Hi all,
I am trying to make heads or tails as to whether we need to pour concrete under travertine pavers we will be using for our pool deck. I know that we would need to use 2" thick pavers if gravel/sand set and we can do 1.25" thick if over concrete. I have read so many conflicting things and it seems a lot is dependent on location. I am in the mountains, about 2400' elevation, zone 7B. We do get freezing weather so I have found Premium grade travertine that passes Frost/Freeze tests from Travertine Mart.
I've been told that I need to use 2" thick travertine, even if over concrete slab.
Pool builder is not doing the patio, but they say we need to pour concrete under the pavers. Then I have read that we can either mortar the pavers or just use polymer sand to set them onto the concrete. I have also read that mortaring the travertine can lead to the pavers cracking as the ground and concrete moves it puts pressure on the pavers which then can't move and then will crack. I have also been told that only the outer edge of pavers should be mortared to hold it in around the edges and then sand set the middle.
I have also been told(by someone bidding on the concrete) that I need 5" thick concrete and 4" is no where near sufficient. If I do concrete, I would do fibre mesh and make sure to have rebar in middle of concrete pour, and plenty of relief cuts. I do have the slope specified for where we want to direct the water flow.
Then there is the advice of not pouring concrete over where the plumbing/electrical lines. This seems like it would make a quite odd shaped concrete pad/s to avoid those lines. Then we would have to exactly match up the level of the concrete set pavers with the gravel/sand set pavers.
We are planning on pouring concrete for a walkway and 21 steps down the side yard from the main level of the house(screened porch) to the lower level grade which is where the pool is going. So even if we didn't pour concrete for under the entire patio, we would still need it for that area. I was planning on using the 1.25" travertine in French pattern on the walkways to match the patio and bordering the steps with the matching coping/stair treads.
I have also read that new concrete needs to cure for a month before laying anything on top. If so, I definitely need to plan for a break in this time to do other hardscape/landscape items.
I just don't know what to think when I am only being told things from tradespeople who want to sell to me. We live in a somewhat expensive area and have experienced vendors upselling us the same thing based on the new property we are building at vs our current house. There's a running joke about the 'neighborhood tax', would be funnier if it weren't true!
Help, please and thank you,
Juls
I am trying to make heads or tails as to whether we need to pour concrete under travertine pavers we will be using for our pool deck. I know that we would need to use 2" thick pavers if gravel/sand set and we can do 1.25" thick if over concrete. I have read so many conflicting things and it seems a lot is dependent on location. I am in the mountains, about 2400' elevation, zone 7B. We do get freezing weather so I have found Premium grade travertine that passes Frost/Freeze tests from Travertine Mart.
I've been told that I need to use 2" thick travertine, even if over concrete slab.
Pool builder is not doing the patio, but they say we need to pour concrete under the pavers. Then I have read that we can either mortar the pavers or just use polymer sand to set them onto the concrete. I have also read that mortaring the travertine can lead to the pavers cracking as the ground and concrete moves it puts pressure on the pavers which then can't move and then will crack. I have also been told that only the outer edge of pavers should be mortared to hold it in around the edges and then sand set the middle.
I have also been told(by someone bidding on the concrete) that I need 5" thick concrete and 4" is no where near sufficient. If I do concrete, I would do fibre mesh and make sure to have rebar in middle of concrete pour, and plenty of relief cuts. I do have the slope specified for where we want to direct the water flow.
Then there is the advice of not pouring concrete over where the plumbing/electrical lines. This seems like it would make a quite odd shaped concrete pad/s to avoid those lines. Then we would have to exactly match up the level of the concrete set pavers with the gravel/sand set pavers.
We are planning on pouring concrete for a walkway and 21 steps down the side yard from the main level of the house(screened porch) to the lower level grade which is where the pool is going. So even if we didn't pour concrete for under the entire patio, we would still need it for that area. I was planning on using the 1.25" travertine in French pattern on the walkways to match the patio and bordering the steps with the matching coping/stair treads.
I have also read that new concrete needs to cure for a month before laying anything on top. If so, I definitely need to plan for a break in this time to do other hardscape/landscape items.
I just don't know what to think when I am only being told things from tradespeople who want to sell to me. We live in a somewhat expensive area and have experienced vendors upselling us the same thing based on the new property we are building at vs our current house. There's a running joke about the 'neighborhood tax', would be funnier if it weren't true!
Help, please and thank you,
Juls
