When it comes to planning beautiful summer events at your home, designing the terrace with travertine slabs is a very suitable option. Whether you're hosting a neighborhood barbecue or a birthday party for your kids, a stylishly decorated backyard will help you make the most of the warm weather and fresh air. If you want to go beyond the standards of design options for your outdoor space, you should invest in the strength and appeal of travertine stone. These amazing pavers are versatile enough to be used in a variety of design styles while withstanding the weather over the years. In this guide we have put together some sources of inspiration for you that can harmonize perfectly with the furnishing of travertine slabs in your patio area.
Difference between travertine slabs for indoor and outdoor use
Travertine slabs andTiles are very popular these daysand a very commonly used alternative to marble for flooring patios, outdoor kitchens, cozy seating areas, water features and fireplaces. But before we delve into the topic, we will acquaint you with the main advantages of the material for outdoor use.
If you've heard of it before, you probably already know some of the benefits of this limestone for interior design. From floors and walls to shower stalls and fireplaces, travertine panels bring durability and elegance to any room. You can of course also use the versatile material outside.
Travertine properties
While travertine is made into thin tiles indoors, the slabs for the terrace vary in thickness. They come in the same wonderful colors and can even serve perfectly as a floor coating on the edge of a pool. Travertine is a limestone with a pockmarked surface that gives it its distinctive naturally chaotic texture.
Before we inform you in detail about travertine slabs, it would be useful to have an idea of what the rock is made of and how it is created. Travertine is a natural stone deposited from geothermally heated hot springs. It is a type of limestone that forms due to the rapid decay of calcium carbonate. For this reason, The Natural Stone is located near mineral springs. Some people would rather call it limestone. However, it would be a very narrow-minded approach to just name this stone that way. If we need to be technical and extremely specific, then we can refer to the stone by its proper name, which is calcium carbonate.
Italy is known for this, so it's not shocking that the word itself is a derivative of the Italian word "travertino." Its namesake is also the origin of Tivoli, a district near Rome. The main purpose of travertine is in construction, where the rock has long served as a building material for temples, building complexes and various monuments. Travertine slabs are in thePaving patios, courtyards and garden paths. An example of a building that has stood the test of time is the Colosseum in Rome, which is also made of this resilient stone. Other notable buildings that use the stone include the longest castle in Europe - Burghausen, the colonnade of St. Peter's Square in Rome, the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris, the 20th century Getty Center in California and the Shell House in Berlin.
porosity
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Travertine is a sedimentary rock that is formed by the settlement of minerals and organic matter, unlike igneous rock, which is formed in the earth and is extremely hard. What this means in relation to floor coverings- the softness of the panels makes them porous. To mitigate this, the holes are filled at the factory with resins that mix with the structure and are difficult to see.
longevity
However, the porosity of travertine does not affect its endurance. The abrasion resistance of natural stone gets a rating of 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. This fact makes it a stable option for various conditions. In terms of hardness, travertine ranks just behind marble. Nevertheless, it is a stone that is more durable than most floor coverings such as wood, laminate, vinyl or ceramic.
Types of coating
In its natural state, travertine is roughly structured. Polishing changes its nature, with the patina of the stone suddenly looking different. The colors appear stronger and the overall picture becomes richer. Additionally, a glossy finish reflects light from the room more than brushed travertine. In the latter, the surface is treated with wire brushes to become flat and matt. In addition, the corners and edges are gently rounded off by a machine drumming the rock with other stones. Tumbled stones have an antique look and provide good traction for outdoor surfaces.
Installation instructions
Outdoors, you can either lay travertine slabs dry in a bed of sand or cover them with mud, i.e. with mortar on a concrete base. Stone slabs should be placed as close together as possible, with rectified edges ensuring minimal joints between them. You can cut the limestone with a conventional electric saw. In dry-set applications, the sand moves between the pavers after it has cured. A newer method is to sweep polymeric sand into the joints. This is a combination of filtered, size-calibrated sand and polymeric adhesives. When you spray the stuff with water, the adhesives first soften and then bond to the sand, hardening and binding it together at the same time.
Areas of application and advantages
There are many places where homeowners put natural stone outdoors. Some of the most popular outdoor building projects include patios, driveways, walkways, garden paths, outdoor stairs and fire pits. Using travertine is a great way to bring the comfort and beauty of an indoor space outside. This material is currently very trendy worldwide. There's nothing better than walking into your garden to immerse yourself in a relaxation area reminiscent of your living room or kitchen.
Just like tiles, travertine slabs have many properties that make them an ideal choice for outdoor renovations. This type of limestone is frost and heat resistant, meaning that the winter cold and summer heat cannot damage it. Therefore, natural stone is a suitable option for driveways. Furthermore, these panels have a non-slip surface which makes them perfect for the pool area. They are ideal for this as water will likely be splashed and people will be walking around. These panels also don't get burning hot in the summer months when you're barefoot in the garden or by the pool.
As mentioned above, travertine tiles are also durable and will not fade or erode over time. Your investment will be long-term, and there isn't much you need to do to keep your covered patio looking new. Washing down with a hose every now and then is really all the care or maintenance you need. In some apartments or houses the travertine panels are sealed. This ensures that they do not become contaminated with engine oil or other liquids that are difficult to remove.
Design options with travertine panels
The market offers a wide selection of slabs that come directly from the quarries. You can find high quality products at affordable prices, with many sizes meeting the industry standard for outdoor use. The variety of designs, textures and colors meets every need. The natural patterns of the travertine slabs make them unique, allowing you to create a truly exclusive design for your patio. The wide range of colors, from neutral tones to rich shades, allows you to experiment and find creative ideas for your patio. Accentuate your outdoor landscape by creating a contrasting ambience with a combination of different colors and patterns orstriking geometric shapesgenerate. Alternatively, you can opt for the simplicity of the harmonious motifs. This theme is possible with a single type of stone, complementing your personal flair.
Rustic Italian
Whether you come from a large Italian family or are simply an admirer of Mediterranean architecture, travertine slabs can ideally replicate the rustic Italian aesthetic on your patio. Choose warm tones such as light brown so that the stones reflect Tuscan and Northern Peninsula styles. Italian design often relies on traditional wooden elements. Accordingly, you can enhance the look of your patio with vintage outdoor furniture. Garden chairs and tables with exquisite decorative elements can attract attention as if they had been passed down through many generations. With authentic Mediterranean cuisine and a good bottle of wine, you will feel like you are on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Southwestern Fusion
The American Southwest is a melting pot of cultural influences. Settlers, Indians and Spanish colonialism from Mexico have modeled the overall architectural picture there in a unique and very effective way. Given the bright, warm colors that define the vibrancy of this region's desert landscape, travertine slabs would be a great addition to a southwestern design for your outdoor space. Additionally, you can choose furniture and lighting that features dark wrought iron accents and has a distinctly Spanish touch. Match with multi-colored, hand-woven rugs, which will significantly increase the interest in the room. To top it off, you can finish the design thematically with cacti and succulents.
Nautical appeal
If you've always wanted to lounge on the sandy shores of a coastline, then you might want to think about incorporating a nautical theme to your patio or backyard. Using travertine slabs as a base material, you can add all kinds of aquatic accents and decorations. From fishing nets to anchored buoys, oars and shells, you can reflect the charm of the marine habitat.
So hopefully we are on the same page that you can decorate your terrace just as well as your interior. A stylishly designed garden or outdoor area is the perfect backdrop for a stately home and is often even the main feature of a house. In this regard, travertine is an ideal flooring choice for any patio, and its opulent, classic look brings a sense of sophisticated charm.
