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Building a Home

Help with travertine tile floor please

16 years ago

Sorry for cross-posting but I'm short on time and I don't know if the flooring forum is as busy as this one.

We have two areas of our house where we want to install some black travertine tile we found at a local tile store. These areas are around our fireplaces, where the stone will serve as heat collection and protection from ash, dropped logs, etc.

Now, first of all, I'm reading that there is no such thing as black travertine, yet here it is. I am absolutely in love with this tile. It looks natural and rustic and would fit well with our home which sits in the middle of 20 acres. But if black travertine doesn't exist, what is this?

We went to another tile store yesterday where we will be receiving a discount if we purchase all of our tile, and of course, they don't carry this product. The salesperson there was telling my husband that the black travertine would be a mistake in our situation because of the maintenance it requires. She said it requires sealing, and would scratch and show wear easily.

Now, I'm not really worried about it showing wear because I think that would add to the "rustic" quality of the stone look, but my husband is now convinced he'd rather do porcelain tile because there aren't any issues with it. In my mind, the porcelain looks too "perfect" and "fake" for our installation, so I'm trying to steer him toward the travertine, but only if it's a good decision.

I need to know just how much maintenance is involved with a travertine floor and if anyone has any comments or helpful advice or suggestions regarding our situation. I'm going to stop at this tile store tonight and get a sample and beat it up a little over the weekend just to see how it behaves, but I'm curious what others know about this product and its uses.

Thanks!

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Comments (6)

Ron Natalie
16 years ago
There exists black travertine. It is slightly softer than the lighter varieties. I do believe the darker colors will show scratches more just like with marble.

Alternatives would be soapstones and slates in similar colors.
jojoco
16 years ago
I have travertine throughout my kitchen, butlers pantry and mud room. It is sealed (spray sealer, took 10 minutes), and is very forgiving. Ours is lighter colored and I have found the natural variation in coloring hides multitudes of dirt. I say go for it.
Jo
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I would use the same travertine tile on the floor and in the shower. even in the same large size (to minimize grout). The maintenance of travertine is easy. If you get a honed finish you will not have to worry about etching. Just seal it once a year. it holds up very well. we have friends who have travertine in all their showers. looks new after 6 years. Make sure you buy high quality travertine which means - - less fills - very few large fills - very few through holes In fact the travertine we have in our house does not even take a sealer. i wipe it on and wipe off almost all of it...
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Woven wooden shades would add a really nice texture to your room. You're right, I have a pair of double hung windows behind my tub. I've just ordered cordless cellular shades that will be 2 on 1 headrail and have the top down/bottom up feature for privacy and a view of the trees outside. I literally have to climb in my tub to adjust the windows or shades so they probably won't be moved very often. I'm planning to accent with purple so I'm hoping to find fabric for a valance to tie it all together and bring a softer texture into the room. You must be so anxious to be in your new home. I've never built a house before but I'm sure it would be both exciting and overwhelming.
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Peacock Pavers have to be laid on slab. Don't know if that would be an issue for you. We looked into them during construction (are made in our state) and I loved the samples. Very disappointed when I found out we couldn't use on our main level (which is 2 stories off back of house/not on slab). I have travertine flooring on our main level (kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, sunroom, etc). Sealed with Miracle Sealant 511. Dropped an oil based stain can lid upside down on the floor - wiped right up. It is hard, but I love it. We also did our lower level in travertine porcelain tiles, has rough edges so it's more realistic looking. I love it also. We've been in house just over 4 years, fyi. Stone and tile flooring comes in all prices points and quality. The lesser quality stone is thinner, and more like swiss cheese. Look for better quality to avoid above posted problems. With tile, there are SO many manufacturers of tile - look around more. My parents used a tile inside and outside of their lake home. We were going to use tile on our three verandas but used stained concrete on the back two and flagstone on the front. Good luck!
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I told Sayde I would help her post photos of her kitchen and some tile samples, so everyone could see. (I have serious house envy, having grown up in an English Tudor.) Original Kitchen: New floor plan: Possible floor tile, 4x8 Mojave tumbled travertine tiles: They come in 8 x 4, 8 x 8, 6x6, 12x12. Wish there were 8 by 16 but not in this tile). Another shot of same tile as above: "These are the terracotta pavers I like and they're larger. Worried they'll be more difficult and may-be too red or too dark. ???" Flooring pattern. Def pretty but is it to busy, noisy live with daily? "One alternative to a hood that we would construct might be something like this. I like the geometry of this one . . ." Or copper: Backsplash: "They used three different colors of off white. When you hold the tiles in your hand they look much closer together in value than they do here (below). These are 4x8 but they come 3x6 and also square. They are the only tiles I've seem that have that nice talc like matte surface, but also a very subtle craze that you only see close up. When I saw them next to that edge of midtoned wood I got drawn in. And what about these with the floor? Colors? Sizes?"
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krislrob
16 years ago
I've used all sorts of travertine over the years and I love it too!! Yes, it will scratch, but it's stone. I had a tile shop talk me out of travertine and I gave in to them. I hated the porcelain tile. I like the black travertine. I'm putting noce travertine in my house this time, but I was thinking about doing a dark and light travertine mixture in my laundryroom..... Jo is right. It really HIDES the dirt!!
meldy_nva
16 years ago
And the first time a log is dropped on porcelain, your DH will wish he'd agreed to any sort of stone instead. Porcelain WILL crack as well as chip and scratch.
cork2win
Original Author
16 years ago
Ooh, meldy_nva, thank you! I'll be sure to bring up that "question" when we talk to the tile people. "So, if we drop a log on this travertine and this porcelain, what would happen to each of them?" :)
meldy_nva
16 years ago
That's the way to do it! The salesman is selling beauty and the hyped version of quality, but we want to know what happens in real life. And get any salesman's claims in writing, lol.

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