What is Travertine?

Travertine is a natural stone belonging to the limestone family. They are formed out of minerals dissolved in the ground water and deposited on the earth’s surface by rivers. They are found in the natural hot springs, geysers and caves. Travertine has numerous holes on the stone, these holes and pores are formed by the carbon di oxide bubbles that were trapped within the stone during formation.

Characteristics of Travertine

The chief characteristics of Travertine are –

• Travertine is highly porous and it has holes and pores on the surface. The stone has to be impregnated with sealants so as to make the Travertine strong and resistant to scratches and staining. The sealants should be of the same colour as Travertine so that one cannot differentiate between the sealant and the stone.
• This material can be used both in the indoors and outdoors.It can absorb water very easily hence is used in parks, walkways and swimming pool deck areas.
• They are available in earthy colours like beige, gold, brown and reddish tones.
• Travertine can have a polished, honed, matte or textured finish.
• The lesser the number of holes in Travertine the better is the quality and it is more expensive.
• They are used in the indoors, outdoors, they are very good for wet pool decks and highlighter walls.