Selection of Travertine Tiles

Travertine tiles are becoming increasingly popular these days and with good reason. We love to use natural products in our homes for their beauty and character and with travertine floor tile we even get sense of history because this material has been used since ancient times.

Travertine is formed when limestone or calcium carbonate is dissolved then deposited in the earth by moving water. It has many natural variations in texture and color as it is porous with visible pitting to the surface and deposits of iron and and other minerals give the stone a wide range of beautiful colors and marbling effects.

When you decide to install travertine tile flooring, you will be faced with quite a choice in color from natural or almost white, through creams and beige type natural colors to almost black. After the stone is mined, it is treated with various processes to provide different types of stone surface so not only do you have to choose a color but also a finish for your stone.

The finishes available are natural (unfilled), filled (where some of the holes and indentations are filled with natural stone material), honed (where grinding produces a smoother surface with a mat sheen (rather than a shine), polished (with a very smooth glossy surface) and tumbled (specially roughened).

You would chose the surface according to the look you want to achieve from a sophisticated shiny look with polished tiles to a well-lived in country look with tumbled travertine tiles.

And your choices do not end there. You have to choose a tile size suitable for your room. With travertine bathroom tiles you might look at a very small size tile which works well in a small room. You could also look at travertine mosaic tiles for this type of room which come in various sizes themselves from one inch up to four. With these you get beautiful variations in each small tile and the smallest tiles are sold in sheets joined together on a mesh backing so that they are not so difficult to install as you might think. The mosaic tiles can be arranged in a number formations such as a brick, random or herringbone pattern to create some wonderful effects without the painstaking job of placing individual small tiles. However, if you are tiling a large room rather than a small bathroom, for example, a loft apartment, then you should look at much bigger tiles. Here you might choose 12 or 18 inch travertine flooring tiles.

Finally tiles have different edges. With larger tiles they may be sharply square so that they fit closely together without obvious grouting. With smaller and mosaic tiles however edges may be softened and ground so that there is quite a demarcation between the tiles.

Travertine Tile Installation

Unless you are very competent at working with stone, leave installation of travertine to the experts. Travertine marble tiles are not so difficult to install if you have the right materials but when it comes to cutting the tiles around doors and pipes, then you need specialist skills.

Cleaning Travertine Floor Tiles

Travertine tile floors are pretty simple to maintain. There is not much more involved than using an appropriate cleaning product. Apply the product and wipe it up! However, you do need to make sure that you choose the right product in the first place. There are specially formulated stone cleaners which are suitable for travertine floors but in any case always check the label to ensure that a product you are planning to use is suitable and dilute your product to the correct strength with hot water. Avoid any cleaner which includes acid and never use vinegar on your floor. Don’t leave your floor too wet. After you have mopped it, you might like to dry it off with an old clean cloth.

Protecting Travertine Tile

Use mats or floor rugs in high traffic areas such as a hallway to prevent sand and dirt on shoes from scratching the surface of your floor. You will not see any damage quickly of course because travertine is a hard tough material but over time constant scratching can mark the surface of your floor. Also, be sure to mop up any acidic materials which are spilled immediately. You might not think that orange juice or tomato sauce can do much to such a tough surface but they can cause staining so it is important to act quickly.

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