Considerations when working with Travertine

[tfs]

Travertine is a natural material and due to its characteristics requires a completely different approach than that of standard ceramic tile.

Here is a quick guide I have compiled for those that are new to working with travertine.

1. Travertine is normally only filled and honed on one side. Due to the number of pits normally found on travertine as well as its absorbency, it is recommended that back filling (back buttering/ skimming) is done using adhesive similar to the colour of the stone. This helps ensure that the each tile is rigid once laid.

2. When selecting adhesives and grout, consideration is a must ascertain adhesive will not be suitable. Choose a flexible adhesive and grout that is suitable for stone. White adhesive should be used for cream/ beige tiles. Grey may be used only on silver/ grey travertine. A fast setting flexible adhesive would be a good choice. It is most common for grout selection to be chosen as close as possible to the colour of the tile to give a natural/ subtle finish. This will also help reduce chances of staining to the tile.


3. Travertine tiles should not be cut with a manual tile cutter. For travertine you will need a wetsaw with a diamond blade or a grinder with a diamond blade.Travertine will produce a lot of dust during dry cutting so be sure to work outside or in a well ventilated area. Wear a mask as, in addition to the dust from the stone, travertine 'in most cases' will contain resins as these are used to fill holes during the manufacturing process.

4. Travertine like other natural materials can be installed onto a wooden substrate. When this is the case a good flexible adhesive should be used. Additional thought should be given to the likelihood of expansion in this type of substrate. Such substrates can be affected resulting in stress between the substrate and tile which may cause tiles to delaminate or crack. One worthwhile consideration in these circumstances would be the use of an uncoupling membrane. This membrane will uncouple the tile from the substrate acting as a barrier between the tile and substrate reducing the affects of any stress between the two materials. There are different uncoupling membranes on the market and prices can vary so be sure to have a look around before purchasing. The uncoupling membranes are also a good choice for wetroom installation as they tend to have waterproofing qualities. You can contact any manufacturer to discuss which may suit your particular project most.

5. Travertine tiles must be prepared adequately either before or after tiles are fixed. This can be achieved by using a mild tile cleaner. After the tile cleaner has had enough time to dry (see manufacturers guidelines) your tiles will now need to be sealed. There are various types available which can leave a matt finish for unpolished tile, some sealers can also intensify the colour of the tile. Polished sealers are also available for polished travertine. Many tiler’s have their own preference in regards to when they clean and seal the tiles. I would guess that the majority clean and seal after installation whilst ensuring that they clean as they go to prevent staining, other tillers may choose to do this differently. Cleaning a sealing must be done regularly to ensure a long lasting quality finish. Timescales will vary depending on the environment in which your travertine has been installed. It is recommended that tile specific cleaners are used to maintain your travertine as these are less harsh to the seal on the tile. The substrate being tiled may also need some preparation such as priming, sheeting, additional noggins or self levelling etc.


6. After a period of time it is common for holes to appear in filled travertine. This is expected in filled travertine and may be more likely to occur an areas of higher traffic such as hallways and kitchens but, can just as easily appear in bathroom etc. These holes can be filled in with fillers specifically for filling/ gluing stone. Alternatively you can purchase an epoxy grout similar to the colour of the tile. If the filler in your tile is a transparent wheat sort of colour then I would choose something like Jolly natural stone glue which is available in transparent.


The points mentioned are just the basics and the information is intended for those who have little or no experience with travertine. There are many more areas where there may be additional requirements when installing travertine such as sub floor prep, under floor heating, new screeds etc. I may have missed a few points worth considering but, Im sure some of the other guys may add to this.

Recommended products/ suppliers include

Keraquick white adhesive http://www.tilegiant.co.uk/tile-adhesive-grout-silicone/floor-tile-adhesive/keraquick-white-20kg-fast-setting-flexible-adhesive.html

Kerapoxy http://www.mapei.it/referenze/Multim...poxy_TD_EA.pdf

Jolly natural filler http://www.pureadhesion.co.uk/jolly-natural-stone-glue-filler-travertine-repair-straw-125ml.html

Schluter Ditra http://www.schluter.com/6_1_ditra.aspx

Macrist cutting blade http://www.tradetiler.com/acatalog/Marcrist_Diamond_wheels_.html

LTP for tile cleaning sealing and maintenance products http://ltp-online.co.uk/index.html

[faithhealer]

cracking post mate

[Dave]

Best to link where the info came from as well..

good post..

[kilty55]

another great post kris

[TSTiling]

Great post!

[tfs]

Best to link where the info came from as well..

good post..

This wasnt a copy and paste job

[Dave]

This wasnt a copy and paste job

Fair enough then.. just had to ask..

[Dave]

Can i just add this please..

After a period of time it is common for holes to appear in filled travertine. This is expected in filled travertine and may be more likely to occur an areas of higher traffic such as hallways and kitchens

Best to say this associated with lower grade stones.. First grade has very small amounts of resin filler to pop out..



Very good post for new comers to stone.. tfs..

[tfs]

the more input ayone has the better, I reckon any additional comments to add would be welcomed by newbies

[Alberta Stone]

As an addition, to fill holes or repair use this product for best results:
Tenax S.p.A.


Product Description:
Tenax Travertine Filler is an wonderful product for filling travertine. Unlike grouting the travertine, this is buff colored to match it and will stay in spot permanently! This polyester based glue is semi-solid and arrives with the hardener as shown. This is precisely what slab manufacturers utilize to fill travertine prior to selling it on the market. Utilize what the professionals utilize!

[justmarble]

this is good post

[leeroberts636]

Glad I read this, doing my first trav job today and this is invauluable!
cheers great post!

[Uheat - Keith]

Great Post.
We are always getting asked about installing our u/f heating under Travertine, so this will add a little bit more to my knowledge.

We always add to our quotations; 'powder flexible self-levelling compound / powder flexible tile adhesive'.

Quick Guide from tfs:-
"There are many more areas where there may be additional requirements when installing travertine such as sub floor prep, under floor heating, new screeds etc."
"Choose a flexible adhesive and grout that is suitable for stone."

[tfs]

Thanks for taking the time to comment guys

[marbleman]

i will say the market is flooded with cheap travertine , and when you are pricing work make sure you allocated more waste dont want to see you having to buy more because the stuff falls apart and it comes out of your profit

[leeroberts636]

I have just had that exact problem. All I had to do was look at it and in crumled worse than the french army! Mind you when it was filled and laid it looks the nuts!

[Ian Colley]

Great post,very helpfull

[hillhead]

I'v been using the Tenax lately myself and find it great, fills holes, sticks stone like nothing else and with the hardener it sets real quick ie. 3 mins etc.
Brilliant stuff.
Well said Alberta.

[shebbyfootball]

excellent information, much appreciated

[hutchinsons]

well.. i have just finished an en-suite with travertine and all i can say is..glad its done!!....
all you had to do was look at it and it fell apart.
i love natural stone but i wish people would ask for help before they buy it.

fantastic post though.. cheers

[FloorSlip]

Maybe you should add to your post - Travertine is beautiful looking but very dangerous when wet causing major slip injuries - Regards, Mark - FloorSlip.co.uk

[Tony73]

Maybe you should add to your post - Travertine is beautiful looking but very dangerous when wet causing major slip injuries - Regards, Mark - FloorSlip.co.uk

maby not as slippery if it's honed? yesturday i was taking polish off of tassos marble, had to make honed finish as i will be tiling balcony. started with grid 60 down to 120 and finished with 220.

[FloorSlip]

maby not as slippery if it's honed? yesturday i was taking polish off of tassos marble, had to make honed finish as i will be tiling balcony. started with grid 60 down to 120 and finished with 220.

Hi - Thanks for answer - We've conducted multiple experiments using shot blasting on Travertine and Terrazzo and not just roughing up. I'm sorry to report that even with the coarsest of grades that the slip resistance when wet still could not meet the legal slip resistance value requirement of 36 and if we tried to achieve 36 then the tiles were destroyed. However, if you wish to send us a tile then we would be happy to Pendulum Test the tile for you (No charge) to determine what Pendulum Test Value is achieved - Regards, Mark (info at floorslip .co .uk) 07735 570404

[Topshop]

Travertine or any natural stone tile is not that slippery as long as you don't put any topicals on it.

I have (2) stone bathroom floors in my home one being polished absolute black granite and the other jarusalem gold limestone honed to 1800 diamonds. Neither of those are ever slippery. They have only been sealed with a penetrating sealer(Stonetech bulletproofer) - no topicals and when cleaned they are only dust mopped so nothing is sitting on top of the stone. If anything gets on the stone we spot clean with water and a cloth or Tenax Lustro Italiano cleaner.

Keep your stone clean without anything that will build up and they will not be slippery.