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For centuries tile has been used to enhance the beauty and durability of buildings and structures all over the world. Not only does tile impart a touch of class and elegance to any building inside and out, but this material often lasts much longer than others used for building and furnishing. Tile doesn’t capture and hold dust or odors, and cannot be damaged by common pests the way wood can.

Travertine flooring is made from travertine stone. What is travertine stone? It is a semi-crystalline form of calcium carbonate. Think of it as a sedimentary type of stone, like limestone. It develops over time and is created by the deposits of minerals from rivers, streams, and other bodies of water. This gives travertine tile floors a range of beautiful color and pattern options, all courtesy of Mother Nature. This stone is also used to create travertine stone pavers which are commonly found in gardens and side paths around homes and businesses.

Travertine stone is a popular form of stone used in creating pavers for patios. Installing patio pavers made from this stone is not difficult, and you should be able to find instructions telling you how to install pavers in many different locations online. Different cuts and grades of travertine will require slightly different handling, so be sure to consult a local contractor or stone worker to make sure that you will be using the right kind of stone for your project.

How can you know you’ve selected the right kind of travertine?
There are three grades of travertine stone: commercial, standard, and premium. Premium grade stone has been cut with maximum attention to standardized thickness, and are smoothed and polished by both hand and machine. Standard grade stone has been carefully examined for color conformity, but there may be some inclusions, presenting themselves as swirls of color. Commercial grade stone is not smoothed or filed by hand and comes in colors that may have a high degree of inclusions, resulting in black and gray markings in the tiles. Regardless of grade, the best travertine tiles will have minimal pores in the surface, corners cut at precise 90 degree angles, a consistency of color, and a minimal surface dimension of 18x18 inches square.

The cut of travertine stone does not affect its performance, but can impact the way it looks once it is installed. Ask if you can purchase a single tile of each cut available and compare them on site at the location where they will be used before you begin your project.




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