Frustrated by holes in your travertine?

Ever wonder why you get holes in your travertine tile? Well, this is one of the most common questions that we get from our clients. The short answer is that travertine is like Swiss cheese – full of holes all the way through it. When the raw travertine is cut into tiles, the surface holes are filled and then polished to a specific finish. Yet beneath the surface of the tiles, holes still remain. These holes, called vughs, typically differ in mineral composition from the travertine itself, which is composed mainly of calcium carbonate. These vughs could be composed of granite, quartz, salt, etc. If salt is among the compounds, it is likely acidic. Should this salt be exposed to water, it dissolves, and the acid is released. The acid causes the calcium carbonate to disintegrate, causing a hole to form. Since travertine polishing involves the use of abrasives to bring up the shine, it’s common for holes to form during the process. Depending on the size of the hole and number of holes, we either fill them with non-sanded grout or epoxy travertine filler.

Next time your wonder why you have holes in your travertine call the experts at Scottsdale Travertine Polish for a free estimate to repair them!Categories