Travertine

Natural stone from limestone is considered to be a luxury flooring option and is used in residential and commercial rooms. Travertine is a sedimentary milled tile created from limestone that is formed just before marble stone. Travertine has decorative porous veins formed by mineral deposits when water travels through a limestone bed. As this water flows through the limestone it leaches the materials and this creates holes in the rock. Travertine stone is very durable and is found in various earthy colors like beige, coral and greys. The surfaces remain cool throughout the day and will not become worn over time.

Travertine tiles are one of the most popular stones in modern architecture. The stone has been used as a building material for thousands of years because of its ability to be shaped to fit just about any purpose. There are four types of finishing for travertine tiles, polished, honed, brushed and tumbled. Polished travertine has a smooth glossy surface. Honed tiles have a slight luster, the tiles are smooth but not as glossy as polished. And brushed and tumbled tiles have a porous texture with no shine. Travertine tiles can be installed with minimal grout lines, giving your floor and overall smooth stone appearance.

Travertine provides a durable flooring solution. The polished finished tiles can be laid into an elegant living room, or they can be used to add a rustic feel with a tumbled texture. It can be used in hallways, foyers, porches, kitchen countertops, fireplaces and living spaces to offer a luxurious feeling to the structure. The tiles can also be used for exterior wall cladding, shower, surrounding swimming pools or for general floors and decorative fixtures. The travertine tile is inexpensive and multi-facility stone, which makes a luxurious fashion statement for your floors.
Caring for your travertine tile flooring is not a difficult process. If you protect your travertine flooring with sealants it makes cleaning even easier. Clean up spills immediately to prevent staining. The best materials for cleaning your flooring are a sponge or soft cloth and use warm water and a specialty tile cleaning solution found at your local hardware store. A dust mop is best used to clean the surface of your flooring, rather than sweeping with a broom since the tiles have a porous texture, the dust mop will get into the grooves to pick up dirt better than the bristles of a broom.

If you want an inexpensive, low maintenance (compared with marble) and unique flooring option, travertine flooring is the perfect choice. It is decorative, ecofriendly and luxurious, and it can be used for virtually any flooring surface.