Travertine is a form of limestone with unique porous veins that give the milled tile their beauty. The stone is found in a wide variety of natural colors, and four different finishes may be applied to individual tiles. Travertine has long been used in many of the most beautiful buildings in the world. Today, in addition to being an excellent flooring material, travertine tiles may also be used as pavers, countertops, stair treads, columns, sinks, and even bathtubs.
Product Perception
Italian travertine and marble is generally perceived to be of the highest quality because the quarries and manufacturing centers are well established. Turkey has a large amount of travertine and is home to many of the most skilled quarries in the world. Brazilian travertine is thought to be of a lower quality, followed by the stone quarried in Mexico, mostly due to the lower quality of workmanship.
Natural stone derived from limestone, such as travertine, is perceived to be a luxury item and is used in residential and commercial spaces to achieve a visual effect that communicates success, good taste, and affluence. However, because the stone is porous, the possibility of staining is present. This has led to the overall perception that travertine is a luxurious surface that lacks practicality. Fortunately, modern methods of milling and sealing the stone make staining much less worrisome leaving one with simply the aspect of luxury.
Travertine Benefits
- Travertine provides a durable surface with a proven history of longevity.
- Travertine provides additional structural strength to property.
- The natural travertine colors and patterns vary from surface to surface making each installment unique.
- Natural stone increases the resale value of properties.
- Travertine instills a sense of pride in ownership, because of its authenticity.
Popular Applications
- Flooring – Travertine can be used in entrances, hallways, foyers, as well as living spaces.
- Wall Cladding – Travertine can be used in exterior and interior spaces.
- Shower Stalls
- Pavers
- Fixtures
Check Out These Resources
Are you looking for flooring with a unique pattern? We have put together a number of informative resources to help you decide if travertine flooring is right for you. Tile flooring is one of the most durable available, so making the right decision is critical.
Types – Learn about the different types of travertine
Buying Guide – Learn how to make an informed travertine tile purchase decision
Installation Guide – Learn how to install travertine tile
Cleaning & Care – Find out how easy it is to care for a travertine floor
Glossary – Familiarize yourself with common travertine tile terms
Related posts:
This Learning Center belongs to you. We invite you to contribute to it.
Have you got a question about what you've read here? Tell us about in the comments section.
If you're an expert in the field, and see something that is inaccurate, tell us, and we'll make the correction.
Also, if you think there is important information that is absent from any of these articles, please let us know!
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi,
I am trying to find a way to remove the residue ( a pale grid pattern!!) on my travertine floors which clearly come from the grid-patterned latex rug pads that were under my carpets. Someone suggested a little WD40, followed by Murphy’s Oil Soap. I desperately do not want to damage my floors or strip the sealer from the floor either.
I have tried Acu-Chem natural stone cleaner with a soft cloth, but that doesn’t seem to do the trick
Thanks
Hi Colleen – thanks for your question. One thing you might want to consider is a poultice for stone tile. What a poultice will do is sit on the surface of the stained area, and draw out the materials which are causing your stain over a period of time, transferring it from the tile body and into the poultice. Then, simply remove the poultice product from the (formerly) stained area.
You can browse for stone tile poultice products here.
I hope this helps, and good luck!
Hi Colleen, I’m not sure if you’ll still have the problem by then but we are anticipating that the full version of the travertine learning center will be up by the end of this month. The cleaning and maintaining section will be pretty comprehensive, including a bunch of information on poultices. I’ll ask the writer to do the Cleaning and Maintenance page first and get it posted for you ASAP. In the meantime if you have other questions please feel free to call us with other questions. Just ask for a travertine specialist when you call.
We are about to move into our new home were we had travertine tile installed. What is the best cleaning product to use and is it cleaned with the dry cloths or something similar? Thank you
Irma
Hi Irma,
Travertine can be cleaned with dry or wet mops and you can generally use most all purpose gentle cleaners. Never use a cleaner which is either acidic or strongly alkaline. We actually just published our travertine cleaning guide which is quite extensive and you can see it here Travertine Cleaning and Maintenance. If you still have any concerns please feel free to give the BuildDirect sales team a call.
I just had my floor done with Travertine, about an 1500 sq/ft area. I noticed several tiles have a hollow sound to them, like there is no cement under them. I’m not talking about small areas of the tile, but the majority of tiles’ surface sounding hollow. Should the contractor who laid the floor redo these tiles? Do you know if there any standards that contractors should be guided by as far as the percentage of the tiles’ surface that should be cemented? Thank you.
It is really hard to say something without seeing the actual tiles. but I there may be, 3 possible reasons,
1)Depending on the density of each stone, sound would be different ones which have more holes may sound like hollow regardless of the installation.
2) Travertine comes with holes, top surface is filled but the backs are unfilled. If the contactor did not put enough thinset on the backs of the stone , or if he did not put enough pressure while installing. you may hear this hollow sound
3) If the contractor did not use the correct trowel size (trowel size depends on the tile size), if he used bigger trowel for smaller tiles, this may be the reason as well. See attached tile setting file includes trowel sizes.
I hope this helps.
Hi
I just had travertine floors put into 2 bedrooms. They butted the tiles up against each other so you can see virtually no grout. I was expecting a small grout line, but can deal with that. My question goes to where the tiles adjoin each other. There is a “lip” where many of the tiles adjoin- they are not flush/level with each other in many places. It is a small variation, but I expected the tiles to be a smooth surface across the room. Should they or should they not have a level top surface? Thanks for your help.
Hi Carla,
With a stone like travertine the tiles should be installed virtually level. The fact that they are are not flush with each other likely indicates a less than perfect installation. Unless the tiles have large variations in thickness such as in a stone like slate with a split face, tiles should always be virtually perfectly flush. Even were the subfloor not perfectly level, the installer should put down a mortar bed thick enough that the tiles can be adjusted deeper or shallower in the mortar to make up for minor variations in the subfloor.
Hi, I am thinking of having travertine tiles installed in our new kitchen but I am worried that the choice would prove impractical as I have been told that travertine is prone to staining and it should not be used in heavily used areas. Would you put travertine flooring in a kitchen and what precautions, if any, would you use?
Many thanks
Hi Anna,
Like most natural stone, travertine is susceptible to staining when materials are left to sit. When acidic materials are involved, your floor is particularly susceptible. For travertine, which is porous by its very nature, a honed and filled choice in a kitchen represents some protection. Of course, like all natural stone, it needs to be sealed when its installed, and may need to be re-sealed during the course of its life in your kitchen.
Quite obviously, being careful with falling glasses, bowls, and plates is important in the kitchen. But, accidents can happen. So, if you’ve got a case where a glass of red wine, or tomato juice, is spilled, there are poultice products designed to sit on the surface of your tile that naturally absorb the stain out of your travertine tile. Having said all of this, travertine is a great choice for natural stone in a kitchen, related as it is to marble, which is used without prejudice in kitchens all over the world and with similar challenges in place. I wouldn’t worry about using travertine at all, with all of the above firmly in mind.
I hope that helps.
I am planning on using travertine tile to build a wall outside. What type of thinset and grout will I use for an outdoor application?
Hi. I am currently in the process of building my house and im looking at different styles of tiles for my main bathroom. Ive spotted travertine tiles which i have absolutely fallen in love with. However, ive been googling the maintenance of them and from what im gathering they seem quiet delicate! Obviously i want an luxury looking bathroom but i dont want high maintenance. Are they pratical for a main bathroom? Can you use normal everyday cleaning products or do you have to get a special cleaning agent? Also, from what i have been reading, you have to seal the tiles but how often does this have to be done?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Hello Helen,
It’s great to hear that you’re interested in learning more about Travertine tile and have done some preliminary research.
1. First of all, I’ll address your question about the maintenance of Travertine tile. Travertine can be cleaned by dry dust mopping to remove dirt and debris. Spills should be blotted immediately or as soon after as possible to avoid damaging the stone’s surface. Although, it is true that Travertine does require more care than a porcelain tile, for example, if you choose the right type of finish for a bathroom application you can minimize the required maintenance. You should choose a honed, satin-smooth surface which would be the best for a bathroom application instead of a shiny polished and potentially slippery surface.
2. Now to your question about the cleaning products to use with Travertine tile. You can use regular household, mild liquid dishwashing soaps, powders, or can go with special stone cleaners. Regular cleaning with a solvent-free cleaner will keep the tiles looking their best.
3. Finally, regarding the question of sealing the Travertine. Since Travertine is a porous, natural stone it is susceptible to stains from acids found in drinks and cosmetics(relevant for a bathroom installation). As such, a penetrating sealer, which doesn’t affect the color of the tile, or a color enhancing sealer should be applied to protect the stone and the frequency of reapplication depends on various factors (the amount of foot traffic expected, the quality of the sealer, etc). Remember to test out the various sealers on one tile and see the resulting effect before applying it on the entire floor. Hope that helps and reassures you that Travertine will be just fine for a bathroom application.
Jas
I’ve had a polished Travertine floor installed there where dull areas so I had the floor polished professionally but there are still a lot of areas that make the floor look dirty as there is not an overall shine.
Is there anything can be done to fix this, as the professional cleaner said the marks will keep returning. As they seem to be.
Thank you.
Noel Mc Mahon.
Hello Noel,
Travertine is a natural stone, so it can occasionally be reground, buffed, and resealed to restore the original beauty. Is this the first time you are re-polishing the tile? The professional cleaner you speak of may be referring to the fact that you can only do this a certain number of times over the life of the floor depending on the thickness. My suggestion would be to get a second opinion from another cleaner as it is difficult to know the exact answer without more specifics and actually having a look at the tile.
Would travertine be food for a laundry room / mud room? With dogs possibly with muddy paws?
I’m in the process of building a new home. The decorator has recommended 4 X 4 Castle Cream Travertine tile for the kitchen backsplash. Wanting a one of a kind look I’ve decided to hand paint several tiles that will be strategically placed. What type of paint should I use to paint the tiles? It’s my understanding the hand painted tiles should be “kiln fired” and sealed prior to installation. Is that correct and if so to what temperature and for how long? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Hello Diana,
Unfortunately, I haven’t personally encountered a situation where anyone has wanted to paint travertine tiles. However, I did speak to my colleague, Craig, and he has encountered a situation where Travertine tile was painted on without any problems. Also I would not be able to recommend any particular paint, your best bet would be getting some free Travertine samples and trying different paints on them. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
We hired someone to redo our kitchen and they put brown paper over all the floors – unfortunately they used strapping tape to secure that paper and 2 months later it’s stuck to my floors, collects dirt, and is sticky and difficult to remove – hot, soapy water and elbow grease removes about 4 inches every 20 minutes and I have yards of this stuff to remove. Even when the top adhesive is gone, at an angle you can see where the stone has ‘absorbed’ some of the adhesive as if it were a sealer. What can we do?
Is installing travertine tile (mosaic) on a shower floor a smart thing to do? I was told that it may too porous which could lead to the absorption of water. Could that lead to damage to the floor or worse yet a water leak that could damage the ceiling in the room below? Thanks.
We’re in the process of having travertine laid in a large area in our home – kitchen, dining room, family room, small guest bathroom, and entry. Our installer is suggesting using a high gloss sealer. Our decorator does not agree. She feels the natural look is better. Is there a rule of thumb on which way to go or is it just personal preference?
Hello Debbie,
There is no rule of thumb to go by for deciding which sealer to use. However, if you want to keep the natural look of the tile, go with a penetrating or impregnating sealer which doesn’t effect the look of the tile. Otherwise go with a color-enhancing sealer that can effect the look of the tile. It all depends on what look you are going for.