Winter is coming – are you prepared? Not only you, but also your entire home must be prepped for the massive change and weather that accompanies the change in seasons, and winter is by far the hardest on your home. This is especially true if you’re a fan of tiling; sharp changes in weather and especially cold climates can end up doing real damage to the tiling that homeowners use for walkways, patios, and the like. Fortunately, with the high-quality, durable tiles available at Travertine Mart, you can face winter without a worry in the world.
When the Weather Outside is Frightful
Generally speaking, it is unwise to use clay tiles outside of warm climates, but this is only true if the clay tiles you are using have not passed the freeze/thaw cycle performance tests that prove a tile can hold up against extreme changes in temperature. The stress that cold weather can put on tiles can cause cracks to form in them, which can end up being quite dangerous – or at least expensive to replace. If your tiles are able to withstand these changes without cracking, however, then you are in the clear to use those tiles anywhere, regardless of climate.
Weather changes aren’t the only challenge that your tiles will face. If you are not tiling your roof, then you are likely either tiling an indoor room, your patio, or the area around an outdoor pool. In any of those cases, your tiles will see heavy traffic, and in the case of a pool, your tiles will also see lots of water. You want tiles that can stand up not just against the stress that the weather will put on them, but the wear and tear that heavy traffic causes.
Tiling You Can Rely On
Travertine Mart delivers on both counts, providing tiles that have passed the tests for freeze/thaw cycles and which are also renowned for their durability against heavy traffic. In fact, not only are travertine pavers remarkably durable, but they hold their color as well, unlike many other tiles, which grow discolored and fade with time.
Travertine pavers have been used for thousands of years, long before Travertine Mart came along, to provide a walking surface both domestically and municipally, by ancient cultures such as the Romans. In the heyday of the Roman Empire, travertine was used to construct temples, aqueducts, bath complexes, and even the Colosseum, which is the largest travertine building in the world. The fact that most of these structures are still around today, after thousands of years of climate changes, wars, fires, and the depredations of time should tell you just how tough travertine really is.
Travertine Today
Fortunately, travertine’s use is not limited to ancient structures. Today, travertine is used widely in a number of modern buildings, such as the Getty Center and Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). It is primarily used as a tiling for floors, though it has been known to be used for a building material in some structures, owing to its strength and durability. Travertine has become so popular that the United States imports nearly one million tons of travertine each year.
Which brings us back to tiling your home. Travertine’s unique properties render it ideal for any climate; while it can stand up to extreme cold, travertine can also provide a cool surface to walk on in warm weather. This makes the stone perfect for patios and pool area tiling, as walking barefoot on these surfaces can sometimes lead to a bit of burning on your underfoot. Not with travertine tiling, however, which only provides a cool, comfortable stone surface to walk and stand on. Your guests and family will thank you, as will their feet, when you host a party with travertine underfoot!
Considering the widespread popularity and demonstrated strength and durability of travertine tiling, you might think that it is a stone that is out of your price range, but surprisingly this is not the case. A quick look at Travertine Mart’s selection of durable travertine pavers shows us that you can tile your home in the same manner as the ancient Romans at an incredibly affordable rate. You will be glad you did when the seasons change, the parties roll in, and your tiles remain the same: beautiful.
