Had the same concerns when we were considering travertine for a backsplash. I would consider a honed travertine and qseal, which is factory sealed, and I believe lifetime warranty. I think sealing after the fact does the same thing though, not sure how often a floor would need resealing.

It is a little early to say, but so far so good. I put this one in earlier this year, and have been using it since June 1:

The tiles are filled and honed (tan) or filled and polished (red). I used epoxy grout. So far, I have accumulated exactly zero noticeable flaws. I expect that eventually I will accumulate a patina of small scratches, but nothing so far.

Here it is in context:

As far as broken corners, I don't think that should actually be a problem. I cut all my tiles from 12x12 to 6x6, and so had to do a LOT of handling of them. I broke maybe 10 or so (which actually represented very little loss, as I could use them on the edges of the room). I did not install any tiles that had chips. Once installed, they won't break because they have full support. (Do make sure you stiffen your floor joist and subfloor to appropriate levels!)

Mine are going on 7 years old now with no problems. You shouldn't install any with broken corners or chips, and cracks and breaks shouldn't occur with a proper installation unless you drop something like a cast-iron skillet on the floor.

Just happened to come across this and I will tell you my experience With my travertine in the kitchen. First off, after 4 years my backsplash looks fantastic, the floor is another story. I will say that my kitchen sees a lot of traffic, but there is more to it than that. First off the manufacturer used filler on some of the tiles, which I understand is a standard practice. Some of that filler worked its way out and I've had to refill with grout. It looks okay, but a pain in the butt. Second, I opted to seal my stone to help with the staining. I bought the sealer that the tile guys said was the best, and was supposed to last up to 15 years. Yeah right. So, the more you clean the floor the more often you have to seal it. Since putting in the floor 4 years ago I've had 2 babies, so I'm mopping the whole floor at least once a week and spot cleaning more often, always with a neutral cleaner. Then I'm reselling every 12-18 months which involves stripping the sealer off with a cleaner and a scrub brush and then applying the sealer for 5 minutes and buffing each tile unit it's dry. I have a huge kitchen, but just one coat of sealer is a 3 day project, about once a year. Now, you don't have to seal, and at firtpst I didn't but it cleans up much faster with.the sealer on. I would never install the stuff again, and when doing my bathroom a couple years ago the design people tried to talk me into travertine and I went with proceldian. Yes, with porceline tile you still have to seal the grout, but that's a simple yearly project. I will say though, that my house is for sale and I do get more reviews that the kitchen is gorgeous than I do with the bathroom, but I'm not sure how much the travertine has to do with it. I'm not a big fan of real wood in a kitchen because of the damage that a leaky dishwasher or ice maker makes, and I really only like the look if there are painted cabinets, but that's just me. Of all of them I'd say the vinyl is going to be the best bet for being soft on the feet and clean ups, but I don't think you can beat the longevity of porceline file.

Thanks telx2, that's all I need to know. I want an easier floor than that.

Hey telx2, do you mind sharing what cleaner you use to get what's left of the sealer off with and what you use to reseal? I'm in the same boat, I have 3 year old travertine in my high traffic kitchen. Between kids and the dog I'm constantly mopping and the sealer is not holding up like the tile guys said it would. Short of scrubbing it on hands and knees daily I just can't get it clean.

We just passed the 7 year move in date of our build. Travertine flooring in kitchen, hallway, laundry room, pantry, powder room, sunroom and main level bathrooms. Also the showers on the main level.

DH sealed with Miracle 511 Porous Plus - sealed, but did not enhance. The Master shower probably needed resealing 5 years ago, but we still haven't gotten around to it. Have never resealed elsewhere either. Only in front of the sink and by the back/garage door looks a little different than the rest of the stone areas, but you don't notice unless you stop and look really hard.

My mother had those floors and yes it looks beautiful, glossy like a museum floor- but- it must be filled, sealed and polished every 3-5 years to keep it looking good. The finish will wear off and it gets small pits, which must be sealed. I would never use it for a shower or countertop. Only gentle cleaners maybe used- no harsh detergents!

I adore travertine!!! I have honed travertine in my seldom used front entry. It still looks good after 12 years but does tend to look dirtier than my bathroom travertine look porcelain that's used multiple times a day every day. Killed me to make the decision to go with a porcelain travertine in the master bathroom but I'm not getting any younger and low maintenance was key. Unless I tell them, no one knows it's not real travertine (but they're not rock aficionados ;) ). I have tumbled travertine backsplash in the kitchen. With 5 coats of sealer on it, NOTHING has stained it in 14 years.

Yes, I'm aware this is an old thread.

Just don't lay it directly over a control joint in the concrete:

Mine isn't holding up well. The travertine is 7 years old. I would not do it again, at least not for the kitchen dining room (or any high traffic kid used areas) it's harder to keep clean. Cant use any harsh cleansers. In the kids bathroom there's etching. (Little boys pee everywhere!) We've had it stripped and resealed twice and it's not cheap. And i still feel like it's not clean.

What is a control joint?

But I do love my travertine backsplash. I cook every day and it's still beautiful.

"What is a control joint?"

Concrete is placed (never "poured") in sections. Sometimes a large slab will have sacrificial slots cut into it to control where the concrete cracks which it always does.

Concrete moves. You must accommodate the movement. This can be done by placing an uncoupling membrane between the concrete and the travertine although few builders do it because few owners want to pay for something they'll never see.

It's best to never tile over a control joint, but try telling that to a builder, designer, or homeowner. They just want the look they want, budget and physics be damned.

Got it. Thank you for answering my question. We have a slab foundation in SoCal. I wonder if we have control joints. I've never seen one when we've had flooring installed.

I have had travertine in bathroom (not kitchen) for 10 years and it has held up really well. I have stripped the original sealer and resealed once. It probably needs resealing again. My mom has travertine in kitchen and it has also held up well!

Just because it was time for a change, we removed all travertine in our home but I must say it withstood 13 years of raising two kids with a boat load of friends, two dogs, and tons of beach sand. Make sure you get honed and filled or polished. We also had as a kitchen backsplash and we were pleased with the longevity and maintenance..