Hello everyone,
Since our renovation will start soon, I have a few questions about our flooring, specifically one type of floor. We have an open-plan kitchen, meaning the kitchen, dining area, and living room are all combined. We would really like tiles or slabs because we plan to install underfloor heating. The floor should also be light-colored, as the room is quite dark. We are strongly leaning towards natural stone "travertine" (a light variety). Does anyone have experience with this stone and can offer some advice? It is often said that these tiles are very low-maintenance, but I'm a bit skeptical about that :-/ We have also found a "synthetic stone" that imitates travertine. So it’s a replica, but maybe it requires less effort. Of course, it’s nowhere near as beautiful as the original, but perhaps easier to maintain. Still very cozy!
What do you think?
Best regards,
Sarah
Since our renovation will start soon, I have a few questions about our flooring, specifically one type of floor. We have an open-plan kitchen, meaning the kitchen, dining area, and living room are all combined. We would really like tiles or slabs because we plan to install underfloor heating. The floor should also be light-colored, as the room is quite dark. We are strongly leaning towards natural stone "travertine" (a light variety). Does anyone have experience with this stone and can offer some advice? It is often said that these tiles are very low-maintenance, but I'm a bit skeptical about that :-/ We have also found a "synthetic stone" that imitates travertine. So it’s a replica, but maybe it requires less effort. Of course, it’s nowhere near as beautiful as the original, but perhaps easier to maintain. Still very cozy!
What do you think?
Best regards,
Sarah
Hello
Travertine is definitely a very good choice. When left unfilled, it is often referred to as antique marble and always catches the eye.
The question now is whether the natural stone should be installed by yourself or by a professional company, as there are several important factors to consider during installation.
Travertine is very lightweight and heat-retentive due to its high porosity.
Its main drawback is its high water absorption, which makes sealing essential in wet areas and kitchens.
For floor installation, the tiles should not be larger than 30x30 cm (12x12 inches), or alternatively, you can opt for continuous slabs.
Its high material density combined with the pores makes it prone to cracking, so it is very important to ensure that it is installed without any voids underneath.
Travertine is generally considered low-maintenance, although for the open-pored variety, I would recommend full-surface grout filling to immediately fill the holes on the surface and prevent dirt from accumulating over time. Alternatively, you can choose filled and polished travertine, but that is an aesthetic decision for the consumer...
Regards, Dirk
Travertine is definitely a very good choice. When left unfilled, it is often referred to as antique marble and always catches the eye.
The question now is whether the natural stone should be installed by yourself or by a professional company, as there are several important factors to consider during installation.
Travertine is very lightweight and heat-retentive due to its high porosity.
Its main drawback is its high water absorption, which makes sealing essential in wet areas and kitchens.
For floor installation, the tiles should not be larger than 30x30 cm (12x12 inches), or alternatively, you can opt for continuous slabs.
Its high material density combined with the pores makes it prone to cracking, so it is very important to ensure that it is installed without any voids underneath.
Travertine is generally considered low-maintenance, although for the open-pored variety, I would recommend full-surface grout filling to immediately fill the holes on the surface and prevent dirt from accumulating over time. Alternatively, you can choose filled and polished travertine, but that is an aesthetic decision for the consumer...
Regards, Dirk
Hello Sarah,
Since the beautiful travertine is a relatively soft and porous marble, quarried in northern Italy, I would not recommend it as a flooring material. It has a compressive strength of up to 60 N/mm².
It is more commonly used as a decorative stone. For example, I chose it as a top slab for a rootwood chest; the contrast between the dark wood and the light, textured stone looks very appealing. It would also work excellently as a wall cladding in a traditionally styled bathroom.
However, as I mentioned, for flooring I would recommend a harder stone. Granite would be much more suitable for this purpose and is available as tiles in various colors. Granite has a compressive strength of up to 240 N/mm², making it about four times harder.
So my advice is to visit a natural and engineered stone showroom again and get some inspiration. The specialist dealers can provide professional advice tailored to the intended use of the types of stone.
Since the beautiful travertine is a relatively soft and porous marble, quarried in northern Italy, I would not recommend it as a flooring material. It has a compressive strength of up to 60 N/mm².
It is more commonly used as a decorative stone. For example, I chose it as a top slab for a rootwood chest; the contrast between the dark wood and the light, textured stone looks very appealing. It would also work excellently as a wall cladding in a traditionally styled bathroom.
However, as I mentioned, for flooring I would recommend a harder stone. Granite would be much more suitable for this purpose and is available as tiles in various colors. Granite has a compressive strength of up to 240 N/mm², making it about four times harder.
So my advice is to visit a natural and engineered stone showroom again and get some inspiration. The specialist dealers can provide professional advice tailored to the intended use of the types of stone.
Hello,
I have found sources, thanks to Mr. Google, that state compressive strengths ranging from 20 to 180 N/mm² (2900 to 26100 psi).
Maybe the German travertine is stronger? I have no idea.
From my experience, there is certainly no reason to doubt it, and I have not received any negative feedback from customers where I have installed it.
Best regards, Dirk
However, it seems that scientific values and practical experience do not fully align here. But they don’t have to......
I have found sources, thanks to Mr. Google, that state compressive strengths ranging from 20 to 180 N/mm² (2900 to 26100 psi).
Maybe the German travertine is stronger? I have no idea.
From my experience, there is certainly no reason to doubt it, and I have not received any negative feedback from customers where I have installed it.
Best regards, Dirk
However, it seems that scientific values and practical experience do not fully align here. But they don’t have to......
Thank you all for your replies!
We have been out and about the last few days and took another look at the travertine in person. It really is a beautiful stone, but as it looks right now, we probably won’t be able to afford it. Because if we go with travertine, we don’t want it polished but rather honed with open pores, and fill the “holes” with mortar or filler. However, we completely forgot to add the installation costs, materials, etc. Even with an online company, the price ends up being quite high. Well, we still have a few months to decide.
Granite is also very nice but unfortunately not quite within our budget :-/
In any case, thank you for your quick help! I will probably be back soon with more questions anyway.
Here is the first one: what do you think about these natural stone look-alikes made from concrete or ceramic? Aren’t they easier to maintain and more practical to install?
Best regards, Sarah
We have been out and about the last few days and took another look at the travertine in person. It really is a beautiful stone, but as it looks right now, we probably won’t be able to afford it. Because if we go with travertine, we don’t want it polished but rather honed with open pores, and fill the “holes” with mortar or filler. However, we completely forgot to add the installation costs, materials, etc. Even with an online company, the price ends up being quite high. Well, we still have a few months to decide.
Granite is also very nice but unfortunately not quite within our budget :-/
In any case, thank you for your quick help! I will probably be back soon with more questions anyway.
Here is the first one: what do you think about these natural stone look-alikes made from concrete or ceramic? Aren’t they easier to maintain and more practical to install?
Best regards, Sarah
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