How to Install Travertine Flooring

Installing quality tile flooring is a valuable upgrade to any home. Travertine stone tile is a favorite material among many homeowners. The warm and natural hues complement almost every decor and make a space feel larger, yet more inviting. Installing travertine flooring is an intermediate project that requires some familiarity with handling a wet saw, mixing mortar and grouting/sealing. Flooring projects such as this one require at least one day to lay the tile and up to three days for the mortar to cure. After this time, the floors can be sealed and grouted.

Things You'll Need

• Safety glasses
• Measuring tape
• Tile spacers
• Wet saw
• Thinset mortar
• Notched trowel
• Sealant
• Grout

Instructions

1. 

   Lay out your tiles to determine the look that you prefer for your project. You may choose to use tiles of similar shapes, varied shapes or a combination of each.

2. 

   Put on your safety glasses and cut the tiles as needed with the wet saw. Gently guide the tiles onto the blade with your hands away from the cutting area. Do not apply force or pressure as you cut the travertine tile. Let the saw do the work for you.

3. 

   Mix thinset mortar to a thick and creamy consistency (such as peanut butter or cream cheese) according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Apply the thinset mortar to the floor with the flat side of a trowel. Use the notched side of the trowel to "comb" the mortar before placing your tiles. The texture will help to create suction so the tiles will adhere better. Mortar 4 to 5 feet of the floor at a time for greatest efficiency. Use spacers to provide a professional, even look to your floor.

4. 

   Work accurately, but quickly to prevent the mortar from becoming stiff. Always work from an untiled area, moving backward as you lay down your tiles.

5. 

   Allow the mortar to cure up to 72 hours. Remove the spacers and apply two or three coats of a protective sealant, allowing each coat to dry before adding the next. Follow sealing the tiled floor with grouting material. After grouting and cleaning the tiles, seal them again twice more to fully protect your new travertine floor.

Tips & Warnings

• Make only as much mortar as you can use in about 30 minutes. Once the mortar begins to dry out, it becomes obsolete. Discard the old mortar and start fresh as often as is needed. When purchasing tiles for your flooring project, buy 10 percent more than you need in case some of your tiles are damaged during shipment or crack during installation.

• It is important that travertine tile is well sealed both before and after grouting. Travertine is durable, but porous. Sealing the tiles prevents grout from entering the face of the tiles, helps preserve their beauty and makes maintenance easier since dirt remains on the surface where it can be removed.

Resources

• Backerboard Installation for Floor Tiling Projects
• Travertine Flooring