I have it in a kids' bath so I don't know how it wears in a kitchen. It feels nice underfoot, although it gets really cold by the AC register. We've potty trained in there so the floor has been cleaned with things that are not stone friendly. It's been hit with 409, Lysol, and I hate to think what else. It's also had a spot soaked with water for a few days due to guests not getting how a shower curtain works. It still looks great. It's honed and I don't know if it's sealed--it certainly hasn't been since we moved in 2 years ago!

You don't have time to do a stain test. I think it'll require you to be very very alert in a kitchen. It's really porous. Probably not something to get on an impulse. Any other room, I'd say go for it. Any wear it shows in the front hall for example will make it look better. But I can't recommend putting it in a kitchen without torturing a sample first. You need to know what you're getting into first.

So do not be rushed!!

I saw a beautiful tumbled travertine sample at The Tile Store -- it was a Charo (light beige) color, and made up of 2 inch by 20 inch long rectangles in a herringbone pattern. I just fell in love with it -- but it is $7.99 / SF! Reading these posts, that seems waaaaaaaay high, even though it was special.

Any one see anything like this?

I am starting to feel happy I have a small kitchen.

Thanks so much for your input Pharoah & fori.

I'm going to check on the 'prime' info. with my tile lady. I think travertine is absouletly beautiful and this is what I've always wanted to use but I guess was scared off by some other people's opinions. My husband says go for it. We've been going round and round with this remodel project since February! From what I've read, with a good sealer, it is very easy to maintain.

fori-great to know about the occassional cleaners not damaging. Mine are potty trained but I do have two boys and we all know how their aim can be :)

Thanks again for the help!

My builder just put it in his kitchen and mudroom and master bath. I have a friend who has it in the mudroom. At that price, I think you should go for it!

We just put it in our kitchen and love it (see the picture). My neighbor has it thru her entire house and she has 3 kids. My recommendation is don't go "cheap". Find a travertine that doesn't have a lot of holes (you can see from teh front but also turn the tile over to the back where you can see the holes) that might need to be refilled in the future. We looked at a lot of different ones and picked a premium tile. I don't know how much we paid psf but can try and find out from my husband.

We built a 4200 sq ft ranch in the SE and used glossy marble throughout. Since it was polished, it did show some scratches from our four legged humanoids playing, but those were easy to buff out. In four yrs we did not need to have the tiles refinished (grinding and polishing). We have had polished stone flooring re-honed in previous homes and they can be fully restored. Pricey but not necessary except maybe every decade or so.

If you're considering non-glossy floors then you won't need to worry about scratches. You will need to worry about small sink-holes in lesser quality stone. Check for the amount of fill. On the surface side, it should be nearly impossible to see the fill. Always check the back. Much of the lesser quality stone available is too soft and larger craters will develop with normal wear and tear. If it's a Saturnia with visible holes already, that's less of a problem. One fabricator tried to convince us that these holes would rarely happen, but in the two months we had a sample in our home the tile developed a few dime-sized holes while it was standing up without any traffic or friction whatsoever. Deal breaker for us. Besides, DH really, really wanted polished and I have to say it was spectacular.

If you're in snow country, I'd seriously consider installing radiant heat underneath. It got fairly cold in the winter where we were, occasional freezes but no snow, and those floors could be cold. In the summer, it helped keep the house cool though. I loved our stone floors but I also love tongue and groove. If your DH says go for it and that's what you'd prefer, then enjoy!

UGGGH!!!

Just when I was 99% sure I was going with the travertine, the GC called and pretty much tried to talk me out of it. He says travertine cracks "alot" and that the 18x18 tiles which we had planned on using are too big and also lend themselves to cracking (which he also told us about 18x18 porcelain tiles). I'm not sure if he is just being overly cautious or what!!

I was so thankful for all of the helpful insight you all provided and IMMENSELY relieved to have finally made a decision on the flooring and now it seems we have been thrown for yet another loop.

Any thoughts or input?

I was at the tile store today picking out my travertine 'look' porcelain tile since I can't afford the real stuff (~$10 sq ft in my area). My friend at the tile store has had travertine in her house for years and it wears well and she highly recommends it. All the travertine that I have seen installed around here is usually in a pattern and the sizes range from 8x8 to 16x24. I've never heard of the cracking issue.

My husband hates all the porcelain tile samples I brought home today & I would love to get the real stuff...I wonder if I can get those $4 per sq ft pallets delivered to Detroit!

Don't give up on your 'real' travertine since that is what you really wanted. Maybe you should just go to a smaller tile size.

Christen, where are you located? Need to know how prone your ground is to shifting. The entire planet has shifting strata, but some soils are far more problematic.

That said, we used 18 x 18 interior and had some even larger marble exterior around our pool and front entrance. None of the tiles cracked! I will advise that if your gc gives indication he isn't up to the job, he truly isn't. Is it possible to proceed and hire your independent tiler? We found our area's most proficient and pulled the floors from our builder and contracted that (and other finicky) portions ourselves.

At the very least, talk to lots of flooring companies first thing in the a.m. to make the most informed decision possible. Definitely get advice from high end companies who have the reputation in your community for standing behind their work.

Sayde, I'm also in love with that travertine at the tile shop that you are talking about. I was all set to use it on my backsplash, but in Michigan they are telling me they can't get anymore because the demand is too high. If you or anyone else knows where I can get my hands on that tile, let me know. Now that I've fallen in love with that look, I just can't see anything else working! I only need 32 square feet, so the price was okay, I can't find anything similar for less than $24 per square foot around here, and that would break the bank!

We have 18x18 tiles and no problem. As you can see from our picture above, we are not even close to being done with construction. I have workers walking/working on this floor every day with no problem. I think it is harder to lay down travertine (you have to use mud) and you have to know what you are doing b/c the tiles can crack - maybe your contractor is not up to the job. Stick to what you want. Our floor come out beautiful.

We are in Wisconsin. I agree regarding the gc, his hesitancy regarding the travertine has me wondering how well he would do installing it. But then again, he seemed nervous about the 18x18 porcelain tiles. Maybe he is just overly cautious?? Is there a significant difference in installing travertine as opposed to tile? He has the labor and materials included in job cost but not a specific amount. We have yet to sign contract and pay down payment. I better bring up the subject of hiring a separate floor guy to the DH.

Cracking is a function of movement, deflection, subfloor etc. Once that is taken care of, you can put down travertine and it will hold up really well.

I am seeing mostly 16"x16" and bigger. 24"x24" looks fantastic but needs more care and experience in installing (carrying alone is a back breaker).

If you are in LA, I can give you an excellent source of premium travertine at a very reasonable price...

We have Travertine in our kids' bath. We used 18x18 in this relatively small (5'x8') bath. We love it. It is NOT too big. My nephew installed it- no cracks. We sealed it, and have not had any problems. I always forget to clean it, because it never looks dirty- the photo I am including is how the tile presently looks and it is filthy (dust from all of the work we've been doing). But, you can't tell.

I'll bet your GC is against it because it is thick and heavy.

Go with your gut. Get what you want. :)

(I rotated the pic- I have no idea what happened!)

Your GC is telling you a partial truth. You need a real tile person to evaluate your subfloor. Natural stone tile requires a very rigid surface - twice that of porcelain tile. If your floor bends/bounces then you will need to either give up on tile or have it reinforced. The technical term is "deflection".

We know about this because I wanted a slate floor in our kitchen and we couldn't do it because of a too weak subfloor. I didn't cry too much, though, because it meant I was able to talk Hubby into the wood floor that I really wanted instead.

Here is a link that might be useful: This explains it

Cheap travertine is a real PIA, so if you're going to go with it, make sure you've got quality stuff. I thought about using it for counters because I could get travertine tile locally at a really decent price, but decided not to because it was too porous and the tile available here was full of holes. The tile store told me not to worry about it, it would just be filled by the grout, but I wasn't exactly real enthusiastic about that idea. I decided to hold off on the travertine and maybe switch to something a little more practical. There's really nice ceramic tile that looks a lot like natural stone, I think I was drooling over the Florida Tile catalog not long ago and saw some in there. Shouldn't be too hard to find on the web. Might be easier to find quality ceramic than quality travertine at an affordable price.

I do agree though, if you put the money down for stone, go with an actual independant tile layer, not your gc. Tile guys can look at your floors, tell you if you've got structural issues, they can suggest possible solutions, etc etc, and an experienced tile layer is worth twice his weight in gold when you're talking about something that's going to last the life of your home.

Pharaoh, Can you give me your source for premium travertine? The floor specified by my architect is a Walker Zanger that is very tight, but is more than $8.00 per sq. ft. We are putting in about 1600 sq. feeet. I am meeting with my tile guy tomorrow to look at less expensive samples, but the ones I have seen are so rough. I would really appreciate a less expensive option. Thanks.
Sally

This is one of the things I worried about most in our kitchen remodel. I had wanted a very specific French ceramic tile that I couldn't get for the price I wanted in the time that I needed it.

This led me to a hasty decision, and I chose unfilled travertine. After pulling the trigger, I did some research (BIG mistake) that led me to the conclusion that I had made a horrible choice. I realized I would be stuck with my decision, so I figured that, if I really hated it, I could wait a few years and pull it all out and replace it.

Well, the travertine has turned out to be one of the most enjoyable features of my new kitchen! We have rugs in front of our stove and sink, so it seldom gets anything on it other than normal dirt from foot traffic (and hair from three large dogs). I just vacuum at least once a week and spot clean spills. NOTHING sticks to it and nothing shows. Believe it or not, I haven't mopped it once since it was installed in January. Thinking it had to be gross by now, I wiped a few tiles in a high traffic area with a plain white damp paper towel, and there was almost no dirt whatsoever.

We have 16x16 tiles and have had no issues with cracks. I do wish I had hired a professional tiler to install it, though. My contractor's crew was not very careful, so I have some unevenness. They also ignored my request to have tiles with more holes placed on the perimeter where they would be covered with cabinets.

From what I understand, the larger the tile, the harder it is to get level. My husband installed 24x24 travertine look porcelain tiles in our master bathroom and 16x16 porcelain in the dining room. It's harder to lay. Maybe that's the reason your gc advised against it. We have 12x12 travertine in the entry. It's BY FAR my favorite flooring material! Our entry is seldom used but during the remodel, some one came in with muddy (or something dark) feet and it left a stain on the travertine. I can possibly get it out with a poultice but haven't tried yet. Yes, it's sealed. Fought an roller-coaster emotional battle with myself when deciding on a bathroom tile. Travertine was my first (and only) choice! In the end, I went with a travertine look porcelain and glad I did. I didn't want to worry about stains (oils, conditioners, shampoos, makeup, hair color, finger nail polish and remover). I would be afraid to put it on a kitchen floor too :( I do have tumbled travertine on the backsplash tho and it looks as good as the day it was installed. Porcelain is nearly indestructible and you CAN find some really great looking travertine imitations. Good luck! I feel your pain :(
Monica

We put large 16x16 travertine tile in our sunroom, which is the main entry to our home from the garage, and couldn't be happier. I was also worried about the upkeep with it being in such a high traffic area, but we have had it down over 2 years and haven't had to reseal yet. I am not a very conscientious cleaner- only spot clean when necessary and it is just as beautiful as the day it was installed. I love it so much that we will be putting it in the kitchen as well. I would also recommend getting a higher quality stone, though- the less fill the better. Ours ran about $7+/ft.

Forgot to mention- I bought my tile in Orange County off State College where all of the tile stores are. I know I paid less than $3.00 per s.f.- but don't know the exact amount. The tile is filled. There are good deals out there. I only bought enough to tile the bathroom and use in the doorways of the house as thresholds.

Good luck!

Sally123,
please email me so that i can send you the contact info the travertine source. For 1600 sq ft you may be able to get great bargain, they love volume buyers. The travertine in my house is honed and not rough at all. In fact it feels silky but not slippery or shiny.

Just wanted to post a quick update. My gc went into the tile wholesaler himself to take a look at the travertine tiles. Honed and filled are the type we would purchase. I spoke to the tile lady who works there (she has been there for years, works withs TONS of builders, and has saved me from overspending more that once and in her own store!). She said she explained the durability, quality etc., etc. to him. She said he seemed satisfied with the product.

I also questioned her on the quality of the travertine, etc. She said that it is excellent quality, that they have been selling it for years and haven't had problems. She also said she knows my gc's installer (I had thought that he did it himself...) and that he does an excellent job!

As an aside, prior to the call, I ran to the other tile store to pick up more samples...still not LOVING any of them!! Sooooo, now I'm back to getting all excited about using the real thing!! Unless of course, my gc calls again and shoots me down :( No really, this time I'm 99.9999% sure....

My husband is a tile contractorwho frequently installs travertine. In fact we're putting it in our own kitchen. I'd be wary of a gc who insists it will crack. That occurs if the subfloor is plywood, instead of mudded or hardibacker (cement board). It will cost more for a tilesetter to install larger stone than porcelain--it takes a higher skill level to install stone.

Beware that stone is porous and will loopk worn in. think old French manor floors. Personally, I think it's beautiful and timeless.