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| + Q1: |
What type of Marble tiles will you recommend for high traffic area. We want something that looks great but is not slippery. We are tiling the main living area, formal living room and dining room. |
| Ans: |
I would recommend using Travertine in your high traffic areas. If you are concerned with the tile being slippery, I would recommend using a tumbled travertine or a brushed chiseled edge travertine. The tumbled tiles are normally only 12"x12" or smaller but the brushed chiseled edge tiles come in larger sizes.
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| + Q2: |
We installed travertine tile in our bathroom shower. The edges of the tile are straight and unfinished. What is the best way to smooth the edges and get a more finished look? |
| Ans: |
There are several ways to get a finished look to the travertine tile on the shower walls.
The first option is the purchase a bull nose or pencil molding piece to attach to the edge of the tile. This will give the tile a rounded edge.
The second option would be to take a piece of rough sandpaper and round the edge, once you have the edge rounded take a smoother piece of sand paper and sand the edge to a smooth finish. This will give you a rounded finished edge.
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| + Q3: |
I would like to use 1/2" Travertine 12X12 tiles to face the outside of my home, going over new 3/4" plywood. I live in Philadelphia Pa and am concerned with the below freezing temps in the winter. I used 1/2 travertine on the walls in my kitchen, applied with a mastic, looks so good I want to keep going. |
| Ans: |
You can use travertine 12x12 tiles on the face of the house but I would recommend you put a backer board over the plywood to help the travertine stick better. If the plywood buckles over time the travertine will crack off. |
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| + Q4: |
Considering a travertine stone with chipped edges for great room floor (tile has holes that will be filled with grout). Can we use the same tile on outside deck? Is there a potential problem of cracking during freezing weather if water gets into holes? |
| Ans: |
You can use the brushed chiseled edge tile outside. If you are concerned about the tile cracking when water gets in the holes, you can grout the holes. |
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| + Q5: |
Are travertine pavers strong enough to be used as driveway pavers? If so, can they be layed over the top of an existing cracked driveway or should the existing driveway be pulled up? |
| Ans: |
The travertine pavers are strong enough for the driveway but there are some things to consider. You can install the pavers over the existing concrete with a thin set or using sand. This will raise the driveway up about 2". If you decide to thin set the pavers over the existing concrete you can use a larger paver, like a 12"x12" or a French Pattern. If you install them over the concrete with sand, I would only use a 6"x12" or smaller paver.
The other option would be to rip out the old concrete driveway and lay a 6"x12" paver over crushed concrete bed. This would ensure that the driveway would not be raised up and cause any problems with meeting up with the sidewalk or garage. |
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| + Q6: |
A. If i want to lay travertine and want heated floors will they conduct the heat if I lay them over a radiant floor heating system? http://www.thermosoft.com/thermotile2?gclid=CLm8-bbFz58CFQ7yDAodbVnCxw
B. Can i lay the travertine directly over ceramic tile with a mortar set.. I am remodeling a sunroom that has smooth 1/4 inc thich uniform ceramic tile. I was wondering if i can just lay the travertine right over the top. Or should Iay a green/board/backerboard down first...or should i just dig out the old tile down to the slab?
Thanks |
| Ans: |
A. Yes they will conduct the heat if installed over a radiant floor.
B. Yes you can lay the travertine over a ceramic tile with a mortar set. You should use a really good multi-purpose thin set. This is not the recommended way to install the floor but it can be done. You have the possibility of the ceramic tile cracking and then cracking your travertine tile. Most installers would not warranty this type of work. The best thing to do is to rip out the ceramic and install the travertine on top of the clean concrete floor.
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| + Q7: |
We live in Alberta, Canada. We are looking for something to put on our outdoor covered deck. Would you recommend these tiles, or what tiles would you recommend? It would be covered. But we do get temperatures from -49 in the winter to 114 in the summer! |
| Ans: |
WOW, those are some extreme temperatures! The travertine tiles will need to be installed with a thin set mortar which might crack and cause the tile to crack. I would recommend using a travertine paver installed over a bed of sand. The pavers are 1 1/4" thick so make sure you won't have an issue with doors that need to be cut. |
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| + Q8: |
I am considering installing travertine, french pattern, in our upstairs bath room, and continuing that around the shower.
1) Will the travertine work well on shower walls?
2) The floor is wood flooring boards, laid diagonal. Should I put something between the wood floor and the travertine? At 1/2 in tile thickness, I am concerned about the height difference with the adjoining floor.
Thanks very much for your suggestions. |
| Ans: |
Excellent choice to use the french pattern, it is a beautiful stone.
1) The travertine will work on the walls or the floor. I would recommend using a 1/4" backer board under the tile.
2) Install a backer board on top of the wood floor to prevent cracking and it will allow the travertine to stick better than wood will. You will need to use a transition strip between the adjoining floors. I used a piece travertine bull nose, 1/2" wide and 1" high. There are other products that you can purchase from Home Depot that will provide a transition. |
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| + Q9: |
How do I buy tile from you? All I can get into my shopping cart are samples. |
| Ans: |
You will need to call in your orders for tile since the shipping charges will need to be calculated by one our staff members. |
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| + Q10: |
I'm considering putting travertine tile on the great room floor at my beach house. The house is on pilings and we get strong winds that sometimes shake the house, because we are right on the coast. The floors would have 3/4" OSB and 1/2" tile backer under the tile. Would you recommend using travertine tiles, and if so, what size tile would you use?. |
| Ans: |
I would recommend an 18"x18" tile or the french pattern for your floor. When you install the tile make sure you use a good thin set such as Kerabond/Keralastic. It is a high-performance, two-part system: Keralastic ™, a second-generation “flexible” acrylic latex additive, is used to enhance the performance of Kerabond ™, which is a premium-grade dry-set mortar. This system has exceptional bond strength, flexural strength, elongation and freeze/thaw durability. To ensure proper flexibility, always use a latex additive when applying a dry-set mortar over plywood or to set nonvitreous tiles. |
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| + Q11: |
Can I buy Travertine in 8' lengths by 4'' to use as base on top of Travertine tiles ?
Thanks, Tony |
| Ans: |
That would be a custom order that would take about 8 weeks and would cost a lot. I would recommend you cut down the scraps that you have from your floor and use that as the baseboards. You can sand the top edge of the travertine to give it a 1/4" round edge. |
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| + Q12: |
Can you lay travertine without any grout lines? So that it looks like one solid surface? |
| Ans: |
You can lay travertine without any grout lines as long as you purchase good quality material that is perfectly cut. If the sub floor is new, I wouldn't recommend laying them without a grout joint since there might be some settling and push the tiles together and pop them up. |
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| + Q13: |
We want to install a shower with travertine on the floor and walls. Should we be using the premium grade? Does the premium grade have less holes (more stone)? Do I have to worry about mildew getting in the holes between cleaning? |
| Ans: |
I would recommend a first quality material for the shower since it will have less holes than a standard or commercial quality material. If you seal the tile several times with the Stone Tech Heavy Duty Sealer this should prevent any mildew from growing on the tile or grout. |
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| + Q14: |
I'm going to use your 2x4 Classic Mosiac for my kitchen backsplash. Can you tell me what the best process for sealing the tile? Should you seal the tile before you install? Then just seal the grout after installtion? Or should I seal it both before and after installtion? Also which of your sealants would be best for a kitchen? I see you have a Stone Tech Sealer and a Heavy Stone Sealer.
Thank you. |
| Ans: |
Excellent choice of tile for your backsplash. I would recommend installing the tile prior to sealing it. Once you have the tile installed, you can seal the tile, wait 24 hours and then grout. This will help prevent the grout from sticking to the tile when you wipe it off. Once you wipe and clean the grout, you can apply a second coat of the Stone Tech Sealer. There are several ways to seal the tile. You can apply it with a roller, brush or spray it on. |
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| + Q15: |
Can travertine be used as counter tops in a kitchen? if so, what is the appropriate grade and finish? |
| Ans: |
We would not recommend using travertine on a kitchen counter top since it is very porous. Even if you seal the tile there is still a chance of food and bacteria getting into the tile. If you insist on using it, you should use something honed and filled and a very high quality with little filler. |
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| + Q16: |
Considering travertine flooring in the bath and kitchen but unlike porcelain or ceramic, its pores and needs to be sealed. How often does it needs to be sealed? Can I just clean it and seal it or does the old stuff need to come off? Is there a color change from the sealer? Finally, can I seal the grout with the same sealer?
thanks
nick
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| Ans: |
I would recommend a honed and filled travertine if you are concerned with the porosity of the tile. The travertine should be sealed every 3 - 5 years depending on how you maintain it. If you use harsh chemicals to clean the floor, the sealer will be stripped off sooner than 3 three years. You do not have to remove any old sealer, you just need to ensure that the floor is clean and clear of any marks prior to applying the sealer. The sealer shouldn't change the color of the stone, if you want the color to change use an enhancer sealer. Yes you can seal the tile and grout at the same time. |
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| + Q17: |
How do you cut travertine pencil molding for inside and outside corners? |
| Ans: |
You can use a diamond blade to cut the angles. |
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| + Q18: |
We are considering having travertine on the counter, floor and walls in the bathroom. What should I use to clean it on a regular basis? And what kind of sealer should we use?
Thank you for helping us.
Angela |
| Ans: |
Once you install the travertine, you should seal it with Stone Pro Sealer or Enhancer Sealer. Daily or weekly cleaning should be done with a mild detergent or the Stone Tech Tile and Stone Cleaner. You can use bleach to disinfect the shower and counter top but this will break down the sealer and you will need to apply the sealer sooner than the recommended time frame on the bottle. |
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| + Q19: |
We are considering travertine pavers for our patio. What are the benefits of using travertine over the traditional concrete paver? Also, how thick does the travertine paver need to be to avoid cracking? Thanks in advance for your help! |
| Ans: |
Travertine pavers are an excellent choice for pools and patios. There are several benefits of using travertine over concrete. The travertine pavers are a natural stone so there is variation in the color which provides a more natural beauty to the stone. The travertine pavers do not get hot in the sun so you can stand out there in the middle of summer without burning your feet. The travertine pavers are a lot denser than concrete so they only need to be 1 1/4" for pools and patios. If you are installing on a driveway, I would recommend a 2" paver or use a smaller size paver (6"x12") in the 1 1/4". |
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| + Q20: |
I am considering using travertine french pattern to go around my ingroung pool. i ripped up the wood decking around it what would you recommend I put down as a base and how deep of a base and how deep do you make the sand you lay it on? Also what is recommended to do at the coping of the pool |
| Ans: |
The travertine pavers are installed the same way a concrete paver is installed. I would check with your local installers to see what they recommend. Most people install the pavers over 4" - 6" of crushed concrete. It will depend on what type of furniture you will be placing on top.
There are several options for the coping, you can use a straight coping (1 1/4") with a bullnose or use a remodeled coping that extends down into the pool. |
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| + Q21: |
what do you recommend for travertine pavers over CDX (cool/ epoxy deck? |
| Ans: |
You can either sand set the travertine over the cool deck or use a multi-purpose thin set. |
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| + Q22: |
we are remodeling our master bath, i am having trouble getting the travertine from a local, how long would it take to get 150 sq ft . and do you have it in a 3x6 smooth edge size? What else is needed with installing - will it just be a sealer? THanks |
| Ans: |
It depends where you are located, but we ship to most places in the US within a few days. We do not have the 3x6 in a smooth edge, but we do have it in the 3x6 tumbled edge.
You will only need a sealer once you install the tile. |
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| + Q23: |
I am interested in your Ivory French trav. and or your 18x18 Walnut Travertine. I am building a new house and wondered if I could use a Flex-Bond type of adhesive under this directly applied to the plywood sub-floor? I have other areas of new wood floor abutting which is the same 1/2" thickness of the tile and don't want an elevation difference or toe stubber. Can this be done without the breaking of tile or popping of grout in traffic areas?
Thanks |
| Ans: |
This can be done but is not recommended, you should install a backboard. If you decide to do it anyway, you might have problems with grout popping out or tiles cracking. I installed tile in my bathroom this way four years ago and haven't had any problems. |
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| + Q24: |
I am replacing a polypebble pool deck. The polypebble rests on solid concrete. I wish to avoid replacing the coping tiles. The thickness of the polypebble near the coping tiles is 1/2" The deck slopes away from the pool edge to the point that a couple of feet away from the coping, there is over a 1-1/4 inch dip below the surface of the coping. I was thinking I could use 1/2 inch travertine tiles with thinset for the first couple of feet from the coping edge and have these meet with travertine pavers (leveled with sand over the polypebble) at the point where there is sufficent clearance to accommodate pavers. Thus there would be thinset under the tiles built up to about an inch at the point where the pavers set on sand and polypebble begin. Is this a workable approach? Looking over your offering of tiles and pavers, I find it difficult to match tile/paver color styles. |
| Ans: |
This is a workable solution. You can use a 12"x12"x1/2" tumbled tile around the edge near the coping and use a 12"x12"x1 1/4" paver to meet up with that tile. We have a light beige(classic), rustic gold, and a noche(brown) color. |
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| + Q25: |
We have an existing concrete pool deck that is cracking and there has been settling beneath. Is it best to remove concrete decking and then install new travertine or are we able to put travertine right over existing concrete deck? |
| Ans: |
There are several ways to go about installing the travertine pavers.
1 - Remove all of the concrete, install crushed concrete base, a layer of sand and install the pavers. This could be costly to remove all of the concrete.
2 - Lay sand over the existing concrete and install the pavers over the sand. This will probably be the cheapest route. This will help with settling of the concrete since the sand will absorb the cracks. The pavers will be easy to remove If you need to rip out a paver for repairs.
3 - Use a thin set mortar to set the pavers down over the concrete. This is a more permanent solution so it will be harder to make repairs if needed. If the concrete settles and cracks occur, you have a chance that the pavers may crack as well. |
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| + Q26: |
I saw a travertine at a kitchen store that was 3 or 4 shapes (4x4 4x6 2x2 in a pattern on a 12" sheet. You have this? |
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| + Q27: |
We are building a new bathroom. We are thinking about using 12x12 travertine tiles for the shower walls, 18x18 travertine tiles for the bathroom floor and a textured 1x2 split face (Daltile TS 09) for the area in front of the bathtub.
1. What backer board do you recommend?
2. What is the smallest grout size that I can use?
3. What should I use to make the transition from the travertine to the split face?
4. What sealer do you recommend for honed and filled travertine? What are the steps? Can the Stone Tech Heavy Duty Sealer be used to seal the grout as well?
Thanks! |
| Ans: |
1. You should use a Hardie Board for your backer.
2. I would use a 1/6" grout joint if you are a good tile layer.
3. To make the transition to the split face, you can use a pencil liner, or ogee listello.
4. I would recommend the Stone Tech Heavy Duty Sealer for your tiles. You can roll it, or spray it on the tile. This will seal the grout as well. You can apply one coat prior to grouting to minimize the grout sticking to the tile.
Good Luck! |
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| + Q28: |
I have thick travertine pavers (Ashler Pattern) around my pool deck. I removed the baby security fence and would like to fill the approximate 1 inch wholes from the removed fence poles. How can i do this and not make it look like a patch... ? Do you sell the hard resin material I read about in your FAQ's on your website. The color i have would be considered maybe walnut very natural color. I have purchased tiles in the hopes of just replacing the various tiles with the holes but color is an issue when they get wet. i live in Boca Raton FL.
Please call me or send me your suggestions. I want to do it right. |
| Ans: |
You can replace the pavers with the same ones and use an enhancer to match the color. You can also purchase some sanded grout from Home Depot that matches the color of the paver. Fill the holes in with the sanded grout and that should work just fine. |
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| + Q29: |
We have a cool deck surface around our free form pool. The decking has cracked and we want to cover with travertine. What is the best way to approach a coping edge that is free form shape and what is the best way to install? What would be the largest size square recommended and how thick should it be? We do not want to have mold in the grout area. We are in Florida. |
| Ans: |
We have a remodeled pool coping with a 3" overhang that works perfectly for existing pool decks. Simply cut the edge off the existing pool coping if there is one. Take the new remodeled coping and use a thin set mortar to secure the coping to the edge of the pool. This will be 4" wide x 9" deep and will cover the edge that was cut off. If you do not need to cut the edge of the existing coping or you will be replacing the pool liner tile, then you can use a regular pool coping. Some people have painted the existing coping the same color as the new travertine coping and install the coping right over it, creating a look of two bull nose edges. |
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| + Q30: |
We would like to use travertine pavers to cover our existing acrylic pool deck. We currently have a brick coping that is even with the pool deck surrounding the perimeter of the pool. Would we have to remove the brick coping or is there a travertine coping that would cover it? |
| Ans: |
This is a common problem with a lot of our customers. There are several solutions.
1. Cut the existing coping back so that it is flush with the inside of the pool. This will leave you with an exposed brick edge which will not look good. You would then install our remodeled pool coping which will hang down almost 3" into the pool. This option works if you are not going to replace the inside tile if there is any. Here is a link to it http://www.wholesaletravertine.com/6_x12__Classic_Remodel_Coping_Tumbled-details.aspx.
2. The second option works if you are replacing the tile inside the pool with new tile. You would cut back the existing coping so it is flush with the inside of the pool. Then you would install a regular travertine coping with a 1 1/4" bull nose edge and then replace the inside tile with new tile up to the bottom of the new coping. |
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| + Q31: |
what sizes are the tiles in the autumn blended french pattern.. I have a small area 9 x 10 and wonder if this would work and what kind of edge I need |
| Ans: |
The pattern would work in that area, here are the sizes.
8x8, 8x16, 16x16, 16x24
Each set makes up 16 square feet. |
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| + Q32: |
I have a 2000 sqft patio that I am considering instaling travertine paver. The patio is newly built concrete slab with proper drainage. the question is what's the best way to install the travertine to prevent cracking? Morter set or dry set? |
| Ans: |
The best way to install it so you prevent cracking would be dry set. This way if the concrete slab cracks the pavers will not be affected by it. |
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| + Q33: |
Can you install the travertine pavers of brick using thinset? We are intereste din putting pavers on the existing brick outdoor front entry. |
| Ans: |
Yes you can install the travertine pavers using a thin set mortar mix over the existing brick pavers. |
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| + Q34: |
I have a 22x20 foot raised patio that is lightly stamped and colored concrete. The color is peeling off and my contractor is willing to apply pavers over it. My hosue is direct applied stucco and there is a 1 inch space from the bottom edge of the stucco and the surface of the deck/patio which increases to 1 3/4 inches as it goes away from the house. Do you have a 1/2 inch thick paver or tile that is suitable for outside? The plan is to grind the surface smooth then add the pavers. Would they need to add a thin layer of cement to lay the pavers? Would 1/2 paver/tile be stong enough? |
| Ans: |
We do sell 1/2" tile that is suitable for outdoors. You can use any of our tiles that say "Patina" or you can use any of the French Pattern tiles, they are ll brushed with a chiseled edge. This will give you enough grip and will not be slippery.
You can lay them with a thin set mortar and it should be strong enough. |
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| + Q35: |
I couldn't find the right color pencil for our backsplash. The pencil is travertine. Is there a way to paint the pencil to match? |
| Ans: |
I guess you could paint it, but that might look a little un-natural. You might as well get a ceramic pencil to match if you are going to paint travertine. Natural stone doesn't always have to match, you can use complimentary colors and they will look good. |
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| + Q36: |
We're thinking of using travertine just inside the front door--18" tiles, 2 deep and maybe 4 wide. Is this a good choice for a high traffic area? What width grout would be best? Is there any special sealing needed? Any other considerations before deciding on using travertine?
Thanks. |
| Ans: |
Travertine is an excellent choice for high traffic areas. The travertine
tiles are perfectly cut and calibrated so you can install them with a 1/6" grout
joint. We do recommend you seal the travertine tile with Stone Tech Heavy Duty
Sealer. You will need at least two coats of sealer in high traffic areas or in
areas where there will be food.
Just remember that travertine is a natural
stone that will have shade variations unlike a porcelain or ceramic tile. This
is what gives travertine it's natural beauty.
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| + Q37: |
For a pool deck, would you recommend pavers over tiles due to 1 1/4 inch thickness?
Do the tiles/pavers need to be sealed? |
| Ans: |
If you are installing tile over solid poured concrete, you can use 1/2" tile installing them with a thin-set mortar. If you have have dirt or crushed concrete on the pool deck, you can install the 1 1/4" travertine pavers.
It is not necessary to seal the travertine pavers, but we do recommend sealing them. This will prevent and accidental spills of acid liquids such as, wine or orange juice. It will also prevent growth of mildew on the pavers.
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| + Q38: |
We are installing travertine tiles in our kitchen, baths, entry, and want to know if they are installed like regular tiles or is there a special installation? Is this a good choice for these areas? thanks |
| Ans: |
Travertine and marble are not like regular tile in the way you install them. Travertine and marble tiles are much heavier than ceramic and porcelain tiles, so they require a multi-purpose thin set mortar when installing versus a ceramic and porcelain which only require a mastic.
Travertine and marble are an excellent choice for all areas of the home, except the kitchen countertops. Travertine is a natural stone that will add beauty and value to any home.
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