Beautiful House with Pool For Rent. Magallanes Village, Makati City Philippines

By: Reggie Halili

In a recent trip to eastern europe, I noticed that most buildings, specifically the old eastern block style apartments were finished with a soft, aged and delicate looking type of stone… a porous material of light ivory, bone white shade with streaks of charcoal. Architect Mario Asanion of ADD+ (www.addplusconsortium.com) whom I was traveling with explained that this stone was called Travertine, widely used and local to those parts of Europe. It is an elegant stone that exudes sophistication and taste. I also found out that these were very popular in Italy and have been around since the Roman times. In fact, the Roman Coliseum is built almost exclusively of travertine stone.

Interesting to note too that Modern Travertine (Travertine Tiles) are widely available in the Philippines and perfect for our climate. Wilcon Depot has an extensive selection of Travertine Tiles.  Travertine Tiles are a great addition to any home. The tiles are excellent at complimenting light and warm décor and can be used as either floor tiles or wall tiles.

There are various types (finishes) available in the market. The most known types are as follows:

1) Honed and Filled: It is important to remember that travertine is a product which is full of holes. These holes are filled with a special compound to give a smoother and modern finish to the tile. After the filling stage, a precision abrasion process is applied where the small amount of material is removed from the surface to make the tile smoother and in some cases shinier.

2) Unfilled and Tumbled: The process where the stone is tumbled or vibrated with smaller abrasives to produce an aged appearance. Because of its rustic look, many customers prefer this type of travertine tiles in bathrooms, kitchens or old country cottages. The holes are not filled and the surface is pitted, rough.

3) Brushed: Using circular brushes in the polishing or honing stage, the tile can be given a semi-polished or semi-honed look. The surface is textured and pitted.

4) Chiselled: Commonly known as chipped edge. The edges are tumbled as well as chipped all along the 4 edges to give a rustic finish. The tiles are also pitted.

5) Polished Travertine: A beautiful glossy finished is achieved by the natural reflection of the stone crystals. The shine is being accomplished by using progressively finer polishing heads during the final stages of the production.

If you are thinking about adding a Mediterranean look or a rustic, classic feel to your home then the tiles to consider are Travertine. However you intend to use Travertine, you will find them beautiful and full of old world charm.