Marble & Travertine Flooring: Maintenance and Care

Marble and Travertine are classic flooring materials with timeless charm that lends elegance to every room. To maintain the beauty of marble and travertine floors, however, it is necessary to protect them with penetrating sealants. The type of care depends on the finish of marble and travertine.

Some varieties of travertine are hard and dense and can be used in the shower and on the floor in high traffic areas. Travertine flooring offers sure footing when wet. There are softer, porous varieties of travertine that can be scratched, stained and etched more easily than denser varieties. Such travertine tiles must be sealed for stain prevention if installed in high traffic and wet areas. Soft and porous varieties of travertine are not recommended for outdoor flooring in climates that experience freezing.

Routine maintenance for stone flooring involves brushing or vacuuming to pick up dirt and dust. Water and neutral cleaner can be used for scrubbing. If you select stone with a textured surface, such as tumbled marble or flamed granite, you may need to do cleaning more frequently as the textured surface collects more dirt and dust. Clean spills with a clean damp cloth. Avoid the use of cleaning products that contain abrasives as they may dull the surface of the stone.

Some stones are more prone to etching when the surface is exposed to acids. Generally speaking, stones largely composed of calcite such as marble and limestone, are more prone to etching than igneous stones such as granite. When spills of acidic substances such as citrus juice, wine or cola occur on the stone surface, try to wipe them off immediately to prevent etching.