Properly Installing Travertine In A Shower; Avoid Mold!
I’m having 12 x 12 travertine (honed, light beige) installed in the bathroom in the shower and back of tub. I noticed that they are not using spacers between the tiles but have them but up against each other. Is that the standard way of doing it or are they taking the lazy way to install? What is the best way to install to insure that there will not be any leaks later on?
Leta D.
Hello Leta,
For shower walls, stone tile, like travertine, should have a minimum joint of 1/16″. If there is no joint space, the grout will not hold in the joints. For joint that are 1/8″ or smaller, non-sanded grout should be used and thoroughly push into the joint with a grout float. Wider joints require sanded grout.
On a vertical surface, I don’t see how spacers can be avoided because the weight of the tile will cause the tile to sag into the piece below. What you described sounds like a problem to me and I don’t see how the installer can explain to you how grout will be pushed into the seam. Travertine tile usually has a little bevel along the edges. It is not acceptable to grout the bevel only because this grout fall out very soon.
If there is no grout in the seam, water will penetrate and get under the surface. This can cause hazardous mold, discoloring and eventual failure of the tile adhesion. You need a 1/16″ spacer between the tiles.
Best wishes
August 27th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
I have a client that has a 3′ x 3′ travertine showerpan that was installed in 1971. There are two 4″ hairline cracks that appear in the surface away from the drain. There has been noticable water damage outside the shower and the plywood floor from beneath sugests that the water has been setting on the surface of the subfloor. Are there ways to reseal the stone properly, or should spend looking elsewhere (shower valve, etc.)?
January 15th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Is granite a desirable product to use inside showers and how does it need to be cared for if the answer is yes.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
HI TOM,
WOW, this is amazing, i was searching online for travertine info when i gut to your site, i really hope you can ansure my question/s.
i’m installing 24′x24′ travertine stone floor on diagonal, satin finish.
i really really don’t like the grout space, is thare any way NOT to have the grout line, to do but tight joint?
the tiles don’t have a bevel end, it is square.
also, i have tile now that will be removed.
how do i prepare the floor(concrete) for the travertine?
if i do have to use spacers what is the minimum i can use?
do i need to use 3/8′ or 1/2′ trowel for the thinset?
the tiles look pretty smooth, do i still need 3 coats of penetrating sealer?
could you please advise me regarding the sealer.
i really appreciat your help tom,
thank you,
yamit.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
HI TOM,
i have one more for you, i’ve been told that i have to do a mortar bad If installation of the travertine is to be over a concrete floor. can you explain that please?
what is that?
how to- mortar bad?
thank’s,
yamit.
April 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I am installing travertine 16×16 on the walls of a tub/shower. I was told by my local hardware store person that i should seal all sides, front and back plus edges prior to installing in order to avoid the concrete seeping thru once installes? Any truth to this?
May 20th, 2010 at 5:30 am
I have hired a guy to tile my shower. We are using ceramic tiles. He says he does not need to use spacers because the tile is beveled. He is just stacking the tiles on one another. He did say he is using a nonsanded grout. Is this the correct way to do this? I thought spacers were always used so that you could get the grout in.
July 17th, 2010 at 10:10 am
I’ve recently had travertine flooring installed in our kitchen. We used 1/16″ spacers. The grout did not hold up the 1st time. It cracked and started coming up. I think it’s because we used sanded grout. We had the cracked grout re-done with non-sanded grout and it is still cracking and coming up. The Travertine was set with thin set over a presswood floor. There seems to be some flex in the floor. Is there anything we can do at this point to fix the problem?
November 3rd, 2011 at 8:02 pm
When installing travertine tiles on a shower wall is it a good practice to seal the tiles before setting them in thin set to avoid any problems with discoloratioor staining of the tiles during installation?