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Travertine Flooring
There are pros and cons of travertine flooring, and your lifestyle and needs will determine if it's the right choice for you. You can select larger slabs or tiles for one look or opt for travertine mosaic flooring, an option that may increase the flooring durability. Your level of skill and handiness will guide you when it comes to the installation of travertine flooring.
Travertine flooring is a type of stone flooring that can add beauty and value to your home. Travertine is a natural sedimentary rock that belongs to the limestone family. Because of its beauty, travertine is variously known as onyx marble, Mexican onyx, Egyptian alabaster, and Oriental alabaster.
Why is travertine flooring worth considering for your home or office?
* diverse style options
* simple installation
* durability
* beauty
The reasons to avoid travertine
* unsealed stone is reactive with acidic products
* polished travertine is slippery when wet
Travertine is created when minerals are disintegrated in ground water which is brought to the surface by geysers, rivers, or springs. If limestone is placed under immense pressure for a long time, it becomes travertine. Travertine placed under pressure for a long time becomes marble. Marble is better than travertine which is better than limestone.
Manufacturers of travertine tile flooring cut the stones into thin tiles and then put a finish on the tiles. There are four basic finishes for travertine flooring tiles.
1. Polished
2. Honed
3. Brushed
4. Tumbled
Polished tiles are shiny because the stone in polished until it is flat and smooth enough to catch and reflect light. Honed tiles have a matte finish, being polished just enough to create a flat, smooth surface. Brushed and tumbled tiles are textured.
The hardness of travertine is consistent with the hardness of other stone tile floors. Like marble, travertine can break, chip, and crack. In fact, shipping alone can result in breakage of a small percentage of floor tiles. Some manufacturers add sealant in order to increase travertine's durability;, unsealed travertine shouldn't be used in food is prep areas because it will absorb grease and food spills. For high-traffic areas, some experts suggest using travertine mosaic flooring because the smaller size of the stones can help prevent cracking as occasionally seen in larger tiles. In general, the travertine flooring tiles sold to customers have a Measurement of Hardness (MOH) rating of about three or four, which is comparable to marble.
Travertine has been used for thousands of years in building homes and buildings. The Romans first realized the use of travertine for flooring. Since it was less rare than marble, it made a perfect alternative for high traffic areas such as entranceway floors and stairs, where marble was less appropriate. Today, travertine is used for counter-tops, flooring, showers, and wall coverings.
Travertine does have a few disadvantages. The main problem with this stone is that it is porous and susceptible to acids when it is unsealed and unpolished. Even common things such as vinegar or orange juice can affect and stain your unsealed travertine flooring. For this reason, you may want to avoid unsealed travertine flooring in areas where you will prepare and serve food. Polished and sealed travertine, on the other hand, is considered durable and reliable. Since polished travertine is also very slippery when wet, you may wish to choose one of the other finishes for the floor and bathroom.
The main advantage of travertine is its beauty. The stone comes in many beautiful colors -- including ivory, beige, walnut, and gold -- that can add to the beauty of any room. Travertine stone flooring that has been polished and sealed is easy to clean and is considered to be both hygienic and environmentally friendly. This type of prepared travertine can help contribute to the air quality of your home as it does not absorb odors, chemicals, or gases. Dirt stays on the surface of the sealed stone, rather than being ground in, and can easily be removed.
If you want a unique and beautiful flooring option for your home, travertine flooring is an excellent choice. It is environmentally friendly, decorative, and a quality investment.
Comments
I'm planning to install 18"X18" travertine in a 14'X 14' area. Floor joists are 2X10 #2 Southern Yellow Pine spaced 16 o.c. Underlayment is 3/4" plywood. I plan to use 1/2 hardibacker to bring the underlayment thickness to a minimum of 1&1/4".
Q: Will the area I'm tiling meet the L720 minimum for deflection?
Q: If not, any suggestions as to how to reinforce ?
Thanks,
Ron
Ron McCall at June 29, 2008 10:17 AM
Hi Ron,
I do't know if it'll meet L720 or not, it's a measure of stiffness, I presume a requirement for a building code where you are. To meet L/720, a joist can only bend 1/6" (120"/720=1/6"). Your joists are 2"x10'x ???
Main thing is you meed to be sure that your joists are going to be able to support the weight of the plywood, hardbacker & stone tiles. If you don't think the joists are going to support it then you'll have to reinforce them. I don't know how wide your joists are, so I cannot tell you for sure. You might have luck talking to your local building inspection office and telling them what you plan and the 3 measurements of you joists.
The Flooring Lady at June 30, 2008 11:09 AM
We are considering installing travertine in our kitchen and breakfast ares. I like the unpolished more natural stone looking travertine verses the polished slippery travertine. Can the unpolished stone be sealed or is only the polished and honed travertine sealed?
Carrin at July 2, 2008 09:26 AM
Hi Carrin,
Yes, unpolished stone can be sealed. A good product is Aqua Mix. Exploring their Travertine options will give you a good idea of what kind of products you might need.
Travertine flooring is a beautiful flooring choice - I know you'll love it!
The Flooring Lady at July 2, 2008 09:48 AM
our house is 24 years old with original sheet commercial grade vinyl in eat in kitchen and util rm with half bath. open to family room that is carpeted. time to replace. i just cant find the right flooring material.
custom built house we built..everyone says vinyl isnt good enough. it is for me...if it is the right floor.
want to do entire great room area and take out carpet. so it needs to be easy care in passive solar home. 2 large dogs. toddler grandchild, us older people not too slippery. hardness is a bit of an issue. this is also a horse farm..so stuff gets tracked in. we allow full sun and have to use those rubber backed door mats.
foyer is italian ceramic tile. original, that opens to kitchen at one door. so level height is important. we will have to tear out added subfloor to bring level up to tile in foyer.
i love tile. better than any vinyl that looks fake or cheap. wood look is too much wood for me.
i like the natural tiles and stone best,but worried about unpolished staining, polished too slippery. too hard if we drop something or fall down. dogs need to not slip and slide. vinyl is less hard..but sun fade. dents. rug stains. still slippery for dogs. considered less suitable for higher end homes.
what would you use? there just doesnt seem to be the perfect floor for us. thanks, mary
mary at July 9, 2008 02:42 PM
Hi Mary,
I can understand your concerns. Stone flooring is still a very good option and can be sealed so that stains don't penetrate the stone and there are products that help with the 'slippery' issue for surer footing. It's very important though, that the floors are sealed/polished very well to prevent staining. A big thing to watch out for are those rubber-backed rugs because many times the rubber winds up adhering to the floor, creating a real mess and is a pain to remove.
While vinyl is not considered appropriate for higher end homes, linoleum often is.
Finding the perfect flooring can be difficult, especially when hardness is an issue.
The Flooring Lady at July 9, 2008 04:36 PM
Dear Flooring Lady:
Is travetine suitable for showers? I understand I will not be able to use cleaners due to the porous nature of travertine.
Thanks, Glenn
Glenn at July 27, 2008 04:02 PM
Hi Glenn,
There are sealers for Travertine and so long as your tiles are well sealed and properly sealed you should be ok. Make sure to use only cleaners recommended by the sealer manufacturer so that the sealer doesn't get damaged. AquaMix makes a very good line of products for travertine.
The Flooring Lady at July 28, 2008 10:08 AM
I spilled some vinegar on my travertine floor and it has marked. Are there any products I can use to get the stain out? It was sealed whennit was layed last November, but it is a high traffic area in the kitchen and probably needs another coat.
Jeni at August 20, 2008 12:24 PM
Jeni, check out AquaMix's products for Travertine. They'll have something to help take care of the problem. I don't know if it's available in your area, but at least you can also find out what the products contain (the MSDS link at the bottom of the page at their site).
The Flooring Lady at August 21, 2008 06:48 PM
