Travertine Flooring - Comments
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I am having travertine installed at this time. It looks beautiful without any grouting and the installer is recommending that we install it as such. He says he always does travertine this way. Others have told me that I should definately have 1/16 grouting. Can you advise?
R McElhaney at November 19, 2007 03:28 PM
Posted by: R McElhaney at November 19, 2007 03:28 PMI don't have personal experience with travertine, so had to do some of my own research on the subject. I hear and read comments on both sides of the argument. It seems most people use grout and have a 1/16" to 3/16" gap. The floor would indeed look great without grout though.
Ask your floor installer for references of people he's installed travertine for and ask them how they like that approach and how they like the work. If the fit isn't exact it seems to me the joints will be a great spot for collecting dirt and food.
Let us know what you learn and decided to do.
The Flooring Lady at November 19, 2007 04:18 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at November 19, 2007 04:18 PMAll travertine used as flooring should be grouted-I am assuming that the paving is filled travertine as opposed to unfilled. Renember most travertine tiles or paving come with a sharp edge at the interface of each tile not arrised as in ceramics hence the joint should not exceed 4mm or 3/16" this ensures that the edge of the tile or slab is not damaged by pedistrian or other traffic.
If the joints are not grouted damage will occour. The grout is normally white but if using colour additive ensure that it is compatible with the Travertine and does not stain the face of the tile The grout should first be applied very wet mixed to a pourable consistency-not unlike cornflour and milk -using a tundish (funnel) pour the mixture into the joint using a squgee pass over the joint depending on the tempreature this grout will tend to set within 30 mins and on the drying shrinkage will occour leaving a gap on the surface a thicker grout should then be applied and again using a rubber squgee ensure that the joint is completly filled even if one has to revisit the joints untill inital setting has occoured.
To clean the excess grout off the face of the tile use a sharp scraper with the outside edges arrissed so as not to mark or scratch the tile. Ensure that the grout is level with the adjacent tiles .
If a really professional job is required then after laying the floor should be mechanically ground and polished this ensures a level surface with no lipping at the joints and ensures that the cementicious grout does not discolor and achieves the MOH of the tile Travertine does not require sealing unlike Limestone
Desmond McAuley at December 30, 2007 06:06 AM
Posted by: Desmond McAuley at December 30, 2007 06:06 AMWe are renovating our kitchen which is a high traffic area. We have two dogs that eat, drink and are constantly walking through the kitchen to go out back. We really like travertine and would like to install it in our kitchen. I was informed by a contractor that travertine in NOT that durabile and he would NOT recommend using it for a kitchen floor. What do you advise??
Eric at January 5, 2008 07:32 PM
Posted by: Eric at January 5, 2008 07:32 PMIt's not uncommon to hear a specific product isn't good in the kitchen, or bath or entry for that matter. And most of the time I find that with proper installation, care and maintenance the product works fine. Travertine in the kitchen is one of those combinations that's not good IF you don't seal it properly, then take precautions and clean it frequently.
If you like the travertine look, have it sealed before anyone can use it. Then put the dogs' food and water on some kind of mat so the floor stays clean of the crumbs and drops. But even with that precaution you'll need to clean the floor around the "dining spot" frequently.
Maybe the traffic will cause the travertine to wear faster, but it could be a beautiful look because of the patina that comes from use.
The Flooring Lady at January 6, 2008 12:55 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at January 6, 2008 12:55 PMCan travertine been vapor cleaned?
Neel at January 15, 2008 03:28 PM
Posted by: Neel at January 15, 2008 03:28 PMFirst check with your vapor cleaner's manufacturer to see what they recommend/allow. I've never thought about this before so did some research. The manufacturer's I reviewed indicate marble, tile and grout are all fine for cleaning with vapor.
So I guess you can.
The Flooring Lady at January 15, 2008 06:36 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at January 15, 2008 06:36 PMI have sealed travertine flooring in my kitchen. The fill is starting to come out of the holes. The floor is close to two years old. Was the floor filled/grouted improperly? Is this a usual occurrence when the floor has filling? Should I be doing something about this or is it ok to let the filling chip out and take on a more natural look?
Ann at January 18, 2008 02:53 PM
Posted by: Ann at January 18, 2008 02:53 PMThe grout is probably cracking and coming up because the subfloor isn't thick -- and therefor strong -- enough. As you walk across the floor the subfloor flexes ever so slightly and that subtle movement cause the stones to move. As the stones move the grout gets loose and starts to break.
If you like the look of the travertine with chipped out grout the biggest problem I see is dirt, food and particles getting caught. I suppose that any water that gets spilled on the floor also has a better chance off getting to the subfloor which can cause damage.
If you don't like the look of the chipped grout you are in for a big job for a couple of reasons. You could chip all of the grout out and use sanded grout which flexes better than grout. Or you could chip the grout out, remove the stones and hope to get them cleaned of all of the grout and cement they are in, beef up the subfloor and relay the travertine. Whew!
The Flooring Lady at January 18, 2008 03:21 PM
Posted by: The Flooring Lady at January 18, 2008 03:21 PM
I am trying to compare utilizing a travertine paver around a pool deck versus a concrete paver that mimics travertine. My question is can you provide the pricing comparisons for both (utilizing an 18x18 paver), including typical labor charges for installing both? Is there an up charge for normally installing a natural stone? Thank you. J in SC
Jane at February 26, 2008 01:03 PM
Posted by: Jane at February 26, 2008 01:03 PMComment Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10
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