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Travertine is a natural material and due to its characteristics requires a completely different approach than that of standard ceramic tile.
Here is a quick guide I have compiled for those that are new to working with travertine.
1. Travertine is normally only filled and honed on one side. Due to the number of pits normally found on travertine as well as its absorbency, it is recommended that back filling (back buttering/ skimming) is done using adhesive similar to the colour of the stone. This helps ensure that the each tile is rigid once laid.
2. When selecting adhesives and grout, consideration is a must ascertain adhesive will not be suitable. Choose a flexible adhesive and grout that is suitable for stone. White adhesive should be used for cream/ beige tiles. Grey may be used only on silver/ grey travertine. A fast setting flexible adhesive would be a good choice. It is most common for grout selection to be chosen as close as possible to the colour of the tile to give a natural/ subtle finish. This will also help reduce chances of staining to the tile.
3. Travertine tiles should not be cut with a manual tile cutter. For travertine you will need a wetsaw with a diamond blade or a grinder with a diamond blade.Travertine will produce a lot of dust during dry cutting so be sure to work outside or in a well ventilated area. Wear a mask as, in addition to the dust from the stone, travertine 'in most cases' will contain resins as these are used to fill holes during the manufacturing process.
4. Travertine like other natural materials can be installed onto a wooden substrate. When this is the case a good flexible adhesive should be used. Additional thought should be given to the likelihood of expansion in this type of substrate. Such substrates can be affected resulting in stress between the substrate and tile which may cause tiles to delaminate or crack. One worthwhile consideration in these circumstances would be the use of an uncoupling membrane. This membrane will uncouple the tile from the substrate acting as a barrier between the tile and substrate reducing the affects of any stress between the two materials. There are different uncoupling membranes on the market and prices can vary so be sure to have a look around before purchasing. The uncoupling membranes are also a good choice for wetroom installation as they tend to have waterproofing qualities. You can contact any manufacturer to discuss which may suit your particular project most.
5. Travertine tiles must be prepared adequately either before or after tiles are fixed. This can be achieved by using a mild tile cleaner. After the tile cleaner has had enough time to dry (see manufacturers guidelines) your tiles will now need to be sealed. There are various types available which can leave a matt finish for unpolished tile, some sealers can also intensify the colour of the tile. Polished sealers are also available for polished travertine. Many tiler’s have their own preference in regards to when they clean and seal the tiles. I would guess that the majority clean and seal after installation whilst ensuring that they clean as they go to prevent staining, other tillers may choose to do this differently. Cleaning a sealing must be done regularly to ensure a long lasting quality finish. Timescales will vary depending on the environment in which your travertine has been installed. It is recommended that tile specific cleaners are used to maintain your travertine as these are less harsh to the seal on the tile. The substrate being tiled may also need some preparation such as priming, sheeting, additional noggins or self levelling etc.
6. After a period of time it is common for holes to appear in filled travertine. This is expected in filled travertine and may be more likely to occur an areas of higher traffic such as hallways and kitchens but, can just as easily appear in bathroom etc. These holes can be filled in with fillers specifically for filling/ gluing stone. Alternatively you can purchase an epoxy grout similar to the colour of the tile. If the filler in your tile is a transparent wheat sort of colour then I would choose something like Jolly natural stone glue which is available in transparent.
The points mentioned are just the basics and the information is intended for those who have little or no experience with travertine. There are many more areas where there may be additional requirements when installing travertine such as sub floor prep, under floor heating, new screeds etc. I may have missed a few points worth considering but, Im sure some of the other guys may add to this.
Recommended products/ suppliers include
Keraquick white adhesive Broken Link Removed
Kerapoxy Broken Link Removed
Jolly natural filler http://www.pureadhesion.co.uk/jolly-natural-stone-glue-filler-travertine-repair-straw-125ml.html
Schluter Ditra http://www.schluter.com/6_1_ditra.aspx
Macrist cutting blade http://www.tradetiler.com/acatalog/Marcrist_Diamond_wheels_.html
LTP for tile cleaning sealing and maintenance products http://ltp-online.co.uk/index.html
Here is a quick guide I have compiled for those that are new to working with travertine.
1. Travertine is normally only filled and honed on one side. Due to the number of pits normally found on travertine as well as its absorbency, it is recommended that back filling (back buttering/ skimming) is done using adhesive similar to the colour of the stone. This helps ensure that the each tile is rigid once laid.
2. When selecting adhesives and grout, consideration is a must ascertain adhesive will not be suitable. Choose a flexible adhesive and grout that is suitable for stone. White adhesive should be used for cream/ beige tiles. Grey may be used only on silver/ grey travertine. A fast setting flexible adhesive would be a good choice. It is most common for grout selection to be chosen as close as possible to the colour of the tile to give a natural/ subtle finish. This will also help reduce chances of staining to the tile.
3. Travertine tiles should not be cut with a manual tile cutter. For travertine you will need a wetsaw with a diamond blade or a grinder with a diamond blade.Travertine will produce a lot of dust during dry cutting so be sure to work outside or in a well ventilated area. Wear a mask as, in addition to the dust from the stone, travertine 'in most cases' will contain resins as these are used to fill holes during the manufacturing process.
4. Travertine like other natural materials can be installed onto a wooden substrate. When this is the case a good flexible adhesive should be used. Additional thought should be given to the likelihood of expansion in this type of substrate. Such substrates can be affected resulting in stress between the substrate and tile which may cause tiles to delaminate or crack. One worthwhile consideration in these circumstances would be the use of an uncoupling membrane. This membrane will uncouple the tile from the substrate acting as a barrier between the tile and substrate reducing the affects of any stress between the two materials. There are different uncoupling membranes on the market and prices can vary so be sure to have a look around before purchasing. The uncoupling membranes are also a good choice for wetroom installation as they tend to have waterproofing qualities. You can contact any manufacturer to discuss which may suit your particular project most.
5. Travertine tiles must be prepared adequately either before or after tiles are fixed. This can be achieved by using a mild tile cleaner. After the tile cleaner has had enough time to dry (see manufacturers guidelines) your tiles will now need to be sealed. There are various types available which can leave a matt finish for unpolished tile, some sealers can also intensify the colour of the tile. Polished sealers are also available for polished travertine. Many tiler’s have their own preference in regards to when they clean and seal the tiles. I would guess that the majority clean and seal after installation whilst ensuring that they clean as they go to prevent staining, other tillers may choose to do this differently. Cleaning a sealing must be done regularly to ensure a long lasting quality finish. Timescales will vary depending on the environment in which your travertine has been installed. It is recommended that tile specific cleaners are used to maintain your travertine as these are less harsh to the seal on the tile. The substrate being tiled may also need some preparation such as priming, sheeting, additional noggins or self levelling etc.
6. After a period of time it is common for holes to appear in filled travertine. This is expected in filled travertine and may be more likely to occur an areas of higher traffic such as hallways and kitchens but, can just as easily appear in bathroom etc. These holes can be filled in with fillers specifically for filling/ gluing stone. Alternatively you can purchase an epoxy grout similar to the colour of the tile. If the filler in your tile is a transparent wheat sort of colour then I would choose something like Jolly natural stone glue which is available in transparent.
The points mentioned are just the basics and the information is intended for those who have little or no experience with travertine. There are many more areas where there may be additional requirements when installing travertine such as sub floor prep, under floor heating, new screeds etc. I may have missed a few points worth considering but, Im sure some of the other guys may add to this.
Recommended products/ suppliers include
Keraquick white adhesive Broken Link Removed
Kerapoxy Broken Link Removed
Jolly natural filler http://www.pureadhesion.co.uk/jolly-natural-stone-glue-filler-travertine-repair-straw-125ml.html
Schluter Ditra http://www.schluter.com/6_1_ditra.aspx
Macrist cutting blade http://www.tradetiler.com/acatalog/Marcrist_Diamond_wheels_.html
LTP for tile cleaning sealing and maintenance products http://ltp-online.co.uk/index.html
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