Travertine tiles installation

Part 2. Mark the midpoint of the area to be tiled. For flooring, you want to mark both the X and Y axis along the flooring in order to find the exact center of the room. Lay out the tile design. With the floor prepped and the center marked, you can lay out the design of the tile. Start with the center gridline s and place additional tiles leaving the appropriate amount of room for the spacers, which will later be grout lines. For floor tiling, you can use the space you left for the grout to chalk in an entire grid for the project if you so choose.

Mix your thin-set mortar. You will not be able to mix the thin-set for the entire project at once. Instead mix small batches in a five-gallon bucket. Whatever you mix must be used within two hours. Apply the thin-set to a small area. Start with the area where you measured your initial chalk lines and spread enough thin-set to place two or three tiles to start.

Use the edge of a V-notched trowel at roughly a degree angle to spread the thin-set. You want to have an evenly, thinly covered space before putting down a tile. They are supposed to be there as they help air escape as the mortar sets. Apply the first tiles. Place the first tile flush with your chalk centerline s. For a backsplash, the process is easiest to do in rows. Place spacers. Check for level placement. If you want to take extra precautions to maintain the level surface, you can also purchase a leveling system, which consists of threaded pegs that go between the spacers and knobs that you can gently tighten down against the tops of the tiles to help perfectly level them and hold them in place.

Wipe excess thin-set as you go. You can use a damp sponge to wipe it away. Cut tiles around baseboards. As you work toward the edges of your surface, you will likely have to cut some of the tiles to fit them.

Take the exact measurement to which you need to cut the tile accounting for any spacers and transfer the measurement to the tile with a pencil. Then use a wet saw to make the cuts. If you are unfamiliar with how to use a wet saw, then you can find more at Use a Tile Saw.

For dealing with placing tiles around electrical outlets, you can find more information at Tile Around Outlets. Part 3. Wait for the thin-set mortar to cure. Travertine is a natural stone tile, imported from many countries all over the world. Installing travertine is much like installing any other tile, though it is important to practice care. The installation steps include: preparation, laying the tile, and grouting it to keep it all together.

Travertine can be installed for countertops, flooring, and walls. Installation is considered a medium to high difficulty job, and will require a wet saw is required to cut the tiles to the appropriate size.

Do a dry test run to layout the tiles and inspect them for defects. This will ensure you have everything planned accordingly and will be able to complete the floor.

The Ditra Anti-fracture membrane is a type of underlayment designed specifically for stone and marble floors. June 13, at The Slate is too brittle to remove with a hammer and chisel. Can I install cement fiber board on top of the Slate as a substrate for the travertine? June 16, at Unfortunately that may not be the best idea as you never know if the slate will crack. I would suggest getting a contractor or tile installer to take a look to see if the slate looks stable enough to install over top.

Please let us know if you have any other questions! I recently had travertine tile installed. A month later, I have hair line cracks throughout the tile. Please tell me what was done wrong? Is it the tile or the installation?

Sorry to hear about your tile! I would suggest getting the installer to come back and take a look. Good luck and please let us know if you have any other questions! April 28, at I am thinking about putting a travertine tiled floor in my kitchen.

I was wondering if you have to actually grout in between the tiles, as I like to look of them butted tightly together. Is it recommended to do it this way or do I have to put grout in between Kind regards Michelle. You will need to put grout between the tiles. If you butt them together there will always be small spaces between and as time passes the travertine tiles will bump against each other causing cracks.

If you hire an experienced installer they should be able to install with the smallest grout line as possible. You can also choose a grout close in colour to the tile to help hide the lines. March 12, at We went off the advice of our lowes guy and just installed our travertine with Mapei Type 1 adhesive, now a day after everything was installed we find out this is a mastic and not what should have been used. March 15, at Thank you for your inquiry! I would suggest calling Mapei Technical Services at to ask for the best solution.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can help out with! February 27, at When using travertine for a kitchen backsplash, should we seal before or after grout?

The grout is a similar color as the tiles and we are putting admix in the grout. March 1, at Most people will install the travertine with thinset, grout everything and then seal the tile and grout together. Travertine tile is a classic choice for floors and walls, both indoors and out.

It's versatile and timeless in its beauty and sure to transform any space you install it in. If you haven't already, you may enjoy these three articles which provide background perspective on Travertine:.

The most common tools used to install Travertine tile - or most tile for that matter - include a tape measure, a rubber mallet, a power drill and mixing paddle, a marker or wax pencil, a level, a tapping block, a torpedo level, a chalk line, tile spacers, a margin trowel, a notched trowel, and a wet saw. The surface you will be installing your Travertine tile on needs to be flat and clean.

Be sure to spend time preparing the surface properly:. Travertine is a natural stone with a lot of variation. As a result, it needs to be blended during the installation process so all of the dark pieces or light ones don't wind up grouped together unless that is the look you are after! Blend them. Do a dry run, lay the Travertine pieces out and see how they look. If you have multiple pallets or crates, work out of two or more at one time.

It's much easier to do so now when you can easily rearrange individual pieces rather than later when the tile is permanently "set in stone. Trowel or wipe off surplus grout from travertine with a damp sponge. Rinse several times with clean water, changing the water as often as necessary so it remains clear. It is very important to do this as you go along.

After grout has set hard to the touch, clean surface of travertine and along grout line by rubbing briskly with a clean piece of cloth.

Wash floor completely again by freely applying fresh clean water with sponge on the entire flooring and sponging dry. Applying clear sealer or enhancer is recommended after installation to seal the travertine tiles and the grout lines using the same sealer used as a grout release prior to grouting, wipe off all excess sealer so there is no fogging. Using the same sealer used as grout release prior to grouting, to seal the floor, apply the 2nd coat on the tiles and grout, wipe of all excess sealer so there is no fogging.

Sealing travertine is necessary, it is a matter of choice??? Sealers may be purchased at retail stone dealers. Apply dealer with a large clean cloth or with a paint pad. Apply in a thin coat. Sealer or enhancer will dry to the touch within two hours, however, it is advisable to stay off the floor for 24 hours.