Travertine floor. Help please.

joseph brand

Hey,

Just bought some travertine floor tiles. Has anyone put down these tiles before. How should I cut them? There are no websites with info on this topic.

I know they ned to be sealed and I have the flexible adhesive. Jut wondering if they are hassle to cut?

Thanks.

Kev

spadder

You will need to rent a large "wet" tile saw to cut them, They can be a little tricky to lay compared with ceramics.

Use a solvent based sealer if possible,they smell rotten but last longer than water based products. Wash the floor with a mild acidic cleaner and allow it to dry for 2-3 days (very important not to trap moisture in the floor) before sealing

joseph brand

Thanks very much Spadder for your reply.

It seems similar to laying slate. My Dad think me very awkward in picking these tiles and not normal ceramic. But they look ten times better.

rungmc

Travertine is a honeycombed marble, usually only filled at the front (visible) surface. As such, the underside is usually very pitted. One tip is to use a good bed of adhesive (white; ALWAYS white for any marble, grey adhesive will eventually seep through and discolour your floor!) so that the thick bed of adhesive "squidges" up into the pits, filling them from below!

As for cutting, use a wetsaw, and do it sloooooowwwwly. travertine is actually easier to cut than porcelain, which is quite glassy and splinters easily.

remember when fitting any marble, that no two tiles are alike! Take time to lay out your tiles to achieve a good spread of colour. Also, the size of marble WILL vary, with tiles being thicker than others (by fractions of millimetres, but it is noticable). Start your floor on its HIGHEST point, using the THICKEST tile you have, and build up from there.

You can mail me for any other advice!