travertine in the pool

I have read many of your Q&As about travertine... great information. I am having a pool installed, the pool has a 18 inch raised wall above the water line with two waterfalls coming from the top of that wall. My pool builder would like to put honed travertine tiles on this raised wall. I think it will look great but am concerned about the potential of the constant exposure to water from the waterfall on the tiles and we live in an area that gets all four seasons. Please let me know if you think using travertine in the pool will result in an abundance of maintenance or disappointment. Thank you!

 

Dear Mary:

Travertine has an history of being among the best stones for installations outdoors, and it feels very comfortable at being in contact with water.

After all, the Coliseum in Roma was built some 2000 odd years ago and it's still going strong! J

 

However, there are one other paramount factor that enters into play, namely your perception of maintenance. Habits have changed greatly over the past couple of generations. The perception of cleanness was quite different when my grandmother was around. A swept floor was a clean floor back then – period. Now everything must be immaculate, super-squeaky-clean, sanitized and unscathed all the time. And that is what creates all too many problems when it comes to stone maintenance. Instead of relaxing and enjoying their stones, certain people become literally slaves of them. So, you see, your travertine will change over time. It will age and adapt to the new environment. It will create an all too important patina for itself and so on.

 

Whether you will see that natural occurring change like something that must be rectified is the real difference in the maintenance requirements of your stone. From virtually nothing to a nightmarish proportion!

 

You are the only person on planet Earth with a sure answer to that. J

 

May I ask you now to please read and e-sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm?

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri zio Bertoli

 

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