Even if you're just in the beginning stages of a home project involving surface materials, you'll no doubt come across the word "travertine." But what exactly is this material? Is it limestone? Is it marble? Do you have both? Or something completely different?
The truth is that travertine is usually sold as marble or limestone, although neither. Travertine is a natural stone, just like marble, granite, and limestone—in fact, travertine is a type of limestone just like marble. (As we know today, marble actually started out as limestone and then deteriorated over time under enormous pressure and heat.) But they're not the same.
The main difference between travertine and other natural stones is the way the material is formed. Travertine forms in hot springs or in limestone caves. Basically, its limestone is affected by the extra heat and pressure exerted by the earth's crust. (It was formed on land, not in the ocean). Travertine is usually polished to a smooth surface, ground to a matte finish, brushed/rolled into a textured surface, filled to a smoother surface, or chiseled into an uneven surface.
El travertí té algunes característiques diferents que el distingeixen de la pedra calcària normal. Una característica clau és el forat que es troba dins de la pedra. Aquests són causats per l'escapada de diòxid de carboni. Els colors del travertí van des de l'ivori i el beix fins a la noguera i l'or. El color depèn de la quantitat de ferro o altres impureses orgàniques que es troben en un tauler de travertí particular.
Because it is readily available and easy to work with, travertine is a popular building stone for both indoor and outdoor applications. Travertine is available in a variety of sizes and patterns, making it versatile for almost any application from floors and walls (including showers) to backsplashes and around fireplaces. Travertine also feels soft underfoot. It's much softer than its limestone counterparts, and it's nearly impossible to maintain a gloss. But once it settles into its native matte finish, few materials provide the warmth quite like travertine.
