When choosing the right flooring for a room or for the entire house one of the main criteria is how easy to clean they are. This is a natural thing because leading such busy lives we cannot afford to spend too much time on cleaning. People need to be able to live in a clean environment that doesn’t require too much effort to maintain. This is why tiles in general come as a solution to this problem. Many people opt for travertine tiles because they look extremely nice and are suitable for all kind of spaces. A plus would be the feeling of comfort they give, especially when they are chosen in warm colors, like walnut travertine ones.

What products to use to clean travertine?
For everyday maintenance all you need is a mop and a natural stone detergent with a neutral pH. They are easy to wash and resistant to water. There are some tricks one should take into account though, so that travertine tiles wear only after long period of times. The first one would be cleaning spots and spills immediately. Like in the case of all surfaces, dirt left unclean may cause deteriorations. Use dust mops as frequent as necessary. You can also use sponges or soft clean cloths.

Is travertine resistant to household accidents?
Travertine tiles are known for their resistance and durability. This natural stone is similar to limestone, but this doesn’t mean it is indestructible. If you spill wine or lime juice or something of high acidity it is better to clean it as soon as possible. The acid in these liquids will not destroy the travertine entirely, but it may wipe off its polish.

Do travertine tiles need professional cleaning?
Because of the pock marks and the rivets sometimes it may be a little bit difficult to clean. If your travertine got stained over and over again, especially by liquids that are highly acidic, specialists recommend getting professional help. In no time your flooring would look like new, or even better. There are special techniques that are meant to enhance the beauty of travertine floorings. This procedure would have to be done only once a year. This means that the investment you have to make in cleaning is a minimal one.

How to avoid deteriorations of travertine?
There are many solutions for these problems, but the most recommended one is prevention. Even though travertine is a great looking stone, you can complement it with rugs or door mats. This way the dirt from the shoes won’t come in direct contact with the flooring. And again, clean what you have spilled immediately after the accident.

The walnut travertine tiles are primarily light brown with some beige and cream elements running through them making them perfect for every home.

All natural stone floors exhibit different style and characteristics. However, all of them are beautiful and elegant in their own ways. Travertine is very common and offers minimalistic designs, limestone is the choice for property developers, slate is the choice for people who are looking for rustic look and distinctive colours. The list goes on with granite, quartz, basalt etc.

Marble is one of the most durable materials of all natural stone products. It can be used in commercial applications and high trafficked areas without any problems. As people are getting to know more about marble, it is worth mentioning below the most common marble floor tiles that are commercially available:

1) Crema Marfil Marble: The world renowned Spanish marble is commonly known as Crème Marble. Depending on the selection, Crema Marfil marble tiles can either have very limited veining or variation (which is very expensive) or have distinctive veining going through the tile (which is more cost effective). Property developers or DIY enthusiasts mainly prefer this marble as they are beautiful in colour and available in bigger sizes for large areas. Also they come in honed or glossy finishes.

2) Nero Marquina Marble: Originated from Italy, these marble tiles have black background colour with very stylish white veining within the tile. The source material is scarce and also very fragile which results in high consumer price. This is the choice of professionals and the ones with no budget constraints.

3) Carrara White Marble: Carrara is a city in Italy and this stone originates from Carrara region. Normally the tile has very pure white background colour with limited veining. One important rule in natural stone is that if the tile exhibits limited variation, the consumer price must be very high. Therefore, budget options of this stone are also available with blackish and greyish veining. Some designers use this product with Nero Marquina marble to create checkerboards.

4) Bluestone Marble: Originates from Turkey, this marble tile has dark blue colour with different shades. Also the edges are tumbled for a rustic look. It can be used with a white tumbled marble (mainly Carrara marble or similar) to create a checkerboard effect.

There are many other types of marble tiles available in the market. The important message here is that marble comes with different colour choices; black, white, brown, cream, blue, grey. Contrast colours give limitless ideas to design professionals. Even 10mm thick marble tiles are more durable compared to other types of natural or man made flooring. Therefore if you decide to choose marble flooring, we guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

John Giles is an expert in flooring materials. His main interests are travertine floor tiles and marble floor tiles for which he regularly writes articles about.