Used in the constructions of Ancient Greece, travertine is known as a porous, decorative stone with earthy tones and can lend a rustic, classical appearance to interior and interior spaces. Travertine offers a subtle, classic beauty.
Chief Characteristics: Travertine ranges in appearance from marble-like to a pronounced rustic look. It is often beautifully banded due to iron compounds or other impurities. Travertine with holes and cavities was formed in ground springs where gases air and water have permeated the rock. Some types of travertine have geode-like crystals in its voids. The colors of travertine are generally earthy and include ivory, beige, walnut, noce and gold.
Origin: Compacted limestone formed by deposition of springs, rivers and subterranean water sources.
Travertine is formed by geysers, when the hot underground water dissolves underlying limestone and carries it upwards with the geyser water. When the water falls to the ground and evaporates, it leaves behind the dissolved limestone that re-hardens into travertine.
Location: Turkey, Egypt, China, U.S. and Europe
Composition: Massive Calcium carbonate with a layered structure, often contains iron and other chemical deposits
Ideal Location in the Home: Travertine is used as external coating on buildings, as well as for paving patios and garden paths. On the interior, is us used for flooring, showers, wall coverings and counter tops.
Cut and Finishes: Travertine can nbe either “vein” vein cut, against the bedding, or “fleuri” cut, also referred to as “crosscut” – which is along the bedding plane and reveals a flowery, circular pattern – hence the name.
There are 4 types of finishes for the stone:
Tumbled: stone is tumbled with sand, pebbles or steel bearings to create a weathered, aged finish
Filled: Natural travertine, with its many pores or small holes, is filled with cement in order to create a uniform surface
Unfilled: The natural finish of the stone is unfilled, leaving the pores and holes int the travertine exposed
Polished: As with marble tiles, travertine tile can be found polished. In this case the stone closely resembles the look of marble
* Please click on the thumbnails to enlarge the tile image
