Travertine pavers and flooring tiles

What are travertine pavers?

Travertine is a type of limestone. It usually has a light colour and it gives a nice polished surface. Travertine tiles and pavers are very popular forms of flooring both inside and outside the home. It is a strong rock made up of calcium carbonate, which makes it ideal for thin tiles as well as thicker paving. If you have ever been in an underground cave, you are likely to of seen travertine natural stone as that is one of the places it is formed.

Travertine pavers come in a vartiety of shades and colours. The limestone contains iron and other compounds which can make it look very beautiful. It is sometimes called calc-sinter and calcareous tufa for decorative purposes. Over time it eventually turns into travertine marble.

Travertine tiles are used throughout homes, it is also used on work tops, around fireplaces and in showers. It is naturally non slippy and heat resistent. It is available in different finnishes: tumbles (rougher with uneven edges), polished (smooth), honeyed (in between the other two with matt finnish).

Travertine pavers for patios and driveways

This natural stone paving is one of the finest materials to have outdoors at your home. The beautiful shades look fantastic and because it is a natural product, travertine pavers will last forever. Every travertine tile or slab looks slightly different thanks to the different minerals inside. This gives a very natural looking surface. Unlike some other natural stone paving, travertine is usually slip resistant which makes it a safe option in wet and icy conditions. It is also perfect for very hot weather as it stays cool in heat.

Of course such a great product doesn't come cheap. But it is worth considering the extra cost if you can afford it as it will out live any concrete paving products. If laid by a paving expert, there is no reason why travertine paving won't last twice as long as concrete pavers. In the right conditions this will mean you never have to re-do your patio or driveway again.

More travertine limestone information

This material has been used across the globe for all time in the building trade. The Romans in particular were very fond of it, their more famous building, the Colosseum is the largest building in the world to be built out of travertine marble.

Reclaimed travertine limestone/marble is available which gives a very traditional look. However older types of the stone have been exposed to the elements for very long periods of time. This means they may have toughs and pitted holes in the surface. If buying reclaimed travertine, look out for this and possible concrete fillings to hide them.

Travertine usually comes in a light grey colour, but it usually has shades of buff or red mixed in too. When buying this natural stone, you choose a general shade which will then vary slightly over your surface area.

It is made in all sizes from tiny blocks, to brick sized pieces, to flagstones in all dimensions. This makes it very versatile and easy to customize with specific designs like small brick borders or step features.