How to Install Travertine Tumbled Stone
Travertine tumbled stone tiles are cut flat and square like other stone tiles, but their surface is pockmarked with craters and holes, the result of natural mineral activity in the stone. The holes are part of the character of travertine--though for practical purposes you'll generally want to fill them in with grout so they don't collect dirt. By using a different-colored grout than the tile, you can highlight and display the random shapes of the holes while creating a flat, solid surface over the tile. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Level
- Pencil
- Thinset mortar
- Notched trowel
- Travertine tumbled stone tile
- 1/8th-inch tile spacers
- Tile saw
- Tile & grout sealant
- Paintbrush
- Unsanded grout (different shade than the travertine)
- Grout squeegee
- Sponge
Instructions
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1
Use your level and pencil to draw a straight vertical line down the middle of the wall, from top to bottom.
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2
With your notched trowel, spread thinset mortar over a few square feet of the wall, at the bottom center. Press your first travertine tiles into place at the bottom, on either side of the line, putting a spacer between them.
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3
Build up and out from the center, adding more mortar as needed and continuing to put spacers between the tiles. Cut the end pieces as needed on your tile saw. Remove the spacers and let the tiles set overnight.
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4
Spread sealant over the tile surface with a brush, making sure only to coat the flat face of the tile, not letting it get into the spaces between the tile, or into the holes in the tile face. Let the sealant dry overnight.
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5
Apply your unsanded grout over the whole surface of the wall, starting at the top and working your way down. Run the squeegee over each section completely, pressing grout into the lines between the tiles and into holes in the tile face.
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6
Let the grout sit for 10 minutes, then run a damp sponge flat over the surface to take excess grout off the flat parts of the tiles, while leaving it in the holes and spaces.
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7
Let the grout cure for three or four days. Coat the entire wall (including the grout in the spaces and the holes) with tile sealant, using a brush.
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Tips & Warnings
To leave the travertine holes open, use a grout bag instead of a squeegee, so you can target the grout to be just in the lines between the tiles and not over the whole tile face.
Wear eye protection when using your grout saw.
