Installing Travertine Tile?
Question:I have purchased some Travertine tile to put down in my new kitchen and entry. I am going to use 1/16 inch spacers and a 1/4 inch notched trowel to lay it down. I am going to use a wet saw to cut with. Does anyone have any more advice on laying this type of tile? What is the best sealer to put down and how long do I need to wait before putting the sealer down? I was told to put it down with a 1/4 inch nap roller, is this good?
Answers:
Generally, it is recommended that a perfessional lay travertine tiles because it really cant be laid like normal tile. There are different patterns that travertine is made to replicate. I personally recommend laying the tile in the Versailles pattern, because it has the best look. Travertine should never be laid straight, if you feel that you cannot lay it in a pattern, you have to lay it on a diagnal.
Get a "how to" book on laying tile at Lowe's or Home depot and it will answer all of your questions and give you a ton of useful tips that it would take days for us to write. It will set you back about $20, but it will save you from screwing up $1000 in tile. There is a whole series of these books on everything from wiring to plumbing and they are invaluable for those who are just starting out being "handy".
Hi - I suggest you use a bigger spacer, something about 3/16" and 1/4", otherwise you will have great difficulty in getting the grout into the joints. Mapei do a great range of coloured grouts and it's really good quality gear. Also you need a bigger notched trowel. You can get a proper flooring trowel with 'D' shaped notches. Using a 1/4" notched trowel wont give you enough leeway when bedding the tiles. Your best bet, regarding the sealer, is to apply a coat, or even two, to the top surface of the tiles before fixing, and allow it to dry. This will make it easy to remove any adhesive off the face of the tile as you fit them. It also makes it easier to clean off when grouting. As you lay the tiles make sure that all joints are clear of adhesive, small bits of cardboard are useful for this. Keep a bucket of water and a sponge handy to clean off the tiles (if necessary ) as you go. It's difficult to remove the adhesive off the tiles once it has dried.
Leave the final sealing until you have grouted. This way means that the grout is also sealed and makes it much easier to wash the floor.
Don't be in too much of a hurry to rinse off the tiles after applying the grout, it needs to set a bit otherwise you will just wipe it out of the joints with the sponge. Keep changing the water at regular intervals as you clean the grout off otherwise it will be a never ending job.
The sealer can be applied with a brush or roller. Do a small area at a time, about 2 square yards, and slap it on generously, leave it for 5/10 minutes and then wipe off the excess with a clean rag. Leave it to dry, prefferably overnight and then repeat the process. I have had to apply up to 5 coats of sealer to Travertine to get a proper seal. It depends on the absorbtion rate, some Tavertine soaks up more than others. You will know when it is properly sealed by dropping a few beads of water onto the tiles. If you blow the water droplets they should 'roll' across the surface. If they don't roll then you need more sealer. A matt sealer is better for Travertine, although this is a matter of personal taste. A gloss surface detracts, in my opinion, from the natural beauty of the stone. Best to wear gloves, when doing the sealer, and make sure there is plenty of ventilation because it's pretty potent/powerful/pungent stuff.
On a concrete floor I would allow a couple of days for the adhesive to dry before grouting and on a timber floor probably twice this. You will know when the grout is dry because it is darker when wet and lightens to the proper colour when dry.
I use Hagesan (HG) sealer.
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