Natural Stone Driveway Pavers Installation Tips

Many homeowners are looking for alternative selections for their driveways and natural stone can be an awesome alternative if extra care is taken during the installation process.

The Differentiation

Unlike many concrete brick pavers, natural stone pavers do not have prefabricated spacer bars to maintain a space between each paver; therefore, the edges of the marble and travertine pavers will be touching one another once installed.

This means that if for any reason the subbase and/or edge restraints are unstable the travertine or marble pavers will move when driven on causing the edges to grind against one another. When this happens cracking and chipping of the edges will occur, you will see this more prevalently with marble selections because it is a harder stone than travertine.

The Solution

Below are some of our key recommendations to assist in ensuring minimum movement after installation:

For residential properties the maximum surface area at a 1.25” thickness should never be greater than 6”x12”. If the homeowner is requesting a greater surface area the minimum thickness should be increased to 2.25”.
Compaction of soil subgrade to at least 98%.
Minimum 6” limerock subbase.
Setting sand bedding no greater than 1”.
Edge restraints must be installed on concrete through the same width as the border paver being adhered to it. For example, if you are going to install a 6”x12” with the 12” side running horizontally the trough should also be 12” so the entire paver adheres to the concrete trough.

When installed properly marble and travertine pavers can create a durable driveway with enduring visual appeal for years to come.