Travertine Tiles in the Bathroom

Travertine has been used in bathrooms since Roman times, and it is back in favour for good reason. Its warm, creamy tones and gentle surface texture suit both traditional and contemporary rooms, and it looks convincingly natural because it is.

It is also a stone with particular needs. It is porous, it reacts to acids, and different finishes behave very differently underfoot. This guide covers what you need to know before you choose it.

What travertine is

Travertine is a type of limestone formed where mineral-rich water, often from hot springs, deposits calcium carbonate in layers over a long time. As the water evaporates and gases escape, they leave small holes and channels through the stone. Those natural voids are what give travertine its character, and also what make it more porous than many other stones.

Colours range from ivory and beige through to walnut, gold and silver-grey, depending on the minerals in the water where it formed. Because it is quarried rather than manufactured, no two tiles are identical, and shade variation between batches is normal.

Finishes

The same stone can look and perform quite differently depending on how the surface is finished.

• Honed: ground to a smooth, flat, matte surface. The most popular choice for bathrooms because it looks refined, is easier to keep clean than rougher finishes, and has better grip than polished.
• Tumbled: tumbled with grit to soften the edges and give an aged, rustic look. Good slip resistance and very forgiving of wear, though the textured surface can hold soap residue if it is not cleaned regularly.
• Polished: ground and buffed to a high sheen that brings out the colour. Beautiful on walls and vanity tops, but slippery when wet, so generally not recommended for bathroom floors.
• Brushed: wire-brushed to produce a softly textured, weathered surface. Sits between honed and tumbled in look and grip.

Filled or unfilled

Because travertine has natural holes, most tiles sold for bathrooms are filled: the voids are filled at the factory with a resin or cement-based filler, usually colour-matched to the stone, before the surface is honed or polished. Filled travertine is smoother, easier to clean and better suited to wet areas.

Unfilled travertine leaves the holes open for a more textured, natural look. It is attractive on feature walls in dry parts of the room, but in a wet area the open pores collect water, soap and grime. If you like the look, keep it away from the shower.

Over time, some filler can loosen or small holes can open up. These can be re-filled with a suitable stone filler during routine maintenance.

Sealing

Sealing is not optional with travertine. An unsealed tile will absorb water, body oils, soap and anything else that lands on it, leading to darkening and stains that are difficult to remove.

• Use a penetrating (impregnating) sealer, which soaks into the stone and repels water and oil without leaving a surface film.
• Many installers seal the tiles before grouting as well as after, so grout pigment does not stain the surface. Follow the tile supplier's and sealer manufacturer's recommendations.
• Reseal periodically. A simple test: drip some water on the surface. If it beads, the sealer is working; if it darkens the stone and soaks in, it is time to reseal. Showers and vanity tops need it more often than floors in dry parts of the room.

Cleaning and everyday care

• Clean with a pH-neutral stone cleaner or a mild, non-acidic detergent.
• Avoid acids: vinegar, lemon, many limescale removers and some all-purpose bathroom sprays will etch the surface and leave dull patches. Avoid bleach and abrasive powders too.
• Squeegee or wipe down the shower after use to limit soap scum and hard-water build-up.
• Wipe up cosmetics, hair dye and oils promptly, especially on vanity tops.
• Etching on a honed surface can often be re-honed by a stone restoration specialist. On polished stone it is more noticeable and harder to hide.

Slip resistance on floors

For bathroom floors, choose honed, tumbled or brushed travertine rather than polished. Ask the supplier for the slip rating of the exact tile and finish, and check it is suitable for a wet, barefoot area. Sealers can change the surface feel slightly, so check that your chosen sealer does not make the floor more slippery.

In the shower, smaller formats help: more grout lines add grip and make it easier to grade the floor to the waste.

Where travertine works, and where it's harder

Works well:

• Bathroom floors outside the shower, in a honed or tumbled finish.
• Feature walls, including behind the vanity or bath, where a larger format shows off the natural pattern.
• Vanity tops and ledges, in a honed or polished slab, sealed well.
• Shower walls, in filled and sealed tiles, with regular wiping down.

Harder:

• Shower floors. Constant water, soap and cleaning products make this the most demanding spot. It can be done, but expect more maintenance, keep the sealer up and choose a textured finish.
• Busy family bathrooms where acidic cleaners are used by habit.

Weight and substrate

Travertine tiles are thicker and heavier than most porcelain, particularly larger formats and slabs. That matters on suspended timber floors, where the joists must be sound and stiff enough to avoid movement that could crack the stone. A builder should check the floor structure before stone is specified, and walls need a substrate rated for the weight.

Installation notes

• Use white or light-coloured adhesive. Grey adhesive can show through or discolour light-coloured stone.
• Back-butter tiles for full adhesive coverage, which reduces hollow spots and cracking.
• Watch lippage. Natural stone can vary slightly in thickness, and large honed tiles show uneven edges clearly. A levelling system and an experienced tiler help.
• Blend tiles from several boxes as you go so colour variation looks natural, not patchy.
• Seal before grouting where the supplier recommends it, and choose a grout colour that sits close to the stone.
• Waterproofing goes underneath exactly as it would for any other tile. Stone does not make a floor waterproof.

Is travertine right for you?

Travertine suits you if you want the warmth and texture of genuine stone and you are happy to reseal it periodically and clean it with the right products. If you want a low-maintenance floor, a travertine-look porcelain gives a similar appearance with less upkeep, and some people use real stone on the vanity and feature wall with porcelain on the floor.

Planning travertine into your bathroom

Natural stone rewards careful installation. Our bathroom tiling service covers substrate preparation, set-out, adhesive choice and sealing, and a full bathroom renovation lets us check the floor structure before stone goes down. Stone generally sits at the higher end of tile budgets, so see our bathroom renovation cost guide for how selections affect the overall price.

Honed travertine sits comfortably in the older sandstone houses around Bowral, and if you are in the area we are happy to quote it on site.