Travertine is a stone, soft and porous, sealers are a must if you want to try not to stain the floor. Travertine is available in many finishes, which are you thinking of using? Will you be upset by the wear and tear if you go with a more delicate finish given kids and pet?

I agree with Sophie. There are plenty of good porcelain travertine lookalikes out there. Additionally, are you aware that you will likely pay twice the cost for labor to install stone compared to tile. It can be a huge expense and really not appropriate unless you are rolling in dough at this stage of your life. Travertine has to be sealed, even it is a matt sealer. The minute your husband walks in the house with oil on his shoes your nightmares with marble (travertine) will begin. At least with porcelain, you'll be able to wipe it up with any floor cleaner.

Travertine is in the same 'softness' category as marble. It should come with live-in domestic help who is trained in marble care (send the maid/houseman to a 3 day seminar on how to maintain stone/marble) and then pay them HUGE amounts of money NOT to ruin the stone.

BTW: I'm a fan of travertine! Love the look. So beautiful. So delicate. The higher the polish level (super slick = slip & slide indoor water park fun should water hit the floor) the "tougher" the finish. The lower the polish level (better grip under foot) the MORE DELICATE it is....Oh dear.

So the "tough finish" (high polish/gloss) is harder to stain (still needs sealing but it is harder to damage) is DANGEROUS when wet (you will get to know the people at the walk-in clinic by first and last name). The honed finish is better for grip, but stains and etches like an SOB....and sealing needs to be done 2-4 times per year....every year....for the rest of your life with the floor.

Personally, as a fan of travertine, I would purchase the high-end porcelain "look-a-like" product. Much easier to maintain, you don't need live-in domestic help and you don't need to worry about sealing.

Purchase a box of Travertine and then "play with it" for a few months and see what you think. Do everything to it. Spill cola on it. Set it under the dog's water dish. Let the kids use it as a finger paint exercise, give it to husband to let grease sit on it for a few days...and then see how you feel about it. An $80 box of travertine tiles used as an experiment is well worth the investment...either way.

Thanks for the comments! I was looking for a dull finish. In my head I know that it is not a good choice but in my heart I want it to work. Do you have any ideas for porcelain look a likes?

Roman Stone Beige at Lowes. Just had a client do 4 pallets worth in her house. It has a high V factor, and is porcelain. Pair it with a urethane grout like TEC Power Grout, and you have a bulletproof floor. As long as you do the proper prep for a tile floor. That includes a crack prevention membrane if you are on slab, and calculating the deflection value of your joist if you are on a conventional foundation. Then add mortar, cement board, and the correct setting material for the size of tile desired.

Doing any tile job correctly is more expensive than ignoring prep. Done correctly, tile is a lifetime floor choice though.

In Sophies version you will likely save some $$$ and have a better lasting install. A win win?

I would however not employ cement board unless I need to lift the floor and only after my deflection and subfloor specs are met for the tile choice..CBU is not a structural material rather a medium for bonding the tile and mortar and theres far better options. (but every home and floor are totally different and yes we do use CBU at times).

good luck

Thanks! I'll get a sample of the Roman Beige.

I'd consider 18x18 or a rectangular format for that tile.