subject: Travertine Tiles Installation Tips And Helpful Guidelines [print this page] Travertine tiles are some of the premium flooring for the kitchen, bathroom and even the patio. There are even variants of the tiles that retain the original and unaltered beauty of travertine rocks superb for garden paths. Most homemakers, however, choose honed travertine for their smooth finish. These are great for bathrooms and kitchen not only because they provide a clean aesthetic appeal but easy maintenance and cleaning as well. If youve just bought some for your home, here are some tips to help you install them properly.
Prepare the surface
When it comes to the surface you're planning to install the travertine tiles at, it should be level and strong. Like many hard tiles, travertine requires an immobile and strong backing for it to rest securely and properly. If you're placing the tiles on a wall, consider using one-fourth-inch cement board while five-eighth-inch cement board is preferable for the floors.
The first thing you must do is to affix the cement board either on the floor or the wall using screws and a handy carpenters glue. To tape the seams between the boards, use thinset mortar as you would for drywall; dont forget to smooth the seams by sanding. Make sure there are no bumps or any obstructions with the cement board surface by going over it using a putty knife.
Mortar
When installing the tiles, always lay them from the middle to get even edges on the either side. By using a pencil and a square, divide the space into four even squares, and use the lines as your guide for the initial rows, from the intersection outwardly.
Next, use a thinset mortar and spread it down using a notched trowel. Press the tiles into place. Dont forget to reserve around one-eight inch space between each tile. Lay full tiles first and make the necessary cuts later specifically at the edges and around the fixtures. Instead of using a score-and-snap tile cutter, use a wetsaw instead.
Grout and seal the tiles
It is important for the travertine tiles to be correctly and well sealed. This is in order to thwart the innate porousness of the tiles from absorbing stains. Before you grout the tiles, brush them over with an excellent tile sealer, avoiding the lines. These lines are going to be used for the grout. Next, mix the grout and using a rubber trowel, apply it to the lines. Dont forget to wipe off grout on the tile surface with a wet sponge. Finally, re-seal the whole surface once the grout has set.
