Travertine Dream

So what is this stuff and why do you need it? Backerboard, or cement board, comes in sheets much like drywall and is used in a couple of ways. It is used on flooring installations as a means of creating a stable and easier to work with subfloor. It is also used in shower and tub enclosures (or anywhere with significant wetness issues) as a means of helping to create a moisture barrier. Unlike drywall, which is not water proof, or green board, which is merely water resistant, backerboard is water proof and when used with a proper moisture barrier help to mitigate headaches down the road.

Check out this ARTICLE by Andrew Hunt for more information about backerboard and how it is used.

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So I get asked with some regularity if I can recommend any installers. Being as almost all of you are outside of my area, I can’t be of much help from a personal recommendation, but there are resources available. You can always check your local yellow pages or your local Better Business Bureau. Another resource, that may be the most useful, is the Marble Institute of America’s directory search. Here you can search by zip and business type. Enter your zip and pick Stone Installer and see what you get.

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I have had a bunch of inquiries lately about chiseling the edges of travertine by the installer. Why would you want to do this you might ask? Well sometimes during installation, you are going to have to make cuts leaving you with one or two edges that are no longer chiseled. Some people want to have that chiseled edge consistent, even into the walls, or cabinets or wherever. Can it be done? Sure it can, but very carefully and with some practice. I wouldn’t recommend taking the piece you are about to install and start hacking away at it, but try this. Grab an angle grinder (be sure to have the appropriate disk) and take some cut ends to practice on. The angle from which you attack the tile, will be quite important if you want to match the look that came from the factory. Try different angles and different depths. With enough practice, it can be possible to match the chiseled edge pretty closely.

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A growing trend in sprucing up your kitchen is a simple and quick overhaul of the backsplash. As with floors and countertops, there are a lot of different materials being used. Some people prefer porcelain or ceramic tiles for ease of cleaning, some prefer glass mosaics for a dash of flair, others prefer the time honored look of natural stone. Whichever you decide, there are easy cookie cutter ways to give your kitchen a unique look, or, for the more artistic among us, there are much more intricate designs. You can get sheets of mosaics that are already mesh mounted and easy to cut to size, or you can use left over pieces and cuts from a flooring project to make your own design.

A word to the wise, put your thoughts on paper and sketch out a couple of designs. This will help you to determine just how much work your project will involve.

For a brief article on how to install a simple backsplash, check out a link from HGTV.com HERE.

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Yesterday my colleague Gratian wrote a post about different types of countertops. One of the items he mentions is a question I get a lot so I thought, in case you guys aren’t checking out the other blogs, you missed it. Check out Gratian’s advice about using natural stone tiles as a countertop HERE. There is also more information about the topic on Bobvilla.com.

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So the kids got all fired up last night drinking Mountain Dew and watching Bowling Night on ESPN2. They decided the smart thing to do would be to set up their empty bottles, borrow dad’s bowling ball and throw a few strikes in the kitchen. Low and behold, you wake up this morning to find a few cracked tiles from Jr’s impromptu sports night, but what do you do now?

Check out some helpful instructions from THIS OLD HOUSE, and see what you might be able to do. Remember, when trying anything with your installed floor, BE CAREFUL. The last thing you want to do is damage 2 or 3 more tiles trying to replace the cracked one.

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It seems more and more people are trying to save a little bit of money and do stone tile installations themselves. Some people just enjoy the work and are doing it themselves just to do it. Whichever it is, if you are not a professional installer, I recommend checking out as many installation resources as possible. There are some intricacies to stone versus ceramic tile installations that you should make yourself aware of. Always use products designed for the type of tile you are about to install. The main thing here is to be informed. Educate yourself prior to starting your job. There are ample resources available at Amazon.com or your local library. See some of the titles available from Amazon.com that could be helpful HERE. 

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Ok, you are looking at getting pavers for your yard. Whether it be sandstone, travertine, slate or granite, the installation is similar. But what you really want to do is spruce it up a bit, right? Check out some of the patterns that can be created using standard paver sizes HERE. Maybe you will find the inspiration you were seeking!

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My colleague Peter found a really great website recently regarding installation tools. If you are planning on laying some tile, I recommend taking a look at his post titled “How To Tile- Project Wizard”.

I was tinkering with the website link in his post, you  know, just to see what it was all about and found that it was full of useful tidbits. How to prep your job, what tools you would require, how to set your stone and in what, how to grout and with what. Check it out. It could be a very useful tool.  

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People ask about mixing one type of stone with another. Can I use granite with travertine in the same floor? Can I mix travertine and marble? How can I do it?

 The short answer is, yes, of course you can. You can mix travertine with a straw floor if you want, the key is going to be the transitions. You want to make sure you are using the same thickness of tile and a similar finish. Think of it this way, if you are trying to mix a 1/2″ thick tile with chiseled edges and a 3/8″ thick tile with a straight edge, its not going to work very well. The seam between tiles is going to be messy, and possibly sharp! Also, if one tile is thicker than the other, they can be laid together, but it is going to be much more difficult.

To Review:

1. Can it be done? Yes.

2. What do I have to remember? Try and use tiles of similar finish and same thickness.

Happy installing!

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