Travertine is a beautiful natural stone with a characteristic pitted, textured appearance. It’s widely used for floor tiles, wall cladding, bathroom surrounds and outdoor paving. But travertine has a peculiarity that other natural stones don’t: it naturally contains voids and holes that, when not filled during installation, can continue to open up over time — and it is also vulnerable to chipping and cracking in high-traffic areas.
Understanding Travertine’s Voids and Holes
Travertine is a sedimentary limestone formed around hot springs. The formation process leaves natural cavities in the stone. During manufacturing, tiles are available as “filled” (voids filled with grout or resin during production) or “unfilled” (voids left open for a more natural look). Over time, even filled travertine can develop new surface holes as the original fill material dries and contracts.
Travertine Hole and Void Filling
Small to medium voids in travertine tiles can be filled using a colour-matched stone resin or cementitious grout. The fill is applied, levelled and then sanded flush with the surrounding surface. On honed travertine, the repair is then polished to match the surrounding finish. On tumbled or brushed travertine, the repaired area is textured to blend with the natural character of the stone.
Travertine Chip and Crack Repair
Corner chips on travertine tiles are common — the stone is relatively soft compared to porcelain and can chip where foot traffic causes impact. Our technicians fill corner chips and cracks with a stone-coloured resin, shape and sand the repair, then polish or texture the surface to match the surrounding tile.
Travertine Floors and Bathroom Walls
We repair travertine in all locations — floor tiles in hallways and kitchens, bathroom wall panels, shower surrounds, fireplace hearths and outdoor terrace paving (where accessible). For large-scale travertine void filling across entire floors, we offer a full re-grouting and void-filling service alongside spot repair.
