Travertine

Travertine is a type of limestone, formed quickly at hot springs or in caves rather than by the slower processes that form other limestones. It is not marble.

Travertine is naturally porous. Filled travertine has its surface holes filled for a smoother face; unfilled travertine leaves them open. See Filled vs Unfilled Travertine.

Like marble, it is calcareous, so acids such as lemon or vinegar can etch it. Clean with a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Sealing adds stain resistance but does not prevent etching. See the stone care guide.

Travertine is a natural stone, a type of limestone made mostly of calcite. It forms when mineral-rich water, often from hot springs, leaves calcium carbonate behind. Travertine tile is that stone cut into tile, usually in warm ivory, gold or brown with natural pits and soft bands.

No. Travertine is a type of limestone, even though it is sometimes called travertine marble. Marble forms when limestone is changed by heat and pressure, while travertine forms from mineral water. Both are calcite stones, so they need similar care, but they look and feel different.

Travertine is a sedimentary rock, a kind of limestone, so yes, it is a natural stone. It is made mostly of calcium carbonate in the form of tiny calcite crystals. Small amounts of impurities give it its ivory, gold and brown colors.

It is pronounced TRAV-er-teen. The Italian word is travertino, and the plural is travertini. In English, travertine is the standard spelling.

Travertine forms where mineral-rich water, often warm or hot, reaches the surface and leaves calcium carbonate behind, at hot springs and in caves. Well-known deposits are near Tivoli in Italy and at Pamukkale in Turkey, and tile travertine is also quarried in countries such as Mexico and Iran. A line's exact origin can differ by product, so ask us if it matters to you.

Tufa is a similar rock that forms from cool, ordinary-temperature water. It is usually softer and more porous. Shellstone is a different limestone that contains visible fossil shells. Travertine forms from mineral-rich water and is the stone we sell.

Yes. Travertine is naturally porous, which is why you see small holes and pits. Filled travertine has the holes filled for a smoother face, and unfilled travertine leaves them open. A good sealer helps with stains either way.

Travertine is widely used for floors and walls, and it lasts when it is installed, sealed and cleaned well. It is made of calcite, which sits at about 3 on the Mohs scale, so it can scratch and acids can etch it. Honed and tumbled finishes tend to hide everyday wear better than polished ones.

Like all stone tile, it has real weight, though travertine is light for its strength. Weight depends on the tile size and thickness, so ask us if weight matters for your wall or floor.

It depends on the product and size, so check the spec on the product page. Pavers, coping and ledger pieces are thicker than field tile and mosaics. For example, some Silver Pewter Blend pieces are listed in 3 cm and 5 cm. Your installer should match the thickness to the setting method and any neighboring floors.

Yes. Travertine is widely used outdoors for patios, walkways and pool decks. Choose pieces made for outdoor use, such as pavers and coping, and textured finishes such as tumbled, brushed or split-faced, which give more grip than polished. Outdoor jobs need a stable, well-drained base, so work with an experienced installer.

There is no single best sealer; choose by where the tile goes. Most travertine does well with a penetrating sealer made for natural stone. Test a spare tile first and follow the label for coats and re-sealing. Sealing adds stain resistance, but it does not prevent etching from acids.

Choose a penetrating sealer made for natural stone in wet areas, and follow the label for when to seal grout and how often to re-seal. Re-seal when water stops beading on the surface. Rinse after showers and avoid acidic bathroom cleaners.

Choose a penetrating sealer made for exterior stone that suits sun and water, and check that it is compatible with pool chemicals or salt if that applies. Seal after installation and grouting as the label directs, then re-seal on its schedule. Ask us or your installer if you are unsure.

Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner with a soft mop or microfiber pad. Avoid vinegar, lemon and acidic bathroom or grout cleaners, because they can dull and etch travertine. In showers, rinse and squeegee after use to cut down soap film. Regular gentle cleaning is the heart of caring for travertine.

Polishing is a surface refinishing job, not a cleaning step. If a honed or polished floor has gone dull, a stone restoration professional can re-hone or polish it. Day to day, gentle pH-neutral cleaning and a good sealer keep the finish looking its best.

Travertine's color is natural and runs through the stone, so it cannot be lightened like a painted surface. If tile looks dingy, a deep clean with a stone cleaner often brings it back, and a stone pro can refinish it. We do not suggest painting natural stone, because paint hides the grain and is hard to remove later. For a lighter look, choose an ivory or light line instead.

Pick a grout color close to the tile's main tone for a soft, blended look, or a little darker to hide dirt. Narrow joints usually take unsanded grout and wider joints take sanded grout, and the grout label will say which. Test a small area first, and ask your installer about sealing grout or using epoxy grout in wet areas.

Travertine is set like other natural stone: a flat, stable surface, a polymer-modified thinset, and full coverage under each tile. Many installers choose a white thinset for light stone so the mortar does not show through. Epoxy products are sometimes used for grout or repairs, so ask your installer. Read our installation guide first.

Travertine is grouped by color line, finish and cut. Color lines run from ivory and cream to gold, walnut, noce and silver. Finishes include tumbled, honed, filled, unfilled, brushed and chiseled, polished and split-faced. Rough travertine usually means unfilled, brushed and chiseled, or split-faced. Cuts are vein-cut and cross-cut.

Travertine comes as field tile and mosaics in shapes such as herringbone, brick, diamond, hexagon, pinwheel, flat-pebble and Versailles pattern. Borders and trim include pencil, bullnose, dome and rope liners, chair rail, crown, quarter-round and baseboard, plus arched molding and CNC-arched (round-face) tile on some lines. Thresholds are not a standard listed item, so ask us what we can offer.

Yes. Gold/Yellow Travertine is our warm yellow line. For deeper brown tones look at Walnut, Noce and Noce Exotic, and for a cooler look try Silver Pewter Blend. Mixed Ivory, Noce and Gold mosaics blend warm autumn tones. Colors vary from lot to lot, so order samples.

They are travertine lines we sell, each with its own color and finish range. Valencia, Durango Cream, Noce, Noce Exotic, Scabos and Philadelphia are all travertine, and Philadelphia is a travertine line, not marble. Order samples to compare them side by side.

Yes. Any 5 samples are $25 and ship free, and most tile and mosaic pages have a sample option. Trim, coping, paver and ledger pieces are sold full size only. SoCal Tiles is in Anaheim, California, and offers local pickup.

Travertine is used for indoor flooring, wall tile, showers, backsplashes, fireplaces, patios, pool decks and building facades. Dense travertine can take a polish as a decorative stone. The right tile depends on the room, so check the product page or ask us.

Real travertine has natural pits, soft bands and color shifts that never repeat exactly, and it feels like stone. Printed look-alikes tend to repeat the same pattern from tile to tile. If you are unsure, ask us.

Mostly, yes. The Colosseum in Rome is the largest building in the world constructed mostly of travertine, and the stone was quarried near Tivoli.