The Classic Travertine Tile

Known for its beauty, uniqueness, and durability, travertine is a classic tile that provides a natural stone flooring option. In recent years, we have seen a huge growth in popularity for the beautiful travertine tile. So where does travertine come from and why is it so popular?

Where Did Travertine Start?

Travertine has been used as a building material for a long time, dating back to BC times in the Roman Empire. It was used in everything from aqueducts to the monuments we still see to this day. Most famously, travertine is one of the main materials used in the building of the Colosseum. Until recently Tivoli in Italy had a monopoly on travertine, but in the 1980s deposits were found in Turkey, Mexico, China, Spain, and Peru. This in turn opened up travertine as a more readily available building material.

What Is It?

Travertine is a form of limestone that occurs around mineral springs, in particular hot springs. It often has a concentric appearance and comes in white, cream, tan, beige, and rust. Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is known for both its versatility and the occasional inclusion of fossils. It is beautiful, easy to shape, and does not tend to wear, making it the perfect flooring material.

Why Is It Popular?

Travertine has three main characteristics that give it its claim to fame and explain its rising popularity:

It Is Becoming More Accessible: As mentioned above, travertine used to come exclusively from one area of Italy, making it a rare commodity that was expensive to get your hands on. Now that there is more travertine available, it has become more widely used in buildings. 

Variety: Travertine tiles can come in four different classifications: Polished, honed, tumbled, and brushed. Polished tiles are glossy while honed are polished with a matte-like finish. Tumbled has rounded corners and edges and has an aged look. Finally, brushed travertine is textured with wire brushes to provide a matte finish. This variety makes travertine a versatile and stylish flooring option.

Adding Prestige: As travertine is such an old building material it adds a sense of age and prestige to whatever building it is in. It is more subtle than granite or marble, providing softer earthen tones that lend a distinguished sense to your building.

When taking all of this into account it is no surprise that travertine tiles are only growing in popularity with time. Check out our exquisite range of travertine tiles to find the perfect ones for your building project.