Concrete or Dry Laid for Travertine Paver

Should you use concrete or dry laid for travertine pavers? Dry-laid!!!

My contractor is pushing me to use concrete for my travertine paver (3cm thick) to prevent shifting. He is insisting that, with our asphalt clay yard, the travertine will shift if not used with cement. Is that true? Need your advice.

Thanks.

ANSWER

No, this is not true. There is no reason to use concrete as an installation method with travertine pavers.

One of the advantages of this paving material is that they can be dry laid. If anything were ever to happen, they can easily be re-laid or replaced. In addition, clay is a very firm type of soil. And FURTHER, the pavers should be installed correctly so a clay soil (or most types of soils) should not cause any movement of the travertine pavers.

There is a correct way of laying them which is the same as laying concrete pavers. Make sure that this is done, in particular...

1. The pavers should be on an under layer of virgin soil. This is soil that has not been disturbed for many years. If it has been disturbed, such as conditions where fill has been added, the soil must be removed and tamped down in 12 inch lifts, or stone must be added to replace the soil.

2. The layer of stone beneath the travertine pavers must be the correct depth.

You can fill the joints with either stone dust or polymeric sand. Lately, I am leaning towards the stone dust for various reasons.

Please visit the following pages for more helpful information:

Travertine Pavers


Paver Installation


Building A Patio