If you've never heard of travertine tile, you're missing out on one of the hottest and best interior trends of 2022! But don't worry - we'll get it all sorted out now…
What is travertine tile?
Travertine tile is a very attractive form of limestone.
Its fibrous, marble-type texture and attractive earth-tone color make it one of the most popular stones used for building materials.
Historically, most of the travertine tiles used in manufacturing and craftsmanship came from the mountains of Italy, but today, most of the travertine sold comes from Turkey, Iran, Mexico, and Peru.
As a flooring material, travertine is often sold in tile form and comes in a variety of earth tone colors, including tans, browns, rust, and beige.
Travertine tile types
The biggest difference is the types of cuts used.
Since most travertine tiles have bedding planes, it is possible to get a very different aesthetic depending on the type of cut.
Veins cut travertine tile and fleur cut types of travertine tiles are two different cuts used to make travertine tiles.
Vein cutting is a cutting process that involves cutting planes in the bed or along the vein.
It shows the border of the formation and creates a linear pattern on the travertine tile.
A fleur cut, sometimes called a cross cut, is a cut that runs parallel to the bedding plane.
It shows a haphazard pattern that is often distributed.
Travertine tile features
Besides countertops, backsplashes and various bathroom surfaces, travertine is also common for stone tile applications, especially travertine flooring.
Different types of tiles are available in many different finishes, including a smooth finish, fine finish, tumbled finish, brushed finish and saw cut finish.
Many finishes will give the tile a matte appearance (except for the glossy finish).
Other options include travertine tile with paint or unpainted travertine.
Filled travertine has its pores closed, while unfilled leaves the stone in its naturally porous state.
The price of travertine tile
The price for a basic commercial travertine floor tile is $2 to $4 per square foot, although many homeowners choose higher quality standard travertine tiles for $5 to $15 per square foot.
Premium travertine tile tends to range from $20 to $30 per square foot.
Travertine tile is an intermediate stone in terms of cost, but this puts it at the high end of the entire range of floor materials.
Travertine flooring is about $15 per square foot for materials and labor.
Like most natural stone tiles, travertine is more expensive than porcelain, which is man-made.
