Travertine in Steam shower

Maurizio, Great web site. I am a classic do-it-yourselfer and am working on a bathroom remodel including a steam shower. My wife picked out tile for the shower that is a travertine. I read several places to avoid travertine in steam shower installs. I note your site takes a different view. I am planning on a combination of 12x12 and 18x18 tiles on the wall and 1x1 tumbled stone on the floor. Will be a very beautiful look for a steam shower. What are your thoughts on durability and maintenance? How about thermal concerns with the sizing the steam generator? Thanks, Bill

 

Dear Bill:

Certain people see problems, they don't know what they're looking at, and so they blame the stone! J

Travertine is among the best stones to be installed in a wet environment. It is highly mildew-resistant and efflorescence-free (you probably don't know what I'm talking about, but, believe me, it is important). And this is fact, not my opinion.

I hope that your travertine tiles (besides the ones for the floor) are honed and filled oppose to polished. That would represent more of a maintenance challenge in a steam shower.

Also, make sure to fill all the holes in the tumble-finished tiles that you will be installing on the floor, before you install them.

Finally make sure that you have a good 1/16” grout gap (do NOT butt-joint) and, if you care about my advice, use almond-colored siliconized latex caulking instead of regular grout. Make sure that you push it deep in between the tiles. You can use that to fill the holes in the floor tiles as well.

Now remember, it's never too early to think about the proper maintenance of your stone. The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about routine care from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at:   http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm , you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm .  

And remember, every single penny of the cost of the literature will be used to support this site and its cause: your cause.

While you are in the “Helpful Hints” section, do spend some time reading all of the interesting FREE articles you'll find in there!

Finally, keep in mind that we need your support to help us helping you!

Will you please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?    

By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friend & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with, you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!

Thank you  

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

www.marblecleaning.org – The only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!