Travertine is one of the most popular type of stone tiles installed in homes and businesses. Travertine is a beautiful natural stone that comes in a variety of shades and colors to match the style and decor of many homes and businesses.

 

 

When deciding to travertine tiles there are many pros and cons to consider before choosing this type of stone tile.  Many people who have never had travertine tiles in their home are not prepared to deal with the necessary care and maintenance that comes with this type of natural stone tile. Travertine is a stone tile but it is much more dense, durable and acid resistant than other types of stone tiles such as marble and limestone.

The increased durability of travertine over other natural stones makes it a preferred stone tile for many tile floors and tile shower installations. You should still consider all the pros and cons of travertine tiles before you decide to have travertine tiles installed. While travertine is more durable than other types of stones it will still etch when it comes in contact with acids and it still requires a lot more care and maintenance than more durable man made ceramic and porcelain tiles.

Travertine tiles in their natural state are very dull looking with many holes, voids and divots in them.  Travertine tiles are always polished to a honed or polished finish at the factory before they are sold. In most cases the many holes and voids in the travertine are filled at the factory with some type of travertine filler material.  If the many holes and voids are not filled before the travertine is installed then it is extremely difficult to install the travertine tiles without getting grout in the many holes and divots in the unfilled travertine.  Cleaning and maintaining unfilled travertine is much more difficult than cleaning filled travertine tiles. Dirt and debris can be extremely difficult to clean and extract from unfilled travertine so it is always recommended to only have filled travertine tiles installed.  Cleaning unfilled travertine tiles requires a professional steam cleaning extraction system to get the dirt and debris from deep within the many holes and voids of unfilled travertine tiles.

 

 

The main advantage of travertine tile is the natural beauty of the these natural stone tiles. There are many types of ceramic and porcelain tiles that are made to look like travertine but it is impossible to imitate the original natural beauty of natural stone tiles. No two travertine tiles will look exactly the same and the random markings, veining and designs are what makes natural stone travertine tiles so beautiful. Also the polished or honed finish of the travertine will provide a beautiful looking finish to the travertine that is not present with man made tiles.

The main disadvantage of travertine tiles is the regular cleaning, polishing and maintenance requirements of the travertine.  Travertine tile floors need to be properly cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.  Being a natural stone it is important to never use any type of acidic or harsh type of floor cleaning products on it. Only stone safe alkaline and pH neutral cleaning products should be used for cleaning travertine. It is important to immediately wipe up any spills that come in contact with the travertine. Acidic spills can etch the finish of the travertine and many types of dirt and spills can be absorbed by the travertine and stain it. By immediately cleaning up and wiping away any dirt and spills on the travertine you will minimize the chances of the travertine tiles becoming etched or stained.

 

 

Travertine is a good stone for tile shower installations due to its dense nature and relatively good acid resistance.  Travertine tiles are more durable and acid resistant than other natural stone tiles.  The dense nature of travertine ensures that it will not absorb as much water and shower contaminates as other less dense stone tiles such as limestone, marble and slate. A travertine shower still must be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis.  It is more important to keep a travertine tile shower clean than other types of tile showers such as ceramic or porcelain tile showers. Soap scum, hard water, shower soaps and shampoos can eat away and degrade the travertine so regularly cleaning and maintaining a travertine shower is extremely important. Over time even a well maintained travertine shower will loose its original polished finish.  Travertine tile showers need to be professionally cleaned, polished and restored on a regular basis to bring back their new looking polished appearance.

Sealing travertine tiles is important to keep them etch free and free of stains.  On a regular basis usually every year for most travertine tile floors and showers the travertine needs to be thoroughly cleaned and resealed. Sealing travertine will protect it from becoming etched and stained. You should not expect any type of stone sealer to totally protect travertine from becoming etched and stained especially if spills are not immediately cleaned away. Still by sealing the travertine on a regular basis you are providing the maximum protection available to protect your valuable travertine tile installation.

Travertine tiles will become scratched and scuffed over time requiring the travertine to be polished on a regular basis. The higher sheen the travertine is initially polished to the more noticeable scratch and scuff marks will become over time. It is inevitable that travertine will become scratched and scuffed causing the travertine to loose its polished or honed looking appearance. If the travertine is initially installed with a honed finish then small scratches and scuff marks will not become very noticeable over time. If on the other hand the travertine is highly polished then an annual travertine polishing procedure will be necessary to maintain the beautiful polished appearance of most travertine tile floors or showers.

There are also other pros and cons that must be considered before choosing travertine tiles. Travertine tiles usually comes pre filled with travertine filler that is used to fill the natural holes and voids in the travertine. In many cheaper types of travertine the filler may start to come out in some areas. Filling the holes in travertine tiles is not too difficult for many DIY homeowners using a professional travertine filler product. In many cases holes in the travertine can be filled by a professional stone restoration company at the same time that they are hired to polish and restore the travertine tiles.

Another thing to consider with travertine is it can be slippery especially if it is polished to a highly polished state. You should always consider the slip resistance coefficient for any tile that you install and travertine tiles are no exception. In many cases it makes more sense to apply honed travertine in shower floors and in floors where people will be coming in from the outside with wet shoes.

Installing travertine tile can be a lot more difficult than installing normal ceramic or porcelain tiles.  In most cases people want to have travertine tiles installed relatively close to each other. This will allow the polished travertine to have an evenly looking reflective finish without a wide grout joint. Installing travertine this way requires a lot of skill and it is important to install the tiles all at the same height to eliminate the lippage between adjoining tiles. Also special stone tile thinset and stone tile cutting blades must be used for cutting and installing travertine tiles. Installing honed travertine tiles can be a lot easier as these tiles can be installed with wider grout joints making it not as critical to eliminate the lippage between adjoining tiles.

A travertine tile installation can provide the unmatched beauty that only natural stone tiles can provide.  It is important to understand the many pros and cons of travertine tiles before deciding on travertine tiles for your home or business.

You can read some valuable information and tips on how to hire a tile, grout and stone cleaning and restoration contractor at our contractor information page here. . .  Travertine Tile Restoration Contractor.