travantine/suitability

[grahil]

hi all, i really fancy some travatine tiles in my house(i live in spain)i've noticed the price is now coming right down to an affordable level, i know that these cheaper versions generally come from turkey/china but they still look pretty good, i have a covered terrace that occassionally gets wet around the edges when it rains and and indoor area which is kitchen/livingroom would travantine be an option?
cheers graham.

[bigandy]

hi dont forget that travertine is a natural product so is used to the elements!however be aware of the maintenance ie sealing it. also worth checking for any movement esp on the outside terrace due to temp differances so look at flexy addy(for me any how) although i am sure we all would look at it differantly

[grumpygrouter]

You may also want to consider laying with a decoupling membrane like Ditra Matting or Dural. Check out our forums sponsor Wetdecs for these.

[wetdec]

Hi Graham

Travertine outside is lovely stuff but uk weather is no good for it and it freezes and snows in Spain. As Trav is porous it fills up with water and can crack with frost. You are right there is a great deal of cheap Trav and most of this is low grade (softer with more voids) low quality .

Personaly I would put nothing thinner than 15/18mm Trav outside correctly laid as it would be asking for trouble.

tiler

[TilingLogistics]

Travertine is a great choice especially in Spain. I would however go with the previous advice and lay it on a decoupling membrane mat such as Ditra which is made by Schluter and freely available in most good tile shops in Spain also i would advise you to use a BAL flexible adhesive which is also easy to obtain. Once laid make sure you seal with a good quality sealer.

Kev

[grahil]

hi all many thanks for all the advice all i have to do now is persuade the missus that its something we really need

[wetdec]

Travertine is a great choice especially in Spain. I would however go with the previous advice and lay it on a decoupling membrane mat such as Ditra which is made by Schluter and freely available in most good tile shops in Spain also i would advise you to use a BAL flexible adhesive which is also easy to obtain. Once laid make sure you seal with a good quality sealer.

Kev

I was told you could only buy the orange membranes in Madrid....some people


tiler