Travertine countertops have started becoming very popular due to their many advantageous qualities in beauty and strength. This stone has actually been holding its ground among the other well-known materials, such as granite and marble. Similar to the other types of kitchen countertops, there are also distinctive traits that make travertine rather unique. Here is some more information about this type of stone.
Travertine tile, which is used for the creation of travertine countertops, is available in an endless array of colors and shades like walnut, beige, ivory, and even gold. This natural stone is able to obtain its colors from the iron compounds as well as from the other organic impurities that are found in the earth as it is being formed.
Four finishes are available for travertine countertops, and these would be polished, honed, brushed, and tumbled. Polished, naturally, appears as a lustrous and shiny finish. Honed appears to have a smooth surface. Brushed has a grainy and slightly sandy look. And tumbled, which appears as a more rugged and textured finish.
The edges of the brushed countertops are basically chiseled so that a rustic appearance would be achieved. The honed finish would be the most common of the four. The polished look would be great for countertops that would be under a substantial amount of light, and the tumbled would be the most ideal for those homes with country-style kitchens, as it can reflect the most light.
Aside from being used in countertops, travertine is also widely used for the creation of structures and all sorts of buildings. After many years, it began to be used as cladding, flooring, wall coverings, and, of course, countertops. Today, many retailers and manufacturers offer travertine tiles and countertops. You could easily find some online or at the local hardware store. You could also request some samples so that you would be able to find the best one to fit the theme of your kitchen.
Make sure that you do some research. You could ask for the answers to your questions from the experts, such as salespeople, tile owners, local tile installers, and many other sources. They would surely be able to assist you in making an informed decision in purchasing. Knowledge would still be the best means to help you achieve the results that you want.
Travertine Flooring
Travertine flooring is essentially made with travertine tile, which is an attractive and hard-wearing natural stone that has been used from ancient times up until today. You can find it in famous structures such as the Roman Coliseum, which is still standing and strong proof that this stone is very durable and sturdy as a building material.
There are a lot of installers as well as do-it-yourselfers today who have been using travertine for wall tiling and, of course, more commonly, in flooring. Travertine flooring could easily be a practical, not to mention a unique and decorative addition to your exteriors and interiors. Here is some information that would be useful to know as you consider this type of floor for your home.
It is actually related to marble. Actually, it falls somewhere between limestone and marble if you consider its development over the thousands of years. It is a natural stone that is formed through the underground rivers, subterranean springs, as well as other natural water sources. These water sources can carry mineral elements like calcium carbonate, which build up after long periods of time, just like the way stalagmites and stalactites, which can be found in caves, are formed. The resulting stone would be a very hard yet smooth substance that could be further characterized by the porous surface it possesses. These pores are actually the result of the gases that escape as travertine stone is formed. Once it is quarried, it appears as a very beautiful natural stone that is smooth and dense and exhibits a very notable and distinct creamy color, which can remind you of some kind of old-world refinement. It is usually found in Turkey and Italy and remains a very popular import for construction products internationally.
Before it can be used for flooring, travertine has to be processed. It is basically removed from the earth in the form of considerably large blocks before being cut into what could be recognized as travertine tiles. Here are a couple of ways in which it could be cut into.
1. Cross cut: This cut of the travertine tile is done with the stone bedding’s grain and on the very same layer wherein it formed in the earth, resulting in a more uniform color and texture.
2. Vein cut: This cut is done across several stone bedding layers that resulting in a more mottled and tiger-stripe effect as they are cut into tiles.
