Cobblestones

While Palladio used pebble as a full field, distributing it over the whole pavement and mixing its various colours and sizes, today we tend to use it as a decoration. The pebble can become a band, a decoration, a carpet inserted in an outdoor paving to enhance shapes and geometries. In addition, today there is the possibility of determining the colour and size of the river pebble to obtain even more precious results. 

This realisation is an example:

Pebble (also known as round stone or river stone) exists in various sizes and colours and can be used, by drowning it in cement mortar, to create outdoor paving, either as a full field or as decoration. 
It is a natural material and therefore certainly not subject to fashion, and offers the advantage of being able to easily follow round lines. Used as a decoration, it allows the outdoor paving to be linked to the garden of the house: in fact, it lends itself to creating dry flower beds. 

In this article we talk about what colour to choose: garden pebble: what colour?

The real question is: how do I keep the pebbles beautiful? It is easy for them to get dirty and lose some of their original beauty, but you can take action to preserve it as long as possible. The protection and maintenance of these materials depends on the type of surface finish.

We explain this in this article: natural stone treatment

Your garden should be an oasis of peace, a space where you can regenerate your mind and body and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. In this article you will find a paragraph in which black pebbles were used to create a small Oriental-style garden and much more.

Find out more in this article:  stone paths in the garden: the japanese style

A beautiful home is also a home that looks neat and fresh on the outside. An outdoor pathway for your house will not only help you avoid ruining the grass with constant walking, but it will also make the outside of your house more aesthetically pleasing (as well as helping you keep your shoes cleaner!).

Get inspired by the paths we have made in other houses:  floors and outdoors paths

It is not enough to create a beautiful garden or walkway, you also need to know how to illuminate your outdoor cobblestones in the best possible way. Lights can set the right mood when the sun goes down, create an intimate and delicate atmosphere and, at the same time, provide security by guiding the path and keeping intruders away.

Choose the right lighting with this article: Light: lighting outdoor floors

Laying a pebble floor

The aesthetic beauty of a pebble paving requires a great deal of patience and dedication on the part of the installer, who must lay each individual stone, assessing both the colour combination and the shape and size. Once the shape and colour are satisfactory, the installer inserts the stone into the bed of mortar and uses a hammer to adjust its height, allowing it to penetrate more or less deeply.

Below are photos of an outdoor paving where pebbles have just been laid on the mortar bed:

Grouting the cobblestone floor

Once the cement has set, the cobblestone floor is grouted in a full field by applying a layer of cement grout of the desired colour.
Wait for the grout to start setting, and before it hardens too much, wash the floor with a high-pressure cleaner and plenty of water to remove the grout residue.
The resulting water must be sucked up and not dispersed into the environment, and care must be taken to close all grates and drains to prevent the cement from blocking the drains.

Thank you for taking the time to write this! If you have any questions or concerns, please ask me using the comment box below!

If you live in the provinces of Vicenza and Verona and are planning to build or renovate your house or shop, you can visit us in our shops by appointment. We will be happy to design the house or shop of your dreams together with you (small bathroom included)!

Here are the addresses of our shops specialising in floors, wall tiles, bathrooms and kitchens: