What Is Travertine Tile? What You Need to Know!

Travertine is a kind of limestone obtainable in earth-tone hues like brown, gold, peach, beige, and ivory. This fibrous all-natural stone types in mineral spring deposits and is really distinct, especially in its natural point out, simply because of its tough, pitted surface.

For ages, travertine has been employed in artwork and architecture. Presently, it is common in commercial and household configurations and employed for flooring, backsplashes, countertops, and patios. While periodic sealing is necessary to avert etching and stains, travertine tiles are a best selection for several due to the fact of their gorgeous rustic appeal.

The use of travertine tiles to give interiors a pop of elegance and luxurious is an up-to-the-minute development in 2022. If you are considering using the tiles to give your kitchen, lavatory, exterior walls, or hearth a dazzling appear, maintain looking through. We will discuss every thing you need to know about travertine tiles, including their pros and downsides.

Travertine Tiles: A Little Background

Travertine is commonly sourced from Italy, Mexico, Peru, China, Croatia, Iran, and Turkey. Tile makers harvest massive blocks of all-natural stone from quarries and approach them into pavers, slabs, and tiles.

Durability

Regrettably, travertine is not as challenging as it seems to be and can scratch if not routinely sealed. While it is more challenging than other normal stones like marble, it lacks the toughness of granite.

Travertine tiles are resilient and can last hundreds of many years if properly installed and managed. No surprise they are a popular scene in some of the oldest properties still in a usable point out. Whilst far more upkeep is necessary, mainly when used as flooring for higher-site visitors areas, the natural weathered fashion has its special attraction.

travertine tiles close up
Image Credit: mykhailo pavlenko, Shutterstock

Cost

Putting in travertine tiles is pretty reasonably priced contrary to well-known perception. Although you have to dig a little further into your pocket, the value is even now inside a sensible selection. It will value you $fifteen to $30 for each square foot, meaning you are going to invest significantly less than you would with other alternatives like granite, terrazzo, or marble.

Your general price will extremely depend on the finish you decide on. With a mid-range price range, you can enjoy the basic aesthetics of substantial-conclude normal stone tiling with travertine tiles.

Travertine Tile Colors

Travertine tiles arrive in different hues, such as comfortable and neutral tones. Due to the fact the normal stone forms in mineral spring deposits with iron, it varieties different earth tones, including rust, beige, peach, brown, reddish, tan, ivory, neutral gray, and gold. Also, travertine stone has a pitted floor with little indentations and holes caused by scorching carbon dioxide effervescent in the mineral pools.

If you are looking for tiles with uniform patterns, travertine tiles are not for you. For the duration of formation, the earthy hues swirl in intricate waves on the stone to generate artistic designs. A single of the major appeals of travertine flooring is that every single tile will have a special, inventive design and style. Also, be aware that the color of the tile will hugely count on exactly where it is sourced.

Maintenance

Travertine is porous, generating it susceptible to staining and etching. To protect your tiles, you want to spend in program sealing initiatives. Consider various travertine tile finishes to know the level of routine maintenance expected.

Sealing presents the tiles a easy, straightforward-to-sustain floor. You can wipe down travertine walls and surfaces or mop the flooring with a delicate cleaning solution.

man installing travertine tiles on the wall
Image Credit: bogdanhoda, Shutterstock

What Are the Different Types of Travertine Tile Finishes?

There are 4 primary travertine tile finishes obtainable on the marketplace. The finish you select will dictate the aesthetics of your floors or surfaces and the routine maintenance necessary.

Honed Travertine Finish

Honed travertine tiles are the most well-known and versatile. Due to the fact they are neither too tough nor also slippery, you can install them on your walls, fireplace, counter tops, backsplashes, and outside places. They also make a ideal flooring substance for just about any room in your residence, such as your bogs and kitchen area.

Polished Travertine Finish

As the name suggests, polished travertine tiles have a sleek, glossy end. They are commonly mounted on counters, walls, and backsplashes since of their substantial-finish aesthetics. However, they make an ill suit for kitchens and rest room floors because they can pose a slip and drop risk.

Polished travertine tiles are lower into the sought after shape and then loaded with epoxy to include the crevices. The tiles are then polished to give them a shiny end.

Brushed Travertine Finish

If you want to give your interiors rustic aesthetics, your ideal wager is to use travertine tiles with a brushed finish. Specialists use a wire brush to offer the tiles with a slightly textured area and weathered seem.

Tumbled Travertine Finish

Tumbled travertine tiles have a far more textured and weathered visual appeal than their brushed counterparts. They also have a matte appear, creating them best for any location that calls for slip-resistant flooring. Set up tiles with this complete all around your pool, shower, or fire. They are also best for your patio and other outdoor areas.

travertine floor tiles
Image Credit: Kirill, Unsplash

Where to Use Travertine Tiles

Travertine tiles are a leading option for house advancement initiatives due to the fact putting in them will boost the overall benefit of your house. Although you can use them to make daring statements about your type and style, they can be an sick in shape for certain locations of your houses. The following are some of the excellent areas to set up the tiles.

Kitchen

1 of the best places to put in travertine tiles is in your kitchen. They are great for counter tops and backsplashes. The tiles are also suited for kitchen area floors since of their texture and simplicity of routine maintenance. When sealed routinely, cleansing the tiles to very clear foodstuff and beverage messes is a breeze.

Hallways

You can give your entryways and hallways a higher-conclude and lavish seem with travertine tiles. The tiles will give these areas with a refined look, irrespective of regardless of whether you want to obtain a basic, rustic or present day style. Simply because hallways are often dry and really don't pose a slip and tumble threat, you could decide to use polished travertine tiles.

Bathroom

Travertine tiles are outstanding for toilet walls and flooring. Even though you must steer clear of putting in the polished range on your floors due to the fact they have a tendency to be slippery when wet, it is protected to use honed travertine tiles. They have a organic matte end that will give your bogs an enchanting appeal.

Fireplace

If your hearth is the centerpiece of your living place, it helps make feeling to improve its aesthetics with travertine tiles. Whether your fireplace makes use of wood or normal fuel, these tiles are an ideal decision. Travertine is warmth resistant, non-flammable, and can stand up to the important temperature alterations vulnerable to the fireplace.

Outdoor Areas

Travertine tiles are quite versatile, depending on the end you decide on. Tumbled travertine tiles are perfect for ornamental exterior walls, around the swimming pool deck, and even on backyard pathways. Due to the fact the tiles are warmth resistant, you really do not have to fret about burning your pores and skin when walking barefoot outside.

What Are Their Pros and Cons?

Travertine tiles have their strengths and disadvantages. The pursuing are some of them.

Pros
  • Stylish with timeless aesthetics
  • Durable
  • More affordable than some natural stones
  • Ideal for oddly shaped or tiny spaces
  • Installs increase property value
Cons
  • Somewhat expensive
  • Very porous and necessitates periodic sealing
outdoor travertine flooring
Image Credit: Greg Rosenke, Unsplash

FAQs

You can use travertine tiles for numerous indoor and outdoor apps to carry class and a feeling of luxurious to your floors, partitions, patios, and a lot more. Right here is far more info about these gorgeous normal stone tiles.

Is the Use of Travertine Tiles a Modern Trend?

Travertine tiles are sturdy and versatile, making them perfect for indoor and outside use. You can select from various cuts and finishes to accomplish varied décor targets, like a contemporary, stylish, vintage, or rustic feel. While the stone is a common sight in historical properties like the Colosseum, the use of travertine is the most popular modern day craze. Professionals use the stone to in shape recent inside layout developments.

Is Sealing Travertine Tiles Necessary or a Matter of Choice?

Sealing travertine tiles is beneficial since it assists prevent stains and etching. Also, regimen sealing can enhance the durability of your flooring, ensuring they continue being in a pristine condition for decades. Typically, sealing is a make a difference of decision, despite the fact that it is greatest to think about the perks you stand to enjoy.

What Is the Ideal Grout Size for Travertine Tiles?

Travertine tiles, like most stone tiles, must have grout strains of six-10mm. Even so, you can have grout joints of three-5mm when using smoother tiles like polished or honed travertine. These tiles have small irregularities in their proportions, producing grout strains needed to achieve a uniform appear.

Will Travertine Tiles Pose a Slip and Fall Risk in the Kitchen?

When setting up travertine tiles, it is greatest not to use polished stone for your kitchen area flooring. As an alternative, opt for honed tiles due to the fact they are straightforward to thoroughly clean and will not pose a significant slip and fall chance. Polished tiles, nevertheless, are perfect for your Kitchen Island and backsplashes.

Final Thoughts

If you have a mid-variety renovation price range and want to give your flooring, walls, and counters pattern-environment aesthetics, travertine tiles are an perfect choice. Their attractiveness and durability make them a worthy investment decision, particularly if you have a factor for organic stone.

Protecting your expense and retaining your flooring and surfaces in outstanding shape can be difficult for some folks. The very best trick is to apply a sealant each and every 3–5 many years. More frequent sealant purposes are required for any higher-visitors areas like your entryways.


Featured Image Credit score: Jean-Philippe Delberghe, Unsplash

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