Natural Travertine Building Material for Floors

A Sustainable Stone, Better than Limestone, Cheaper than Marble

Nov 12, 2009

Sustainable stone flooring prices range from expensive to budget. Durable travertine, a natural sedimentary rock, is between limestone and marble in price and formation.

It is often referred to as travertine limestone or travertine marble. Although it is really neither technically limestone nor marble, the names are both descriptive and useful for marketing purposes. Other names are Mexican onyx and Egyptian alabaster. Again, useful marketing terms.

How Travertine is Processed for Home Flooring

Like other natural stone building materials that lend themselves to residential construction, travertine must be removed from its natural state and processed. It is first quarried and then cut into floor tile thickness and shape. It may be vein-cut which gives it a striated look, or cross-cut which results in a more consistent look.

Next it must be finished. There are a range of possible finishes. The most popular are:

Further Floor Tile Preparation

Travertine is a porous stone. One issue that results from this trait is that it stains easily, especially when used in areas like the kitchen. Culprits include food, air-borne grease, fruit juices, and tomato products like spaghetti sauce. The solution is sealing the surface.

Due to the way travertine forms, it often features surface crevices and pock holes. Prior to sealing the surface, these voids are often filled with a resin or a special cement compound. Filling, and often sealing, is done during production rather than after installation.

Choose From a Variety of Naturally-Occurring Floor Tile Colors

Since travertine is formed when dissolved carbon dioxide percolates through limestone in the presence of other minerals such as calcium carbonate, and even organisms such as moss and algae, a wide variety of textures and colors are developed.

Common colors are shades of white, gold, tan, and pink/maroon for lack of a more descriptive term.

Other Uses for this Environmentally-Friendly Natural Stone

Travertine isn't just for floors. As mentioned above, it's often used for exterior applications like patios due to it's rustic look. But it also lends itself to wall tiles in bathrooms, backsplashes in wet areas like the kitchen, and above bath vanity countertops.

It's often found being used for kitchen countertops as well, but due to its porosity and tendency to be etched by acids found in foods like lemons and other citrus fruits, it is imperative that it's properly sealed. It is frequently mistaken for marble when used on tabletops. It may be cut thin enough to be used for things like light switch cover plates.

Regardless of application, this sustainable building material is elegant and affordable and should be on the list of considerations for any remodeling project.

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The copyright of the article Natural Travertine Building Material for Floors in Home Flooring is owned by Kelly Smith. Permission to republish Natural Travertine Building Material for Floors in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.