Tile & Stone: Travertine Flooring
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.
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: Polished, Honed, Brushed and Tumbled. 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.
Travertine Flooring |
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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 Advantages |
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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. |
How Travertine is Created |
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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.
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. |
Travertine Natural Variations |
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Travertine has many characteristics that make it a beautiful alternative for your flooring, from the most formal area in the house to the most casual. Travertine is pourous and has holes that are filled to give it a consistent, smooth surface to make it, "honed," travertine. There are also applications in which the holes are left open, adding a different effect. Travertine is a natural product, and therefore its color will not be consistent from one tile to another. Variation in shade and color tone gives travertine a distinctive appeal, often accented by chiseled edges. Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/travertine-flooring-the-alternative-you-might-have-overlooked#ixzz0oUTxfPoK |
Essential Facts - Travertine Floor |
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Durable: As with any other stone, travertine is tough stuff. Still, within the scope of stone, travertine is a limestone, which means that it is fairly soft and thus is prone to chipping and scratching.
Heavy: A 12" x 12" tile or sheet of travertine mosaic can weigh as much as 5 lbs.
Expensive: All travertine floor tiles are considered luxury building items, and come at a premium price. Expect to pay as much, or more, than granite.
Porous: Travertine flooring is porous, meaning that unsealed and unpolished travertine in the kitchen may not be the best idea.
Traction: Unpolished travertine has excellent traction. Yet as mentioned above, it's porous, can trap dirt, and be difficult to clean. Yet polished travertine flooring is exceedingly slippery.
Children/Pets: Travertine flooring tends to work best in households without kids or pets because it is so hard to maintain. |
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MJ Flooring Center & Design provides limestone from the following manufacturers: Arizona, Bedrosian, Dal Tile, Emser, Icon, Longust, Morina, MSI, Sile Stone and Stone Dock. Our Tile & Stone collections in San Diego are exquisite; visit one of our San Diego show rooms today where an expert designer can help you turn your vision into reality. Our in-house installers have years of experience in dealing with Tile & Stone.
