Honed IS the finish. If it were polished stone, that would be it’s finish as well. That’s the integral part of the stone. Not a surface applied film.

Lowest maintenance is return the travertine and do porcelain.

You either do an impregnating sealer and live with the scratches and etches and stains that result from choosing travertine, or you deal with the commercial office level stripping and stealing and Polishing that goes with a film forming type of sealer. That doesn’t really change the nature of the stone.

It’s best if you like patina. If you don’t, your material choice was incorrect.

I agree with Sophie. I had travertine for 10 years. It becomes more rustic as the years roll on. I didn’t have any stains, but you can’t leave spills sit on the floor since the material is porous. Travertine is eroded limestone, very soft rock, and that’s why it had to be filled. I would have it professionally sealed when it’s brand new. Then, you just need to maintain the sealer.

Please excuse my novice comments.....I think I'm just using the wrong terminology. I've heard you can get either a matte or shiny sealant for the honed travertine. Is that not the case?

A penetrating sealer does not change the sheen of the stone at all. The sheen, or shinyness level, is a property of the stone being polished (shiny) or honed (matte). All sealer does is slow fown the penetration of things that stain.

There are enhancing sealers that deepen the colors of stone as they appear when wet. That can be great, as on pebbles used in the shower. It it can be cheesy, as in most travertine.

Anything else called a top coat type of sealer is basically a coating of plastic that would peel off blotchily and be even worse maintenance than just having travertine.

There are also high gloss finishing sealers if you want a wet look on the travertine.

Don’t put a top coat sealer on travertine- it peels and flakes off and you’ll have to call a professional out to fix it. Buy the tile with the finish you want - honed or shiny, or tumbled and then have it sealed properly.

OK, got it. it seems that the way to go is to put an impregnating sealer?

You have the finish it is honed , have no idea why you went honed but now that is it , a sealer is all you do now to keep it from staining badly and that should be a penetrating sealer in a matte finish IMO. Actually IMO a very poor choice for flooring a porcelain 12 x 24 tile would have been a much better choice.

As a professional, the only time I have seen top sealers peal off of a natural stone is when the product is installed outside, especially if the product does not allow vapors to penetrate. This will trap the moisture in the stone causing the sealer to peal and flake up. Indoor applications do not get the same wear and tear with out door elements; weather etc. A topical or impregnating solvent based sealer will work best for indoor applications.
Travertine has been around for centuries and will continue being a top flooring choice. You can't beat natural movement.

I'm surprised at the negative comments...my research shows:Honed is the most popular type of interior travertine. For many, it represents a sweet spot between polished and tumbled travertine. There is simply no other flooring material that can compare to it in appearance.....

Yeah, nothing can compare to the fill falling out in cheap travertine. And the dirt getting into those holes. Or the etching and staining. That’s why there are so many advertisrments for cleaning and restoring it.

And ^^^ that ^^^ is why you don't purchase from big box stores like Home Depot or Lowes, as they mainly deal with second quality products. For a first quality travertine you will spend between $3-$9 sq ft, depending upon your location.

Doesn’t matter if it’s $100 a square. It will still etch, scratch, and stain. And bits of filler will pop out over time. Even epoxy filled can do that. That’s just the nature of the stone itself. Painting white stripes on a cat and calling it a skunk only works in cartoons.

I did have a sealer peel on me. I had to sand and refinish. It was fine after that. I wouldn’t buy Stone products from a big box store. HUGE difference between Carrera marble they sell and the 1st quality stuff my mom installed in her bathroom (it’s expensive). I’ve had travertine floors and if you keep them clean and don’t spill chemicals on them, you’ll probably be fine. You can fill the holes with grout so they stay clean. It comes premixed in a tube now, so it’s easy.

I have it in one of my homes and loved it, but I had no children and one small dog. I purchased honed because IMO that is the only finish appropriate for Travertine. However, I had a matte penetrating sealer applied to protect the stone. Still, I once dropped a few blackberries on the floor coming in from the store, and even though I cleaned it immediately, I had to work to get the stain out of the tile.

That's why when I moved to Florida and still wanted the Travertine appearance I purchase a matte glazed porcelain tile that mimicked the Travertine appearance. I didn't want to be a slave to the floor.

Boy that Sophie is just a stitch.....I didn't purchase from big box or cheap travertine. Thanks for all your help.....

Aside from what you don’t want to hear is the fact you chose a flooring not suitable for your lifestyle , now that it is in seal it and make a few rules regarding wet feet and dirty dog feet.

Thanks again, I honestly just wanted to know what kind of sealer would show footprints the least. I love the honed travertine. The kids are almost off the college and the dogs are seniors......I like what I picked and just wanted a suggestion for sealer....and I do not like the look or feel on the feet of porcelain.

I would go for the matte finish. It won’t reflect as much light back. Honestly, I think you’ll be fine. Just keep it clean and don’t use harsh chemicals and it’ll wear great. I picked white limestone for my mud room. And I mean white. It’s holding up just fine. Do expect it to become more rustic with age, but that’s part of the charm. Certain cleaners like CLR will actually dissolve the stone, so again - careful with the cleaning agents.

Exactly. My master bath was done in travatine at my last house. Even the shower was still pretty after 10 years. Just seal it and be careful with chemicals.

on another note.....I've heard some match the windowsills with the travertine flooring? Thoughts on that?

We are also replacing the windows - the current sills are wood. The first floor has the travertine floor but the second floor has wood flooring. The photo is the kitchen countertop which is corteccia quartzite.

Kitchen · More Info

I would keep the wood and paint it the same as the trim. If you have to go with a stone then I would use the countertop material. It might look weird to put travertine up off the floor- unless the sills are close to the floor?

I agree, thanks. We are going to use the wood.