Travertine - Timeless Beauty Which Will Last A Lifetime

Travertine is a type of limestone deposited at mineral springs, more commonly around hot springs which can be found around the globe in locations such as Yellowstone National Park in the USA , Pamukkale in Turkey and most famously in Guidonia Montecelio in Italy; as well as many other world wide locations. Being naturally porous, travertine is a highly distinctive stone and has been used in buildings and architecture for many hundreds of years. More recently, travertine has enjoyed a growing popularity for its use as floor and wall tiles.  When utilised as a wall or floor tile, the pores in travertine are filled with a resin which not only makes the tiles waterproof, but also makes them even more resilient to cracking when laid as relatively thin floor tiles.

As previously mentioned, Travertine is a naturally porous rock yet in spite of this, it is extremely hard wearing, with ancient castles still standing proud after a thousand years. Probably the most famous building built from travertine is  the Colosseum in Rome. Travertine comes in a variety of colours from pale cream or ivory to a rich beige and deep brown colours. The entrance hall of the famous Willis tower, formerly the Sears Tower in Chicago is adorned with travertine floor and wall tiles. What better way to welcome visitors to Americas tallest building than with ancient polished travertine tiles underfoot?

Travertine is not the reserve of majestic buildings such as the Colosseum or the Willis Tower, as travertine wall and floor tiles has gained a growing popularity in the home in recent years. Travertine can be used throughout the home but its most common setting is in the bathroom. Resin filled travertine tiles are perfect as both a wall and floor covering. They are good conductors of heat and work well in conjunction with underfloor heating systems. Being resin filled to impregnate the pores which are natural in Travertine, makes thinly sliced travertine tiles more resilient than other natural stone tiles as the resin adds a little flexibility, therefore making them less likely to crack when laid.

Travertine is fast becoming one of the most popular natural stone floor and wall tiles, competing with the likes of slate, granite and marble. It is quarried throughout the world and is therefore relatively affordable in comparison to some other natural stones. Add splash of warmth, colour and timeless beauty to your bathroom, kitchen or entrance hall with the unique qualities of travertine.