How to Install a Patio of Travertine Tile
- 1). Cut a strip of exterior tiling membrane with a razor knife to fit along one edge of the patio. Use a notched tiling trowel to spread modified thinset mortar over the area the membrane will cover.
- 2). Press the membrane firmly into the mortar.
- 3). Repeat, cutting and laying pieces of membrane side by side to cover the whole patio. Let the mortar set overnight.
- 4). Divide the surface of the membrane into four quadrants, with two intersecting lines snapped over the surface at right angles to each other.
- 5). Using the notched trowel, spread thinset mortar over a few square feet of one of the four corners formed by the intersecting lines in the center of the patio space. Set a travertine tile into the mortar at the intersection.
- 6). Set a second travertine tile next to the first, with spacers between them. Repeat, working your way out from the center point toward the perimeter, spreading additional mortar as needed. Use a tile cutter to cut the tiles for the edges of the patio.
- 7). Let the mortar set for 12 hours. Remove the spacers.
- 8). Grout the travertine with your grout squeegee, spreading it over the whole surface so the unsanded grout fills the spaces between the tiles and the holes in the surface. Scrape excess grout off the surface with the squeegee, let the grout sit 10 minutes, then wipe the smooth parts of the surface clean with a damp sponge. Let it set 24 hours.
