Natural Stone vs Ceramic tile

I am in the preliminary process of remodeling my master bathroom. I want to tear out the whole bathroom, down to the studs, and start over from scratch. I have basically everything decided from the layout down to my finishes ( do you like the venetian plaster?) What I can't decide on is whether to go with a ceramic tile that mimics natural stone, or to go with natural stone in my walk in shower. I think I am going to use natural 20" x 20" travertine for the flooring, but I'm not sure if this is going to be practical in the long term. I have heard that there is a fair amount of maintenance for this type of tile, and I don't want to paint myself into a corner. My style of decor is going to be like an Italian country villa, type of design. Any ideas?

Floored
Elmer, LA

Dear Floored,

In answer to your first question, I LOVE VENETIAN PLASTER! It's not for everyone, but it is a beautiful look, and there are many DIY products around that are a faux venetian plaster, that would need to be glazed properly in a room such as your master bath. My own bath is a dark green faux venetian. ( True venetian plaster can run upwards of $45 a square foot) and I love it.

On to the flooring question:

Choosing a proper flooring product , is like choosing a mate for life. You want something durable, good looking, warm, and one that won't be hard to maintain over the years.

Travertine is a type of limestone, also known as calcium carbonate.

It is created when minerals have dissolved in the ground water and then get moved by natural springs and rivers above ground. It is taken from quarries in large blocks and then cut down into smaller blocks.

It has been used for thousands of years in Italy and Turkey, and today Travertine used all over the world for flooring, countertops, backsplashes, and other surfaces where tile is preferred.tile is definitely beautiful to look at, but it also has a few other advantages as well.

The main advantage to using travertine over porcelain or ceramic tile is this: if you need to replace a tile or two down the line, your chances of finding a Travertine tile that looks close enough to fit in with your existing tiles is much easier. If you had to replace a tile or two of porcelain tile, the tiles would be more difficult to match up.

Another advantage to using Travertine over porcelain is the fact that Travertine is so easy to cut and shape. This means you will be able to fill spaces that are small or oddly shaped much easier with Travertine than say, porcelain tiles.

Travertine tile is more environmentally sound than porcelain tile since it is made from a natural material, and porcelain is not.

Travertine tile takes a little more time to care for, and you want to be sure you use a sealant to protect it -- particularly if you have children or pets.

Unfortunately, Travertine is quite porous, and even water-based substances can cause problems with Travertine.

Travertine is highly reactive to acidic substances, so something as innocuous as spilling orange juice on the floor or counter can permanently stain your Travertine tiles.

Also, you don't want to wash Travertine tile with vinegar. Because of its acidic content, the porous Travertine tiles basically suck up the vinegar, which causes another type of permanent stain.

While a sealant can help to protect your Travertine tile, it is not a perfect solution. In a shower, it will need to be sealed quite often. The sealant is a large cost and can easily be performed with a clean sponge as often as you'd like. I wouldn't recommend sealing it everytime you clean but, once every few month should be sufficient. Your best bet is to wipe up any spills as soon as they happen to prevent the Travertine from soaking them up and causing damage.

A final disadvantage to choosing Travertine is the cost. Travertine tile is going to be a bit more expensive than porcelain tile, because you need to use a multipurpose thinset rather than just a standard thinset. (Thinset is the adhesive used to attach the tile to the floors or walls)

In the end, you may want to consider not using Travertine tile for your floors if you have pets and/or kids that are prone to accidents, unless you can afford the time to make sure the tile stays sealed properly. That said, while Travertine may be the more expensive choice, in the long run replacing tiles will be easier, and you will most likely be happier with the look. It will also benefit you should you ever decide to sell your home.

If I had a choice between Travertine and porcelain tiles, Travertine would win hands down with me. But then I'm a big proponent of using natural building products whenever possible.