Travertine is a sedimentary rock formed around springs of mineral water. The gasses trapped by sediments or by water plants trapped inside the formation and then decomposed have generated the holes within the stone.
Travertine tiles can be purchased in various sizes and used for floors and walls. They can be filled, polished, honed, brushed, tumbled or antiqued. Edges can be straight cut or tumbled. The permutations and styles are endless.
Natural products are unique and part of the inherent characteristic of the tile will be the imperfections. Shades, markings and impurities from the natural holes as described above will vary. Travertine is possibly the most consistent of all stone available but customers should be aware that every tile would be different.
If you think you know the style and colour you require then call one of our showrooms and ask them to order you a sample of the current batch. This is the closest similarity you will get if you are ordering quickly. Natural stone products vary tremendously in quality and thickness. We work with only the best quarries and top of the range products.
Deciding on your Travertine
- First think about the colour. Most travertines are a pale colour involving creams and beige. Decide if you want light or medium tones there is plenty of choice. Darker tones are more unusual but there is a chocolate coloured travertine, which incorporates dark walnuts and reddish tones. A more popular travertine is the ‘yellow travertine’, which has a warm, gold hue. Other tiles include oatmeal tones and grey mushroom veins.
- Next think about if you want your tile to be matt or polished and if you want the holes to be filled or unfilled. We can advise you on the practicalities of certain finishes for your purpose but we will need your guidance about your own personal choice and taste. For example if you think you would prefer a smooth feel under foot and hand then a honed finish is recommended. If non-slip were particularly important to you then a matt finish would be preferable.
- Think about the edge or finish of the tile. The choice tends to be typically a straight, diamond cut finish or hand chiselled/tumbled effect. Variations of this apply. Just let us know what you fancy and we can show you examples.
4. Tiles can be fixed in many different designs and often a combination of sizes work well together. Think about the effect you want to achieve and then we can help you select the best size tiles to work in the area you are working on.