The pavers are usually tumbled meaning the surface really has good texture so it does not become slippery when it is wet.

I’m from the Oregon coast of the US. It is actually a beautiful place with its shades of green. There are a lot of green trees, grasses and bushes. The reason why it is so green here is because of the level of rain we receive every year which is approximately 100 inches or 2 meters of rain each year. As you can imagine, the ground becomes saturated with mud and water and this can cause a problem. I thought of installing a path through the back garden which could give us a way to pass from the house toward the duck pen since my daughters have ducks as pets. This is actually a messy place so I decided it should be done.

I began by marking out the pathway. Then I dug down several inches to eliminate the top soil.  I moved this rich dirt to the vegetable plot. I had chosen to use travertine pavers as the primary stepping stones because I find its colors and texture fascinating. The pavers are usually tumbled meaning the surface really has good texture so it does not become slippery when it is wet.

The layer at the bottom was made up of small gavel that I had to compact down. It provides a good base and also gives a way for drainage. Then, we set up the travertine stepping stones. If you decide to create gaps between them you should take careful note of the spacing. The space should be close enough together so that children can easily walk on them. This means an adult requires adjusting the gates but that is simpler than children who have short legs.

The thickness of pavers is about one and a half inches so they are very durable and stable. Every piece is set in the gravel then you have to pack it down by using a rubber hammer. For nicer finishing, you can add some small round river rocks in between the pavers. I prefer to use the rounded rock as a finish since the natural reds blend well with travertine colors.

If you make a path out of travertine pavers, it is actually not a difficult do-it-yourself project. It requires hard work for whole weekend but today we can have fun with dry and clean feet all winter instead of walking into the house with mud on our shoes that upsets my wife.