pavers up and then mix in travertine pavers from the new batch. You can then have your contractor use some of the old batch and mix it in the new section. This method tends to work out the best instead of having two different travertine decks next to each other. Another option in this case is to also just contrast the travertine pavers with a different color and make it look like you contrasted on purpose.

Can I seal my travertine pavers?

Yes. You can seal your travertine pavers. Not all travertine paver sealers are created equal. Matte sealers and enhanced sealers will bring different results. A matte sealer is a sealer that does not change the way the travertine pavers look. But an enhanced sealer will cause the travertine pavers to have a wet look, and it tends to bring out the colors a little more. Which type of sealer should I use on the travertine pavers? It depends on what you are trying to do. The enhanced sealer will bring out the colors and give the travertine pavers a wet look, but the downside is that the enhanced sealers tend to have a few negatives attached to them. One negative of enhanced sealers on travertine pavers is the wet look that brings out the colors will tend to fade. It will not fade evenly across the deck. In other words, the parts of the deck where more walking occurs will wear down faster and that means the wet look with the colors being enhanced will also disappear with time. It has been my experience that this wet look with enhanced colors will fade usually within 6 months to a year. Just be aware that some sealers fade even faster than that. Since the sealers fade at different rates, it can make the deck look like it has streaks in it. In general, I tend to think most decks are better off without sealers on travertine pavers but consult with your pool builder for his/her best recommendation.

Do I seal my travertine pavers before I install them?

Most pool builders do not seal the pavers as part of their quote on the installation of travertine pavers. But when they do seal the travertine pavers, they usually seal them after the installation. I have observed both methods in action and even watched as travertine pavers were hand dipped into sealers before the installation. This is a very time-consuming practice, and I am not sure of the real benefit of the practice. It also eats up more sealers, increasing the labor and the sealer cost. The other problem with dipping travertine pavers in the sealer before installing them is if you need to mortar down the travertine pavers for coping or on the caps. The travertine pavers are less likely to bond to the mortar if they have sealer on them. Once again, consult with your contractor for his/her recommendation on the sealer.

Can I contrast colors on a travertine paver deck?

Yes. Some homeowners will decide to contrast some of the travertine pavers with each other. For example, some people want to use ivory for pavers on their coping while using a Noce travertine paver for their decking. They want to create that contract on purpose. Another common contrast is to use one color of travertine pavers on the deck while using another color for the travertine split face on a wall or column. The contrasting color can highlight the wall. Occasionally, someone will use two different colors on their deck and mix up those two colors to create a new color that no one else has on their deck. Make sure you check with your contractor on this in advance because some contractors will want to charge an extra fee for mixing up two different colors of travertine for the extra effort. Another consideration when mixing up color batches is it is possible that the pavers might be slightly different sizes because they were produced in different factories with different machines. This might cause greater gaps between the pavers than usual.

Can I get a large mosaic made from travertine pavers?

Yes. You can make a large mosaic out of travertine pavers. Occasionally someone will stop in and request a custom mosaic that is larger than the typical 12-inch mosaic. In those cases, they may want a large inch, and a quarter paver made into a mosaic to highlight their decking. A large travertine mosaic can be achieved in two ways. A local fabricator can sometimes cut the mosaic into a specialty piece and can even design it for you. This process typically needs a special type of fabricator that can custom cut the pieces, but those fabricators do exist. The lead time on making those types of mosaics depends on the detail and the size of the travertine mosaic. A custom travertine paver mosaic can also be custom made from Turkey and shipped into the U.S. This process will take a bit longer and may take 13-14 weeks depending on the size of the travertine mosaic. Importing the mosaic directly from Turkey is usually less expensive.

Can I make a medallion out of travertine pavers?

Just like mosaic, a medallion can be made from travertine pavers. When a person has a pool installed or just a large travertine deck, they will sometimes want some sort of piece custom created to highlight a certain part of their travertine deck. In those cases, a custom center piece medallion can be made to highlight the decking. A custom medallion piece can be created inside the U.S. using a fabricator that specializes in those pieces, or it can be imported directly from Turkey. A custom medallion can be made in the U.S. in 2-4 weeks depending on the size of the travertine medallion and will take about 13-14 weeks to import from Turkey. Usually, the price is significantly less to have the travertine medallion imported from Turkey.

Can I create a border around my travertine pavers?

Yes. You can create a border around your travertine pavers. One way a border is created using travertine pavers is to use travertine French pattern pavers around the deck and then use a 6x12 travertine paver as a border around the French pattern travertine deck. Another common way of using a border is to use a French pattern travertine paver around the deck and then using a 12x24 travertine paver as the border. A 16x24 travertine paver can also be used around the border also. Other combinations are possible in that a 12x24 travertine paver can be used on the deck with a French pattern paver used as the border. 12x12 travertine pavers are also used as a border but any combination of travertine pavers can be used as the deck and any combination of travertine pavers can be used as the border.

Do pinecones damage travertine pavers?

Pinecones can damage just about any product including travertine pavers. When someone is installing travertine pavers and they have pinecones dropping from their trees, we will often suggest cutting the tree down. Many trees have leaves with some sort of acid in them, but pinecones have a stronger acid that can eat through natural stone and many other surfaces. Another question that is asked related to this question of pinecones is will sealer protect the travertine pavers from pinecones and the answer is no. The acid from the pinecones will eat through the sealer and make its way through the travertine pavers. The best option is to cut down the tree. Realize some trees are very tall and sometimes the pinecones from your neighbor’s tree can eat through your deck causing damage.

Do porcelain pavers get hotter in sunlight than travertine pavers?

Yes. Porcelain pavers tend to get hotter in sunlight than travertine pavers. Even lighter porcelain pavers will tend to get hotter than travertine pavers. If you are in a warmer climate in the South such as Texas or Florida, there will be hot days in the sunlight. The travertine pavers will stay significantly cooler in the heat than the porcelain pavers. Porcelain pavers can burn your feet in a second or two when it is 100 degrees outside. It is true that the lighter travertine pavers will warm up much slower than the darker travertine pavers. But even the darker travertine pavers tend to be much warmer than the porcelain pavers in the heat. One way to deal with the warmer pavers is to wear shoes outside on your deck. During the hottest times of the day, just add shoes to your feet. Another way to deal with the heat of the pavers is to spray down the deck with water. If you have a large group over for a birthday, you can spray down the deck with cool water and cool down the deck. If you spray down the deck with water, the travertine pavers will get cooler for a few hours. Unfortunately, the porcelain pavers may stay cool for only 15-20 minutes or less when it is 100 degrees outside. This may impact which paver you decide to purchase depending on your desire to wear shoes outside on your deck.

Do travertine pavers come in large sizes?

Yes. Common sizes of travertine pavers include the French pattern travertine pavers. The travertine pavers in the French pattern come in 8 square foot bundles. The travertine French pattern pavers include one 16x24, two 16x16, one 8x16 and two 8x8 pavers in an 8 square foot bundle. 6 pieces come in a French pattern paver and if you total up the square footage of all those pieces they equal 8 square foot per bundle. Other common sizes for travertine pavers include 6x12, 12x12, 12x24, 16x24 and 24x24. Larger pieces are available in each color but sometimes require special orders from Turkey. The shipping time for the larger pieces will be about 13-14 weeks depending on the size of the order. Travertine Pavers can come in 24x36, 24x48 and even 24x72. Anything larger than a 24x36 travertine paver is going to be honed or brushed because the larger travertine pavers do not fit in a tumbler that will give the pieces a tumbled edge. Call in for special pricing on large format travertine pavers.

How many travertine pavers can fit on a pallet?

Each size of travertine pavers will arrive with different quantities of travertine pavers on the pallet. For example, travertine French pattern pavers typically have about 160-176 square feet of travertine pavers on the pallets. This can be a different quantity based off the supplier and the factory in Turkey that supplies the travertine pavers. Since travertine French pattern pavers come in 8 square foot bundles, the square foot in each pallet will be divisible by 8 square feet. In a pallet of 12x24 travertine pavers, you will typically see 66 pieces with equals 132 square foot per pallet. In a pallet of 16x24 travertine pavers, you will typically see 60 pieces of the pavers in a pallet. That would equal to about 160.2 square feet in each pallet of 16x24 travertine pavers. Each company might be a little different in packaging and that would require you to contact the company and ask how their travertine pavers are packaged.

How many travertine pavers can fit on a box truck?

Most box trucks can carry about 42,000 pounds. That will allow for about 2800 square feet of travertine pavers to fit on the box truck. How would you calculate that number? Most travertine pavers are 3 cm (1 inch and a quarter) thick. Travertine pavers in 3 cm are 15 pounds a square foot. If a typical pallet of travertine pavers French pattern is 176 square feet per pallet, the pallet will weigh 2640 square foot per pallet in travertine and then about 50-100 pounds for the wooden pallet. If you multiple 176 square feet per pallet times 16 pallets, you can fit about 2816 square feet on each truck. This would put the weight a little over 42,000 pounds per box truck but usually the truckers have some weight flexibility based on how much fuel is on their truck and most will take 16 pallets without returning for weight issues.

How many travertine pavers can fit on a flatbed truck?

Typically, about 3000 square feet of travertine pavers can fit on a full-size flatbed truck. Usually, a full-size flatbed truck without a spider on the back of the truck can hold about 48,000 pounds. A spider weighs about 8,000 pounds which would reduce the weight allowed for the travertine pavers if you are shipping locally. But if you are shipping across the country, you can usually put 48,000 pounds of travertine pavers on the truck. If you figure the travertine pavers as 176 square feet per pallet for travertine pavers French pattern, you can figure the weight at 15 pounds per square foot. If you multiply 176 square feet 15 pounds you get 2640 pounds per pallet. If you multiple 17 pallets times 2640 pounds you will get 44,880 pounds. Here is the trick part. If you multiply 18 pallets times 2640 pounds and you will get to 47,520 pounds. But that weight does not include the weight of the travertine paver pallets, and each wood pallet weighs about 50-100 pounds. You should probably figure the weight of the pallets into the mix. But if you figure the weight of the pallets in equation, the weight might go slightly over 48,000 pounds. Some of the equation comes down to how much fuel there is in the truck. If you multiply 18 pallets times 176 square feet, then the total number of square feet of travertine pavers you can ship on a flatbed is 3168 square feet. If you figure at the lower amount of 17 pallets, then take 17 pallets times 176 square feet and you can ship 2992 square foot of travertine pavers on a flatbed truck. You might want to check with the driver of the truck to determine the best weight to use.

Do you need to tarp travertine on a flatbed truck?

For the most part, the answer is no. But you need to tarp on a flatbed truck for travertine mosaics and travertine split face. Travertine pavers and travertine tile do not need to be tarped. Travertine pavers and travertine tile are stored outside by many suppliers and you only tarp something to protect it from the rain. Travertine pavers and travertine tile do not need that sort of protection. However, travertine mosaics and travertine split face need to be protected from rain. Travertine mosaics and travertine split face are stored indoors in warehouses. You will even see travertine mosaics and travertine split face shipped over from Turkey with plastic pallet coves over them to protect them from water. The travertine mosaics and travertine split face will fall apart and stick to each other if they get wet. If you are shipping a flatbed truck across the country, you will want to have the driver of the flatbed tarp the travertine mosaics and travertine split face to protect them from rain.

Can travertine pavers be stored outside before installing them?

Yes. Travertine pavers and travertine tile can be stored outside before installing them. Travertine was born outside. It is mined out of the ground in most cases from Turkey. Travertine is mined out of the ground from a quarry. The travertine is then sent to a factory in the block. The factory will then use machines to cut the travertine down into smaller pieces. Then the factory will cut down the travertine into smaller pieces. After the travertine pavers are cut down to size, travertine pavers will be put into pallets and then stored in most cases outside. A photo of pallets of travertine pavers in Turkey will usually show the travertine pavers and pallets being stored outside. Then the travertine pavers are put on a pallet and shipped to the U.S. After the travertine pavers arrive in the U.S., the travertine pavers are often stored outside. Once the travertine pavers are sold, they are shipped to a home. Travertine pavers are safe to sit outside your home before installed because the rain does not do the travertine pavers harm. Travertine mosaics and split face function better if they are protected from the rain.

Can travertine mosaics and travertine split face be stored outside before installing them?

You want to be careful about the storage of travertine mosaics and travertine split face. If travertine mosaics and travertine split face get wet, they tend to come off the mesh and stick to each other. Unlike travertine pavers and travertine tiles, the mosaics and the split face should be protected against rain. Some people will store them under the patio cover in the backyard. Usually that is wise if sideways rain does not come through. Rain falling directly from the sky will be fine with a patio cover. If the concern is that the mosaics could be exposed to side rain, then just place the mosaics in the garage or inside the home for protection. The travertine mosaics and travertine split face are on a mesh and that mesh has glue on it. When the rain gets on that glue, the stone is so heavy that it pulls off the glue making installation later more of a challenge. But that glue also causes the pieces to stick to each other after it is rained on and that will cause a huge mess. The best approach is to protect the travertine mosaics and the travertine split face.

Where country does travertine come from?

Most travertine in the U.S. is originally from Turkey. Other countries shipped travertine to the U.S. in the past but the bulk of it now arrives from Turkey. Turkey is so strong with the quarries and factories that are geared toward travertine that it is a good source for travertine pavers and travertine tile.

How thick are travertine pavers compared to tile?

Travertine pavers are thicker than travertine tiles. In general, most travertine tiles are half inch or around 1.2 cm thick. Some travertine tiles are 2 cm thick or ¾ inch thick. Travertine pavers on the other hand are traditionally 3 cm thick which is around an inch and a ¼ thick. Some companies will label 5 cm or about 2-inch eased edge or straight edge coping as a paver instead of calling it coping. Those companies will typically identify coping as being bullnose.

How thick are travertine pavers compared to coping?

Most travertine pavers are 3 cm thick or approximately 1-1/4 inch thick. Most coping to match travertine pavers are either 1-1/4 thick or 2 inch thick. It is possible to get the coping even thicker than 5 cm, but it will require a special order in order to ship it in from Turkey and will take about 12-13 weeks to get in stock from the time you order.

How thick is a travertine split face?

Travertine split face can be different thickness because the travertine split face is random. The thickness of the split face is different on each piece. It can be around ¾ inch to 1 inch in thickness. Most people will describe it as a thin veneer, and it needs to be placed on some sort of surface like concrete blocks to stay up on the wall.

How to apply sealers to travertine pavers?

The best way to apply sealers on travertine pavers is to either spray on the sealer across the deck or roll it on the deck. You will want to clean the travertine paver deck before you seal it. Then you will want to let the deck dry so that the sealer can get into the travertine pavers. After the travertine pavers are dry, then apply the sealer. Travertine pavers can be sealed by spraying on the sealer. Just take the sealer and put it in a sprayer that can spray out a thicker substance and then spray it across the deck. The other way to seal the travertine pavers on a deck is to take a paint roller and roll it across the travertine pavers.

Can travertine pavers be bullnose?

Travertine pavers can be converted into bullnose coping. You can go to a travertine paver supplier and pick up travertine pavers that have been bullnose at the factory and that is typically cheaper in cost. But sometimes you have pieces of travertine paver, and you are not able to find the sizes you want for that bullnose piece. In that case, a fabricator can convert the travertine pavers into a bullnose piece. Where do you find a fabricator that can convert the pavers into bullnose? Just call us and we can recommend fabricators that can convert the pavers into bullnose. The bullnose can be created in a few days to a week and the price tends to be impacted by the thickness of the travertine pavers.

How to bevel travertine pavers?

Travertine pavers can be attained that have beveled edges. Typically, a beveled edge is not on the pavers in 3 cm. But some people request a beveled edge. The beveled edge will sometimes be available in a 5 cm paver. If someone wants a beveled edge on a 3 cm paver, it can be ordered from the factory in Turkey and might take 12-13 weeks to get in stock. That is the cheaper way to get the beveled edge. In some instances, a person is not able to wait 12-13 weeks to get the travertine pavers beveled and, in that case, a local fabricator can bevel the edge. Call us and we can assist you in finding a fabricator that can bevel the edge.