Travertine Pavers - A Dramatic Material With Outstanding Beauty By Susan Schlenger At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Travertine pavers are one of the most exciting paving materials I have worked with in a long time. Although this material can be imported from many countries, the material I have been working with on my landscape design projects come from Peru. These travertine pavers are from the Andes Collection.

I recently provided a landscape design for clients who wanted a swimming pool. Therefore, pool paving had to be selected.

I knew that they would love a natural material. I often use bluestone, yet in a pool area, this is very hot on the feet, so it really is not a good choice. Travertine pavers, on the other hand, are cool to the touch. They also resist freeze thaw conditions so will not crack.

They come in many beautiful colors so I suggested the color that I felt went best with there home and the surroundings It happens to be the Manchester color in the Andes collection. I would have to describe the color as "camel" or "carmel" as it is in the tan family but has the richness you see in mahogany or golden woods. They had some brick on their house which had a tan colored grout. The travertine color looked very nice with the brick and picked up on the grout color. Nearby was a light tan aggregate, concrete walk, which also blended well with this travertine material.

I had no idea how truly dramatic these travertine pavers would be until it was actually installed on the project. To be honest, at this point, they have not even been washed or sealed, so I can just imagine the beauty when these two processes are completed.

The stones on this project I am referring to are a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns! The colors range from very dark to light. This alone makes them interesting. However, you can also see various patterns which let's you know this is natural stone.

There are a few pieces that are almost unbelievable. They have a swirled pattern throughout the entire stone. Others look like washes of color, and others still have their own personality.

When selecting natural stone for a project, you really can't tell what it will look like by examining one piece. To get the best picture possible, it's best to lay down quite a few sample pieces in the particular area they will be. Stones vary greatly from one another so viewing many different ones together will give you the best representation. Since they are a natural material, they are all different...but that is the beauty of them.

I recently had the opportunity to see a travertine paver project from another source. I am not sure where they came from, but I know it was not Peru. There was a distinct difference between the two types.

While the Andes Collection pavers are relatively smooth, the other had numerous "holes". Already I could see water sitting in these holes from a recent rain. In addition, the edges were obviously tumbled, as they were very uneven. This gave them a very rough appearance. This is not necessarily bad. I am just pointing out the differences which are a matter of preference. I happen to like finer edges, where the unevenness is less.

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