we are having a builder put travertine in our enclosed shower. it is tumbled with all the pits in it (when we put a drop of water on it it leaks through with in 60 seconds). we want to make sure that we have it done properly and with the best stone choice. how should it be filled? grout? factory filled? what should the grout line be? and should we request that the builder not "seal" it so we can use the proper products that you suggest or does that need to be done before grouting? finally, i know that you recommend honed over polished, why is that? ((also, could you describe what honed, filled and polished actually mean)

 

Dear Amy:

Typically the factory does not fill tumble-finished travertine, because it can't be done automatically. It has to be done manually and if the stone is installed either in a kitchen or a shower stall, it must be filled. And the best way to do it is to fil the single tiles before installation by using good-quality latex-based, color matching caulking. (Some prefer a stark contrast that looks like the holes are sill opened, so they use either dark drown or black caulk. It's a matter of personal taste; you can try on a tile or two to see how they look.)

That said and done, and after a couple of day for proper curing, the tiles will get installed with a 1/8” - 3/16” grout gap and filled with sanded grout to enhance the rustic look that tumbled travertine is designed to deliver. Make sure that the installer takes his or her time and pushes the grout deep in between the tiles.

As for the sealing, I would simply skip it, but if you prefer the way your tiles look like when they are wet (darker), then the application of a good-quality stone color enhancer like MB-6 will give you that wet-look (without any sheen) permanently.

Now is also time to lear about routine maintenance that's vastly more important than the sealing. By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/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!

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Ciao and good luck,

Maurizio Bertoli

 

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