There are a lot of people who have installed travertine floors in their home or office because of the benefits that come from having floors made of this type of stone. It is important to have a great looking floor that will give your home or office the best look when people come to visit. There are a lot of other types of floors that can be used but they will not provide you with the same type of benefits that floors made of travertine tile will. Here are a few reasons to install this type of flooring in your home or office.

One reason that people love this type of flooring is because of the diverse style options that it has. There are a lot of different rooms that will look good with these floor tiles placed in them. Also, there are many different designs and patterns that are available to use. This means that anyone who wants to have this type of stone floor can create a unique pattern and choose from many different shades and colors to use.

People also like these travertine floor tiles because they are easier to install than a lot of other types of floors are. These days there are a lot of people who like to do things themselves so that they can save money on hiring a professional. Some types of flooring require a professional to be able to install it, but this type can be installed easy enough by anyone who takes the time to learn how.

Another reason people use this type of flooring is because of the durability that it provides. Since the tiles are made of stone they are very durable and will not chip or break easily. Some tiles have the tendency to come up and start breaking and chipping which makes the floors look terrible in some houses and offices. These tiles will last for a very long time and will provide anyone who uses them with a great look wherever they use them.

These are just a few reasons that people use travertine floors in their homes and offices. There are several other reasons, but the diverse style, easy installation, and durability are three key reasons that this flooring is good. This is also one of the most beautiful types of flooring available, so if you are looking for all of these factors in the floors that you want to have this is the type for you.

One type that a lot of people use is called gold mesh mounted travertine mosaic tile. These are tiles that you can use to create unique designs through different color and design patters. The rich gold colors can be mixed with other colors to make them stand out or blend in more and create a great mosaic look. These tiles are used in a number of different places around the home but are very popular in the kitchen and bathroom.

Another popular style to use is the diamond pattern mosaic tile. This type of tile has its own set of unique characteristics that make it stand out in the kitchen or in another room where people want to have a great look. These tiles come in ivory and beige which are neutral colors that will fit into the color scheme of any room they are used in.

Some people choose to use a mix mesh mounted travertine mosaic that provides a great designer look. These tiles use a mix of colors and design patterns to create a unique look anywhere they are used. A combination of diamond, square, and rectangle tiles can be used to along with different colors to make the area that they are installed in look fantastic.

These are just a few types of travertine mosaic tiles that can be used to decorate your home. These tiles can be used both indoors and outside to create a unique classy look in almost any area you can think of. The mosaic style is very popular and will be used for a long time to come, so if you want to be able to create a great look around your home, take a look at some of the different types and choose the ones you want to create your design with.

Since everybody usually likes to hear the good news first I will start with the pros of using travertine for the floor tiles in your home. The one thing that is great about this type of flooring is its beauty. These tiles are beautiful to look at and will provide an amazing look for any home they are installed in. They are also made of all natural stone which makes them environmentally friendly. Also, this type of tile is very durable and will last for a long time if you take care of it properly. Should you have to replace one or two of them you will find it easy to match up with replacement pieces. Another great thing about travertine floor tiles is they are easy to cut when you are installing them, so it will be no problem to cut an odd size or shape to make it fit into a space where it is needed.

Here is the bad news. This type of tile has to be sealed at least once every two years in order for it to stay looking good. Sealing this type of tile can be time consuming, but is necessary if you do not want to get dirt and other stains ground into the tile. Of course, the beauty of these tiles allows you to put up with spending a few hours every two years to keep them looking good. This tile is very porous and will absorb many different things if it is not sealed properly. Also when this tile is sealed it can be very slippery when it gets wet, so it is not advised to use in a restaurant where spills could happen.

So there it is all laid out for you, the pros and cons of using travertine floor tiles in your home. As you can see the cons are really not that bad, and are by far outweighed by all of the pros. If you want to have some of the most beautiful looking tiles in your home then travertine tiles are the ones you want to install.

Most people who have this type of tile in their home use sudsy water to clean it with. This is can be any type of cleaning soap such as dish washing liquid, Mr. Clean, or a number of other products that are made for cleaning. All it takes is a mixture of the soap you are going to use and some water and you will have everything needed to clean the floor. Some people use a mop to mop the mixture on with and others prefer to spot clean the floor with a sponge.

When you are cleaning the floors make sure to avoid using any type of acidic product. This is something such as vinegar. These types of products will leave streaks and stains on the travertine floor tiles and make them look very unattractive. Travertine is very absorbent so it will absorb the acid in these products and you will have to replace the tiles that are affected.

To make it easier to clean the travertine tile that you are using you should take the time to seal it. Sealing also helps with stains because travertine tiles tend to have open pores and voids due to the fact that it is a sedimentary stone unlike marble which is a highly compressed stone.  This is something that might take a little bit of time, but it will be well worth the effort put into it. The dirt and grime will stay on top of the tile and can easily be removed with just a light sweep.

When you are trying to decide if you are going to use travertine flooring in your home or if it will be too hard, make sure to keep this information in mind. These floors can be kept looking magnificent with just a little bit of soap and water from time to time. If you want to have one of the best looking floors ever then make sure to keep it looking good by using these cleaning techniques.

Something that a lot of people like is the freedom to be able to choose from a variety of different colors. With some types of flooring there is only one or a couple of colors that are available to use, but with floors made of travertine there are a few different colors that can be used. Some of the colors include: beige, ivory, gold, and walnut which will give any home a beautiful look. These colors are also easy to coordinate with the theme of any room, so nothing in your home will look out of place.

There are a lot of people who are trying to be environmentally friendly these days. When this type of flooring is cleaned and sealed it will stay clean and will be friendly to the environment inside the home. That means there is no worry about things getting stuck to it and not coming off, or the floors spreading bacteria making the members of the house sick.  The dirt that gets on these floors will stay on top of them and not get ground in. That means it will be easy to remove the dirt and germs.

These are just a few of the advantages you will get when you make the decision to install a travertine floor in your home.  Something else that is worth noting is the fact that these floors when sealed will not absorb any chemicals, gases, or odors and will improve the air quality in your home. This will make it easy for everyone in your family to breathe easier. There are a ton of other advantages that you will discover once you install this type of flooring. If you want to be able to have these benefits then start looking for the color and style that you want to use.

When travertine tiles are laid on the floor you need to be sure to seal them because of the fact that they are a sedimentary stone and thus porous.  If you spill a colored liquid on the tiles it can possibly stain them because it will soak directly into the tile.  A good tile sealer is all that is necessary to keep your tiles looking great for years to come.

In an entry way a very nice way method is to lay travertine mosaic tiles in a pattern.  This is pleasing to the eye and also covers up any errant dirt that may have been tracked into the entryway.  When someone walks onto a floor laid in the mosaic style there is an awareness of the flooring material which isn’t present with a more traditional floor or even a tile floored laid with fired ceramic tiles.

Travertine pavers can also be used for the entry way but this is not really necessary if the area is covered and projected from the rain and snow.  If you are doing an outside area with a lot of heavy traffic and you live in a very harsh climate you may want to consider this but tiles work fine as long as there is a good base to lay them on.

Usually tiles are laid on a concrete slab if outside, and sometimes inside an enclosed entryway if they are planned for in advance.  This gives the best base for the tiles which means a couple of things.  First, they are very easy to lay on a concrete slab that has been finished.  Just mark out your starting point and your cross lines with a chalk line then apply the motor in a thin setting.  When the tiles are set and grouted in the concrete should offer a very good, long lasting subsurface for support.

If you are looking at installing tiles in the house, and there was not a slab poured, then you will use a cement backer board as the base.  Most likely the floor is flake board or plywood about 1 1/8” thick.  Flake board, also called OSB or oriented strand board has become the rage for construction because it is cheaper than traditional concrete but I really don’t think it is as good.  It can cause problems with swelling if moisture is present and it does not handle sharp blows well.  If you have the choice, I would use plywood for the subfloor, I think over the life of the home you will be more happy.  The cement board is place on the sub-floor and nailed down with ring shank nails.  Usually these nails are on 6” to 8” centers because you want to be sure the board does not move and thus squeak or crack the tiles or grout line.  Once the backer board is prepared you just move on with the laying like you would over a concrete subfloor.

As I said above, travertine is a sedimentary stone which means it has not been crushed and heated as much as a marble, for example, which is a metamorphic stone.  The sedimentary stone has natural voids and air pockets which must be sealed if they are going to be used on the floor or anywhere in the bathroom.  This travertine floor tile sealer can be found in a either a flat gloss, semi-gloss, or high gloss.  For a floor, the flat is usually recommended and you need to be sure to apply it yearly to keep a good protection.  If you don’t protect the floor tiling then water or other materials can seep in and cause damage.  In particular, if a colored drink is spilled it can stain the tile for good and then you have a heck of a problem to deal with.

Travertine floor tiles are very popular for their historic appeal as well as their beauty.  If you are looking to redo your entry way, or you are building new, find out why so many people are talking about travertine.

Travertine Pavers

Tumbled travertine pavers are usually used in driveways and around pools because of there porous textured finish which allows water to be ejected and offers good traction. A chiseled paver is often times used on the driveway because it offers a tighter fit and is more easily supportive of an automobile. The French pattern or mini-French pattern is usually used around pools as it offers a very nice alternative to a floor made with pavers all the same size. A French pattern consists of 16”x24”, 16”x16”, 16”x8”, and 8”x8” pavers arrayed in a pattern which covers 16 square feet. This pattern is then replicated over and over as the pavers are laid out.

Another pattern for travertine patio pavers is the mini-French pattern which is similar but covers a smaller area. It covers an area of 8 square feet per pattern and is composed of 8”x12”, 8”x8”, 8”x4”, and 4”x4” pavers. This method is usually used on smaller areas in order to get a good feel for the pattern. Also, it can look very busy on a large application because of the many lines and angles formed from the smaller pavers.

Some people wonder about sealing travertine pool pavers. This is not necessary because the colors will not tend to fade like in a brick product. The colors come from the actual minerals in the travertine stone and thus are part of the structure. Sealing around a pool in not recommended because this can cause water to stand on the surface making them more slippery. You are better off to let the water naturally permeate the pavers and keep the surface with more friction. Sealing does tend to bring out the natural color and depth of the pavers so it is really a matter of choice.

Travertine pavers are very tough due to their natural stone structure. They are very good in climates because of their ability to weather many freeze and thaw cycles without breaking or cracking. Since a paver surface is able to give and take these applications actually are longer lasting than concrete which will crack and break under heaving conditions. The natural resiliency of the stone paver will allow them to keep there appearance.

This stone is also recommend for humid and tropical areas. In fact, until recently the majority of travertine installations were performed in Florida. The natural structure will withstand extreme heat, in fact most pavers come from high temperature areas such as Italy, Turkey, and Mexico. They are also very pleasant on bare feet because the natural color does not absorbed head like a darker brick or paver would and the tumbled surface allows for air pockets to form under the foot. They also naturally repel mold and mildew so you don’t need to bleach them several times a year like some sufaces.

Travertine can be found in many different colors from ivory to walnut and even reds. The color variation in the pavers is one aspect that makes them so appealing. Since they are a natural stone no two travertine pavers will be the same. Thus your project will have a very nice variation in it and your patio or pool surface will in no way be matched by anyone else. You can specify that all the pavers have the same general hue or you can mix and match for a more variable and appealing look. It really depends on your own desires.

A travertine paver will generally have one of three finishes. The most natural and most most popular is the tumbled finish. This gives a textured and porous surface which is great around pools because it dissipates the water and gives good footing. This is what most people refer to as a classic travertine paver or tile. The next type of finish is the honed. This gives a smooth matte surface. This can also be used outdoors as it also is good for water control and the matte surface gives adequate traction around pools and other outside areas which often times become wet. Lastly, you can have the polished surface finish. This is smooth and shiny and although very beautiful to look at can offer a slick surface when wet. This is only recommended indoors or in covered outside areas which are protected from moisture. The polished surface really brings out the colors and hues of the pavers but they are not as functional because of the low friction value.

How To Install Travertine Pavers

The installation process, whether for gold travertine pavers or some other color, is very simple as a do-it-yourself project. It takes some work to get the surface prepared, and the pavers are fairly heavy but it definitely is something which can be accomplished by any one with a few skills and muscles. The subsurface for the pavers is really the most important aspect of the installation.

Start by laying out the area you want to cover. The best results are obtained when you calculate the actual size of the patio or pool surface and set the edges so there is no half pavers needed. That is, determine the width and length of the pavers laid side by side and make your edges to allow for only full tiles to be used. If this is not possible then start the layout process at the most noticeable area of the surface and leave the partial tiles for the far sides and back where they will be less noticeable to the eye.

Travertine pavers installation is started by preparing the subsurface. This should be compacted with a mechanical compactor to be sure it is solid and will not sink over the years. The moisture content of this sub-surface is very important as if it is too dry it will not compact properly and will stay loose. If it is too wet it will tend to mud up when you try to compact it and bring the water to the surface.

Once the surface is compacted, form your border. This is often times done by laying stones is a soldier pattern set on a concrete border. As stated above, be sure to try to set the border so you can use only full pavers and not have to cut any. No matter what pattern you use for the center of the surface, a nice looking border with stones laid lengthwise end to end will give a nice appearance.

Next, a thick layer of gravel should be spread over the subsurface. This will allow for water seepage away from the pavers and also, when compacted, will give a hard base on which to set the stones. This gravel should also be mechanically compacted. The thickness of this gravel base can be determined by your local building codes as the possibility of frost heaving makes a thicker base necessary. Finally a thin layer of sand is spread evenly over the gravel base and this is what the travertine pavers are set on. It is best to start out in the most noticeable corner of the area and then work toward the least noticeable. This way if you do end up doing a cutting it will not be as easy for people to see.

After laying all the travertine stone pavers you can fill the edge voids with sand. This gives a very nice firm structure to the surface and limits the amount of shifting. Often times it is necessary to brush sand over the pavers several times to work it fully into the joints.

Travertine Tiles

Another option for flooring is to place travertine tiles directly over a concrete surface with mud set. The concrete acts as the base and the tiles are set in a mortar solution which hardens and locks them in place. All of the surface and color possibilities mentioned above are found in travertine tiles as well as pavers. Tiles are less expensive because they are only one half in thick as opposed to the one and one half in thick pavers. This also cuts down on shipping costs per square foot of surface also.

If you want an old world, natural look then you can’t get any better result than by using travertine tiles and travertine pavers.

Travertine is a stone that was popular in the building of Rome during its greatest days.  Many people relate marble to Roman building but in reality this was reserved for expensive statues and civic and religious buildings.  Most of the construction was actually done with travertine tiles and stone work.  In fact, the great Roman Coliseum was constructed almost entirely out of travertine.  It is the largest travertine building in the world.

This stone is not very hard since it is a sedimentary rock that is formed from layers of minerals laid down in the bottom of a hot water pool over eons.  The color of the sediment was determined by the minerals that had leached into the hot water rising from the earth’s crust.  This is why travertine has many different hues.  A bathroom is a great place to experiment with different shades because it looks very natural for different items to have a slightly different color.  This is one reason why travertine bathrooms are so popular today.

One thing to remember is that travertine bathrooms are constructed of this soft sedimentary rock which means it is naturally porous.  While the sedimentary layers are forming it is natural for air pockets to get trapped and leave voids in the rock structure.  These voids can do two things.  They can actually leak water through and they can trap water and dirt thus making the tiles look dingy.  There is a misnomer going around that there is such a thing as travertine marble bathroom tile.  Marble and travertine are two different stones.  Although they both start as sedimentary rock, the marble is forced farther underground during its formative time and thus is acted upon by higher temperatures and pressures.  This actually changes the physical structure of the stone turning it into a metamorphic rock.  This means all the voids and holes have been squeezed out of the structure and it is dense and hard.  Marble tiles are able to be used without sealing because of this structural fact.

Travertine tile bathrooms, on the other hand, need to have all the stone work sealed to be sure it is impermeable to water.  Also, counter tops made with this stone often times have the dips and holes filled in with a filler compound that matches the color of the rock in order to give a smooth finish.

If you are looking for a new bathroom style then definitely look at some travertine bathroom pictures and get some ideas on how it would look in your home.  There is nothing like the old world charm of travertine tiles to give you a Roman bath feel to your contemporary bathroom.

Travertine tiles are cut from blocks of travertine stone which is quarried and then taken to a work site with massive stone saws. These saws actually cut the block using industrial diamond cutters and lots of water. It is a fairly slow process but not as slow as cutting marble.

The reason for this is travertine is a sedimentary rock not a metamorphosed rock like marble. Thus it is not near as dense making it very easy to work with. It is also lighter due the natural voids and air pockets which are found within the stone structure. This lightness makes it very easy to attach to walls as little support is needed during the drying time. This lightness also has a draw back though, it means the tiles are porous and will allow water to seep through. Thus, before the shower can be used it must be sealed to stop the water from seeping into the voids and out to the subfloor and sub-wall beyond. Often times, these tiles are also filled to make them smooth when they are going to be used as travertine floor tiles or in a wet area like a kitchen or bathroom.

If the tiles are applied to a wall that is not associated with water then there is no need to fill the crevices. This actually gives a very nice 3-D effect with good depth. Many people choose this type of tile particularly because of the rough texture from a naturally cut stone.

When you install a travertine shower normal tile setting instructions are followed. The floor needs to be hard with no give. The walls should be covered with water proof green board before applying the tiles. After the tiles have set, a grout must be applied in the spaces between in order to seal against water. Then a good tile sealer needs to be applied as a final seal. Often times with tiles like these it is recommended that a second coat of sealer be used.

If you are looking for a very nice earth tone tile for your bathroom and shower then travertine is a very good choice. A travertine bathroom has an elegant old world feel and appeal.

The largest travertine tile quarry of these times was located about 60 miles from ancient Rome so you can see it would be very easy to obtain.  One of the interesting things about travertine is that it is formed in the same manner as Marble it is just not exposed to as high a temperature and pressure for as long of a time underground.  Eventually, if travertine is left underground long enough with high enough pressures and temperatures it will form into a marble.

Travertine is composed of sedimentary rock that has been laid down for centuries and millennia in hot spring pools.  The minerals are leached out of the rock as the hot water makes its way to the surface and then these minerals precipitate out as the water reaches the surface.  These minerals form layers on the bottom of the pool and then, over countless centuries, they form layers that have many different colors and hues.

After the layers of minerals have formed in the hot spring pools some geologic action will force the pool underground.  This is usually an earthquake or maybe a large landslide.  Plate techniques continue to be active and the minerals strata finds itself far below the surface with the pressure from above increasing and the temperature rising due to the nearby magma.  Aver time this material is heated and compressed into a sedimentary stone.

It is important to note that this rock does not metamorphose like marble.  That is, the structure of the material does not change, it just become more compressed and bonds for that reason.  A stone that has metamorphosed actually changes its physical properties which is why marble is so hard.

One draw back to the fact the this is a sedimentary rock is the structure.  There are many air pockets and voids in a travertine tile with means the surface is fairly rough.  If you are using the stone for travertine wall tiles then this works great because of the structures that are visible on the surface.  You will actually get a 3-D effect due to the porous nature of the stone.

The tiles can be used for travertine floor tiles but it usually requires further work on the surface.  Often times the surface has the voids filled with a filler material and then sealed.  This keeps the dirt and stains out of the tile.  If you spill a liquid on the surface of a travertine floor tile which is not treated then you can be assured that the liquid will seep into all these voids and stain the stone.  Using it as a travertine wall tile does not cause the same problem because you seldom spill things on the wall and when you do gravity helps you to remove it.

If you are looking to give your home a Mediterranean look and feel then you should definitely have some travertine tiles.  They are very popular in the kitchen, bathroom and entryway.  Another great place is to have them in your garden as travertine stepping stones.