Pdf - What Is Travertine

What is Travertine?
What is Travertine? EVERYTHING you need to know about Travertine!
What is Travertine?
What is a Travertine Quarry?
How is Travertine imported into the USA?
What is the difference between premium grade travertine, commercial or A
grade?
What is the difference between travertine tiles and travertine pavers?
What is a Travertine French Pattern Set?
Which pieces do Travertine Jumbo Patterns consist of?
Which colors do Travertine Tiles, Pavers, Mosaics etc. come in?
What finish is applied to Travertine Products?
How thick is a Travertine Tile?
How thick are Travertine Pavers?
What is a Travertine Bullnose?
What is a Travertine Medallion?
What are the most popular sizes and patterns for Travertine Mosaics?
How large is a Travertine Pool Tile?
What Travertine Floor Tile sizes are most popular in the USA?
What is a Travertine Remodeling Coping?
What is the difference between Cross Cut and Vein Cut Travertine?
What is the most popular Travertine Paver size in the US?
What size Travertine Pool Copings are out there?
What size does a Travertine Pool Remodeling Coping come in?
What are the most popular uses of Travertine?
How much does a Travertine Pallet weigh?
What is the weight of a Travertine crate?
How many sqf (squarefeet) are in a Travertine Pallet?
How many sqf (squarefeet) are in a Travertine Crate?
How many crates or pallets are part of a Travertine Container?
What is a Travertine Pencil or Travertine Ogee?
What is a Travertine Corner Shelf?
Can Travertine be used outdoors in cold, freezing temperatures?
What is the best way to get Travertine delivered to my home?
How often does Travertine need to be sealed?
What is Travertine Split Face?
What is a Travertine slab?
Free Travertine Tile Samples
RockImport.com
What is Travertine?
Travertine is a natural stone such as Marble, Granite, Onyx, Limestone, Slate etc. The key difference between Travertine and other natural
stones lies in the formation of the rock, the hardness of the stone and the appearance. Travertine is formed in hot springs and/or limestone
caves. Travertine is not the same as Marble or Limestone which falls in the metamorphic rock category. Key characteristics of Travertine
stone are the holes within the stone which are caused by carbon dioxide evasion.
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What is Travertine?
What is a Travertine Quarry?
A travertine quarry is nothing more than a mine for Travertine stone. Most quarries are huge and look like open large pits. Travertine rocks
are dug up in quarries and broken down into travertine blocks which are then transported to factories for the purpose of cutting. After cutting
the blocks into tiles, pavers, mosaics etc. the proper Travertine finish is applied.
How is Travertine imported into the USA?
Most of the Travertine found in the USA comes directly with ships from Turkey in form of containers. There are many ocean freight services
which transport this material across the Atlantic ocean. It takes the ships approx. 6 weeks to arrive from Turkey. 95% of the Travertine
containers arrive at the Port of Miami. Next they are distributed from the port to several different warehouses and wholesalers via freight
forwarders.
What is the difference between premium grade travertine,
commercial grade or A grade?
The grade of travertine is most of the time determined based on the holes within the stone. Holes within Travertine stone are part of the
stones nature and criteria. Within the travertine industry today, the rule of the thumb is ...the less holes there are within travertine stone,
the higher the quality. Travertine pavers with barely any holes in it are considered A Grade or Premium Grade quality while porous stone
with a lot of holes in it (looking like a sponge) is considered commercial quality. Obviously price differences apply. Also keep in mind that
there are Travertine tiles which come with a honed and filled finish. A filled finish indicates that the holes were filled. Since the filling is always
the same color throughout the tile it is fairly easy to tell apart the filling. In these cases, the difference between Premium Grade and
Commercial grade lies in the amount of filling used. A honed and filled travertine tile with a whole lot of filling is considered of lower quality
compared to a tile with minimal filling.
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What is Travertine?
What is the difference between Travertine Tiles and Travertine
Pavers?
Travertine Tiles are used for indoor projects such as floors and walls while Travertine pavers are primarily used for outdoors such as
driveways, pool decks, patio areas and walk ways. Travertine tiles are 0.5'' thick while the standard thickness for Travertine pavers is 1 1/4''.
What is a Travertine French Pattern Set?
A Travertine french pattern set covers exactly 8 sqf and consists of the following pieces. 1 piece 16x24, 2 pieces 16x16, 1 piece 16x8 and 2
pieces 8x8. The french pattern set is often referred to as Versailles Pattern or Leonardo Pattern and exists for Tiles and Pavers.
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What is Travertine?
Which pieces do Travertine Jumbo Patterns consist of?
A travertine jumbo pattern carries the following sizes: 24x36", 24x24", 18x24", 18x18"
Which colors do Travertine Tiles, Pavers, Mosaics etc. come in?
Some of the most popular colors are Ivory, Beige, Walnut colors (light, medium, dark), Noce (Dark brown), Silver and Gold. Combinations of
these colors are also possible. Colors variations and color name variations are quite common within the Travertine industry i.e. Cream,
Cappuccino, Chocolate
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What is Travertine?
What finish is applied to Travertine Products?
Travertine products usually have the following finishes: Tumbled, Honed, Brushed, Filled, Filled & Honed, Chiseled, Bush Hammered,
Polished
Chiseled Travertine refers to the edges while all the other finishes refer to the actual surface. Combinations are also possible such as
Chiseled & Honed, Chiseled & Brushed or Honed & Filled & Chiseled.
How thick is a Travertine Tile?
A standard travertine tile is 0.5'' inches thick
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What is Travertine?
How thick are Travertine Pavers?
Standard Travertine Pavers in the USA are 1 1/4'' thick. Pavers can also be 2'' thick or more.
What is a Travertine Bullnose?
Travertine bullnose is a term used in combination with Travertine Pool Copings. It implies that 1 side of the stone is rounded off. Double
Bullnose Copings also exist and imply 2 rounded off sides.
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What is Travertine?
What is a Travertine Medallion?
A Travertine Medallion is a floor center piece or wall decoration piece crafted out of Travertine stone. Most Medallions are build using
Travertine Mosaic pieces and broken travertine stones.
What are the most popular sizes and patterns for Travertine
Mosaics?
Travertine Mosaics come in all kinds of sizes and all kinds of color and shape variations. Some of the most popular sizes are 1x1, 1x2, 2x2,
2x4, 4x4. There are really no standards when it comes to Mosaics. Mosaics can be created in almost any size. Some of the most popular
mosaic patterns are: Regular (square), Spiral, Herringbone, Stagger (Brick) and Sticks.
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What is Travertine?
How large is a Travertine Pool Tile?
Travertine Pool Tiles usually come in sizes 4x4 and 6x6.
What Travertine Floor Tile sizes are most popular in the USA?
The most popular sizes for indoor Travertine Tiles are French Pattern, 12x12, 16X16 and 18x18. 24x24 travertine tiles are also gaining
popularity among American homes. Some folks even use travertine tiles for pool decks in order to cut down on the material cost, since tiles
are usually cheaper than pavers.
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What is Travertine?
What is the difference between Cross Cut and Vein Cut
Travertine?
99% of the travertine which you see online or displayed throughout retail locations such as flooring companies, pool builders, home
improvement companies etc. is by default cross cut. This refers to the default way of cutting the travertine blocks which are harvested from
the quarry. In order to produce vein cut travertine, the travertine blocks are rotated and the cuts take place across the vein. Think of it as
cutting a tree. You can cut a tree vertically or horizontally. If you cut it vertically, the veins come out, same with Travertine.
What is a Travertine Remodeling Coping?
Travertine Remodeling Copings can be placed on top of existing pool copings opposed to having to remove your current pool copings while
remodeling your pool. Using remodeling pool copings can be more cost effective during your pool remodeling process but the drawback is
that you can only remodel once. Should you decide to remodel again, obviously you'd have to remove the existing remodeling copings. In
other words, you can not place a remodeling coping on top of another remodeling coping.
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What is Travertine?
What size does a Travertine Pool Remodeling Coping come in?
The most popular sizes for Pool Remodeling Copings are 4x9x4 and 12x12x4.
What is the most popular Travertine Paver size in the US?
Depending on the region, one of the most popular size for Travertine Pavers is 6x12. Other paver sizes also exist such as 4x8, 12x12 or
16x16 or 16x24 but are not as popular as the 6x12 pavers.
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What is Travertine?
What size Travertine Pool Copings are out there?
The most popular Pool Copings come in sizes: 4x9, 6x12, 12x12 and 12x24. Most Copings are the same thickness as pavers which are 1
1/4'' but there are also Pool Copings which are 2'' thick.
What are the most popular uses of Travertine?
History teaches us that there are no limits when it comes to the usage of Travertine stone. Even before Christ, Travertine used to be among
the top building stones in Ancient Greek and Rome. Romans took advantage of Travertine for various constructions projects such as
buildings and temples, aqueducts, baths, stairs, steps, and amphitheaters such as the Colosseum, the largest building in the world
constructed mostly of travertine. Travertine was also used for sculptures and monuments. Even today in the 21st century, Travertine stone is
being used for a huge variety of indoor and outdoor projects. There are no exact design guidelines when it comes to travertine. It can be
used practically anywhere to enhance any area. The most popular uses in the US include but are not limited to the following.
Most common indoor travertine usage in the US:
Floors and Walls
Stairs & Steps
Bathroom & Showers
Countertops & Backsplashes
Travertine Sinks & Vessels
Medallions
Fireplaces
Indoor Split Face Walls
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What is Travertine?
Most common outdoor travertine usage in the US:
Pool Decks
Pool Steps
Driveways
Patios
Walk-ways
Outdoor Fireplaces
House Walls
Outside Stairs
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What is Travertine?
How much does a travertine pallet weigh?
A standard Travertine Pallet, which is packed with 1 1/4'' thick pavers and has the dimensions 4' x 3' x 4' holds up to 3200 lbs.
What is the weight of a travertine crate?
A standard Travertine crate, which is packed with 0.5'' thick tiles and has the dimensions 4' (length) x 3' (height) x 4' (width) holds up to 1200
lbs.
How many sqf (square feet) are in a Travertine Pallet?
Pallets are usually used for Travertine Pavers. By default, a 4' x 3' x 4' travertine pallet carries up to 267 sqf of Travertine Pavers.
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What is Travertine?
How many sqf (square feet) are in a Travertine Crate?
Crates are usually used for Traverine Tiles. By default, a 4' x 3' x 4' travertine crate contains up to 416 sqf of tiles.
How many crates or pallets are part of a Travertine Container?
A standard Travertine Container contains anywhere between 15 to 24 Pallets or Crates.
What is a Travertine Pencil or Travertine Ogee?
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What is Travertine?
These are Travertine molding pieces which are most often used for borders. Pencil sizes are usually 0.5 x 12 or 1 x 12. The most common
size for a Travertine Ogee is 2 x 12. Other Travertine Molding pieces include but are not limited to: Chairrails, Bases, Crowns and Mulduras.
What is a Travertine Corner Shelf?
Travertine Corner Shelves are most often used in Showers. An oval area in the middle allows for placement of soaps, shampoos etc.
Can Travertine be used outdoors in ice-cold, freezing
temperatures?
Yes, it can be but it's not necessarily recommended. Due to the nature of travertine, the holes in the stone are likely to absorb water which
freezes during ice-cold temperatures and is likely to cause the pavers to crack. Paver installers tend to grout porous pavers and recommend
premium grade material in order to avoid most of these possible cracks.
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What is Travertine?
What is the best way to get Travertine delivered to my home?
Due to the weight of the material, Travertine is delivered with flatbeds and/or trucks. The best way to have Travertine delivered is with a
flatbed which has a forklift in the back. This is referred to as a Piggyback or Moffett. This has the advantage of being able to maneuver
around the pallets or crates anywhere around your premises and place the material as close as possible to your job site. If you are building a
pool deck in the back of your home, the delivery companies can place the pallets or crates right next to your pool deck by using the forklift
opposed to curbside delivery which could be achieved with a truck that has a liftgate. If you require long distance delivery (states outside of
Florida), the most cost effective solution is to have your order delivered to a business location which has a loading dock and a forklift
on premises. Business to business deliveries are more affordable than Business to Residence deliveries. Further if you can unload yourself
opposed to requiring a truck with a liftgate or a Flatbed with a Forklift (piggyback, moffett) you can - most of the time - save significant
transportation cost as well. Another option would be to have your order delivered to a close-by terminal. Terminals are equipped with
loading docks and forklifts and will even store your order for a certain period of time. The drawback is that you'd have to arrange for delivery
from the terminal to your residence. If you have an installation crew for your indoor or outdoor project in mind, it is recommended that you
consult with them in regards to product delivery. A lot of these businesses are willing to accept delivery of the material. For more information
about this subject, please review my travertine delivery guide on ebay.
How often does Travertine need to be sealed?
There are no strict guidelines in regards to the sealing of Travertine. It's a personal preference and depends on various aspects. For
example, the quality of the sealer plays an important role. In addition, if it's a high traffic area such as a busy floor which is used on a daily
basis, the sealer may not last as long opposed to sealed travertine wall tiles. You can get away with sealing travertine once every couple
years but some areas may require additional sealing. Some folks are even happy with the bare look of the stone and don't prefer to seal it at
all. The rule of the thumb is as follows. If you are able to splash water on the tile or paver and the color changes significantly, it's probably
time for another round of sealing.
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What is Travertine?
What is Travertine Split Face?
Travertine Split Face has a rough surface and usually comes in 4 different sizes: 4x4, 4x8, 4x12, 4x16. Split face is usually as thick as
travertine pavers and the main usage of split face is for walls. Splitface can be used indoors and outdoors. Some interior designers prefer to
apply a split face layer in between wall tiles to create additional contrast.
What is a Travertine slab?
Travertine slabs refer to large pieces of Travertine which are i.e. custom cut with CNC machines to produce counter tops. Travertine slabs
are usually 2-5 cm (centimeters) thick. The width of a slab is up to 67", the length of a travertine slab is up to 115". Travertine slabs are
usually exported by the bundle.
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What is Travertine?
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