Is Travertine Flooring A Good Fit For Your Kitchen? Expert Tips You Need To Know
With its elegant beauty and earthy charm, it's easy to see why travertine is a popular choice for kitchen floors. The natural patterns and variety of finishes can complement almost any kitchen decor. But before installing travertine in your kitchen, it's important to weigh the pros and cons to determine if it's the right fit for your home and lifestyle.
We'll overview travertine's benefits and drawbacks, share expert installation and care tips, and outline the most important considerations for your unique situation.
What Makes Travertine Flooring Desirable For Kitchens
Travertine brings a refined elegance and organic style to kitchen floors. Formed over thousands of years by mineral deposits in limestone caves and hot springs, travertine features subtle holes and unique veining patterns in earthy ivory, rust, and brown hues. The stone is quarried mainly in Italy and Turkey.
Travertine comes in both matte and polished finishes. The matte finish highlights the natural texture while polished travertine has a glossy vibrancy. Many homeowners appreciate how travertine's soft colors and veining pair beautifully with cabinets, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances.
Natural Beauty and Style
With its earthy aesthetic, travertine can enhance a variety of kitchen designs from modern to traditional. The stone's organic patterns and colors blend beautifully with elements like wood cabinetry and natural lighting.
Travertine also works well in open concept kitchens that flow into dining and living areas. The visual interest and elegance carries well from the kitchen into adjacent spaces.
Good Hardness and Density
While not as hard as granite, travertine is still relatively durable due to its density. It rates 3-4 on the Mohs hardness scale, so it can stand up to years of cooking and cleaning. The hard stone construction allows travertine to withstand impacts, like heavy cookware being dropped.
However, travertine is prone to scratching and chipping over time. A knife or fallen pan can damage the floor's surface. The good news is matte finishes do a better job hiding these blemishes.
Variety of Finishes
Travertine is available in polished and honed finishes. Polished travertine has an almost reflective sheen that enhances the stone's natural vibrancy. However, the smooth surface shows scratches more and can get slippery.
Honed travertine has a matte, low-luster finish. The flatter surface hides scratches better. The texture also provides more traction when wet. Most experts recommend honed travertine for kitchens since it masks wear and tear.
Potential Downsides of Travertine Flooring in Kitchens
While travertine undeniably provides elegance, there are some drawbacks to weigh for kitchen installation. Understanding both the pros and cons allows you to make an informed decision.
Expensive Upfront Cost
As a natural stone, travertine costs more than ceramic or porcelain tile. Prices range from $8-20 per square foot installed. The quality of the stone and complexity of installation impacts overall price.
Travertine requires professional installation to cut tiles properly and achieve tight seams that stand the test of time. This adds to the total expense over DIY options like vinyl plank flooring.
Prone to Scratching and Chipping
Travertine's soft composition makes it vulnerable to scratching, chipping, and cracks. Dropped objects like knives and pots can damage the surface over time. Even dirt and sand particles tracked inside can wear down the floor.
To minimize damage, a honed finish does a better job hiding small blemishes. Tiny scratches blend right in. However, chips and sizable cracks will still be visible.
Requires Frequent Maintenance
Another downside of travertine is the required maintenance. The porous surface needs sealing to prevent stains from soaking in when spills happen. Reapplication is needed every 1-2 years.
Daily sweeping and mopping keeps dirt and debris from scratching the finish. Any spills must be wiped up immediately before the liquid has time to soak in and leave a stain.
Can Be Slippery When Wet
Polished travertine in particular gets slippery when liquids are spilled or tracked on floors. The reflective sheen becomes slick with no texture for traction. Combine water or grease with small particles of dirt and travertine floors can become a safety hazard.
Mats by sinks or other wet areas can improve traction. A honed finish also helps by providing more grip even when wet. Proper sealing prevents spills from soaking in.
Expert Recommendations for Travertine Flooring
If you decide travertine is right for your home, there are expert tips to follow. Paying attention to details like finish and sealant improves travertine's functionality and lifespan.
Choose a Matte or Honed Finish
The lack of shine helps hide gradual scratching and scuffing that occurs in the kitchen over time. Honed travertine better masks these imperfections.
The texture of a matte finish also provides more traction, especially important in kitchens. Be sure to keep floors free of dirt and debris.
Use a Low-Sheen Sealer
Applying a sealant is crucial to prevent stains by blocking spills and moisture from soaking into the porous stone. But steer clear of glossy sealers that alter travertine's natural matte beauty.
Opt for a low-sheen sealer instead. This allows the stone's inherent color and veining to shine through. Reseal every 1-2 years for optimal protection.
Have Professionals Install
Travertine's brittle composition requires an expert hand for kitchen installation. The tiles demand careful cutting to achieve tight seams and proper support.
Proper subfloor prep and thorough grouting by professionals reduces the risk of cracked or loose tiles down the road. Don't cut corners with DIY installation methods.
Seal the Floor Regularly
Annual or biannual sealing is required to waterproof travertine floors. Sealer fills the pores in the stone to block moisture and prevent stains.
Let new floors cure completely before sealing. Always use a cleaner made for natural stone when mopping sealed floors.
Keep the Surface Clean
Prevent scratches and damage by sweeping daily and mopping frequently with a pH-neutral cleaner approved for natural stone.
Promptly wiping up spills when they occur keeps them from seeping into the stone. Address etching or stains right away to minimize damage.
Is Travertine Right for Your Kitchen?
When deciding if travertine flooring is a smart choice for your kitchen, weigh your priorities carefully. Key considerations include:
- Desired look – Travertine provides an elegant, organic natural stone look when maintained properly.
- Budget – Travertine is one of the more expensive natural stone flooring options due to material and installation costs.
- Maintenance expectations – Travertine requires diligent cleaning, sweeping, mopping, and annual sealing.
- Foot traffic – Best for low to medium traffic kitchens. Durability may be lacking in high-traffic cooking spaces.
- Safety factors – Potential slip risk when polished travertine gets wet. Not ideal for homes with elderly residents or young children.
Travertine flooring can bring luxurious style and natural charm to kitchens seeking an upscale aesthetic. When properly installed and maintained, travertine floors will last for decades. But the stone does require careful maintenance to prevent damage and stains.
For homeowners seeking hassle-free flooring that can withstand messy cooks and rambunctious kids, travertine may not be the best choice. But if you have your heart set on travertine, go in understanding the required care so your investment retains its beauty.