What is travertine?
Travertine is a natural stone from the limestone family, which eventually transforms into marble over time. Also known as travertine marble, it is made of calcium carbonate and is usually found in the form of deposits near warm or hot springs. In ancient times, it was frequently used as a building material, but now it is most commonly used for countertops and flooring, as well as in showers and tub surrounds as well as in exterior decor.
Travertine belongs to the stone family that called limestone also known as Calcium Carbonate. Marble stone is also a type of limestone which has had additional heat and pressure applied to it. Travertine stone is formed by minerals dissolving in ground water and then being deposited on the earth’s surface.
Travertine is one of the most frequently used stones in modern architecture, and is commonly seen as facade material, wall cladding, and flooring. Architect Welton Becket was one of the most frequent users of travertine, incorporating it extensively into many if not most of his projects. The entire first floor of the Becket-designed UCLA Medical Center has thick travertine walls. The rock travertine is a natural chemical precipitate of carbonate minerals; typically aragonite, but often recrystallized to or primarily calcite; which is deposited from the water of mineral springs (especially hot springs) or streams saturated with calcium carbonate. When pure, travertine is white, but often is brown to yellow due to impurities. When carbon dioxide-rich water percolates through rocks in limestone areas, the water dissolves the limestone and becomes saturated with it. When the water resurfaces later, the sudden drop in pressure and the change in temperature cause the water to release the car
