Travertine is actually limestone which is made into tiles for flooring. It adds a beautiful, stylish, unique look to your home.  Although technically a soft stone, it is also considered a type of marble due to travertine’s density. This makes it a popular choice for flooring.

Travertine is one of the original types of flooring, having been in existence for ages. The tile choices are often earth tones like browns, tans, and shades of beige.

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It is important to understand the strengths and challenges of using travertine so you can determine the best areas of your home for it. This type of flooring is somewhat difficult to maintain and is not for every room of the house. There are a variety of surface finishes to choose from, so you can get the exact look you envision.

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Travertine tiles are most commonly used for bathroom floors. You can use travertine in kitchens and even to decorate walls or countertops. Travertine is also a popular choice for your backsplash. Travertine tiles can have a finish on them which makes a perfect slip-resistant surface for outside your home too.

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One great thing about travertine tiles is durability. Travertine can endure a lot of traffic without scratches, chips, or cracks. Your flooring investment can last for decades with proper maintenance. If one of your tiles does break, it is easy to repair, especially if you have a few extra matching tiles on hand. Simply remove and replace.

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Because travertine tiles are porous like limestone, spilled liquids can seep into the surface of the tiles. You can prevent this by applying a penetrating sealer and a barrier surface sealer during installation.

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Travertine is a type of stone, so the tiles reflect the temperature of the floor. If it is cold and you walk on travertine tiles with bare feet, you might find the floor very chilly. You can remedy this by placing area rugs where needed. If you have in-floor heating systems, the travertine tiles will actually conduct the heat and help warm your room.

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Marble floors have many similarities to travertine flooring. Marble holds great appeal for its elegance and sophistication. Because of the way marble tiles are manufactured, no two marble floors will ever look exactly alike.

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Marble tiles are very popular in the kitchen. The tiles are more difficult to replace than travertine tiles, and marble can be very slippery if water is spilled on the floor.