Which Tile to Choose - Marble Or Travertine

Natural stone is lifetime beauty. As it has become more affordable, many people consider using natural stone tiles for their properties.

There are plenty of types of natural stone including travertine, marble, limestone and slate which make the selection difficult for consumers. In this article, we will evaluate marble and travertine which are the most popular ones of all natural stone tiles.

Travertine is a sedimentary rock from limestone. It is often pushed out to the surface by rivers, natural springs or from geysers. Limestone, travertine and marble tiles are all from the same family. When limestone is pressurized, travertine is formed. Marble is formed when travertine is pressurized. Therefore, one could suggest that travertine and marble have nearly the same characteristics except marble is harder and more expensive (after processing).

So you would like to buy natural stone flooring but are not sure which one to go for. If you cannot decide between marble and travertine, please see a detailed comparison below for these two materials:

1) Travertine has become very cheap and more common whereas marble is still more expensive.

2) Marble is harder and more durable. It can be used in commercial properties. Travertine is not recommended for commercial use.

3) Travertine is full of holes therefore it is more susceptible to external factors (dirt, liquids etc). Installation and sealing must be done properly.

4) Marble is harder and more fragile at the same time. This means that processing marble blocks are more expensive and there is higher chance of production losses. Also in order to prevent breakages, epoxy treatment is used at the back of the tile. All these factors result in higher consumer price.

5) As travertine is softer, processing the stone is easier and this results in different types of travertine tiles (honed, filled, polished, tumbled, pillowed, chiseled edges etc). Most of the time marble tiles come in honed or polished finish. (Tumbled finish is only limited to smaller sizes)

6) Marble is easier to maintain in the long run and recommended if you have pets or children.

Overall, marble seems to have more advantages however, the price tag is much more expensive than travertine. Travertine tiles also have much more color and finish choices just because they have fewer headaches in processing. Therefore the choice is between budget and application. As a conclusion, if you cannot afford marble tiles, go for travertine without hesitation. When travertine tiles are installed and maintained properly, we guarantee they will last lifetime and they will also transform the dullest place into a beauty.

by John Giles