Travertine Floor Tiles
Travertine tiles are formed from a very dense form of Calcium Carbonate and although technically a Limestone, travertine tiles are more usually considered a Marble. The color varies from pale to dark cream and they have an attractive surface varigation.
They have been used since Roman times as a building material, and are now used for both domestic and commercial applications.
Travertine has characteristic voids in it's surface which are caused by gases present when the rock was in the metamorphic state. The size of these holes can vary from tiny pinholes to quite large irregular holes. These voids can be filled with grout when fixing the tiles or filled at the factory, where the tile is machined to give a honed or polished surface.
Factory filled and honed tiles are more expensive than unfilled tiles, however this largely depends on the finish. Brushed tiles on the other hand cannot be filled and are desirable due to their "rustic" appearance. As with many stone tiles quality can vary dramatically and travertines are often graded into quality groups such as Select and Second choice. Beware that many cheap offers on the web are second choice quality which is extremely variable in color and finish.
Types of finish for Travertine tiles are:
- Polished: Available only with filled tiles;
- Honed: Available in either filled or unfilled;
- Brushed: A textured finish available unfilled tiles only.