I am laying Travertine tiles and need to know a few things?

Question

Is it best to lay it on concrete board? If not what? Should I seal it before grouting? I hear it stains if grout gets on it. Is it harder to cut with wet saw because of the stone and size 18x18?

Answer 1

Travertine tiles have to be cut with a wet saw which I advise a target saw with a sliding table. You can lay the tile on concrete boards as long as the board is stable and dense such as hardibacker board and that it is properly installed and adhered to your base.
it would be better on drypack which is a sand concrete & water mixture with an additive, leveled out. Travertine tiles are rather porous and do absorb the moisture out of the grout quite quickly which in turn stains the tile. Yes I do suggest some sort of sealer to protect the tiles from staining. Which one I'm not sure of the best way to find out or get some help would be to go to your local tile store I'm quite sure they can give you what you need with a little bit more advise. I hope this was useful

Answer 2

Travertine tiles are porous and I have heard of sealing them before grout in addition to afterward. Typically, this isn't needed because the grout is of a coordinated color and a slight smug will go unnoticed.

The bigger the tile, the harder the cut. Definitely use a wet saw-You can rent one from your neighborhood yard or homecenter. Many of the saws that you can buy from HomeDepot for $80 aren't big enough to cut 18x18-Be sure to check it both straight and diagonally, if you will need to make any such cuts.

If the tiles are to be installed over a wood subfloor, make sure it is solid and flat. If it moves, the grout will crack and the tile will come loose. Concrete board is a waterproof flat base for tile but it does little to keep the floor from moving. If the floor moves, use 3/4" exterior plywood glued to the existing subfloor and a nails into the framing. You may also need to stiffen up the framing. If it doesn't move, concrete board or hardibacker will work fine. Thinset it down with screws and tape.

Finally, travertine must be evenly supported so expect to use a lot of thinset.

Answer 3

Concrete board will offer more insulation, both for temperature and sound. It's really up to you. If your subfloor isn't stable (it creaks or dips when walked on) the concrete board will offer more stability.

If you don't have much experience cutting tile, I would suggest you contact your local tile store or Home Depot or Lowe's. For a small fee - I pay a couple of bucks - they'll cut the tile for you. Straight cuts should be no problem, but I'd let the pros do the fancier cuts. If you have to rent a tile cutter but don't have more than ten tiles to cut, this is also more cost effective.

As far as sealing goes, you'll want to seal your grout, too. Do it all at once with a product for both- there are a lot of choices out there. Some types are better than others, depending on the application.

You can e-mail me if you'd like more detail. Good luck!

Answer 4

You can call a company that is specialized in travertine installation for help.