What is Travertine?
Travertine is a sedimentary rock that is made up of calcium based minerals. It is formed by the evaporation of water in hot springs.  As the water evaporates the minerals are left behind. These minerals create the colours, the shades and the beauty that is travertine today.  The colour of travertine depends on the presence of various minerals. This allows for a huge pallet of colour choices ranging from ivory and light beige all the way to dark browns. Other colours such as red, pink, gold and silver are also available in travertine.

Why use Travertine?
Travertine is used  widely in the world today. The main reasons for that is the beauty and versatility it offers to designers, builders and the end users.  Its natural colour gives more freedom to designers. It is easier to install comparing with some other kind of  natural stone. Cutting travertine is much easier than cutting marble. That is one of the reasons  Romans chose travertine instead of marble when constructing their cities. Travertine became an extremely common material when  they built  homes, temples, baths, aqueducts and many huge amphitheatres. Travertine has withstood the test of time and today we see those building in many places throughout Europe and Middle East.

Today travertine is one of the most versatile natural stones being used for indoor or outdoor purposes.  It is used as floor and wall tiles, pavers, bench tops, furniture and building façades just to name a few.

Where is Travertine from?
We source our travertine from Turkey and Iran. Marble Matters only uses top quality travertine blocks  for its  tiles and pavers.  Your purchase of travertine should not be based  on the origin of the stone. You can get good and bad quality travertine from any country.  When you invest in Marble Matters  products we do not take it lightly. We understand the financial and emotional effects of your decision. Marble Matters  only offers the best available product without compromising the quality.

Where does Marble Matters buy from?
Marble Matters sources marble, granite, bluestone, limestone and travertine from Turkey, Iran and China.

How do we make our Travertine pavers?

In a factory there must be  some machinery to be able to produce export quality pavers. 

	1.   The blocks  ( around  1.6m high and 2.5m wide)  are placed in the block cutter. The vertical blade cuts as deep  as 63 cm. The  horizantal  blade  cuts the strips off the block.  The strips are usually 32mm thick. The strips are carried by vacuum cup lifting frames to the next machine that cuts the strips to the required width.
	2.  After cutting the strip to the required width it is  cut to the required  length at the multi head cutting machine.
	3.   The cut pieces are calibrated at the next machine. At this machine all the blade marks are removed and the pieces come out in uniform thickness. After calibration we hone our pavers to bring out the colour of the stone and also maintain the slip rating " W " ( low  when wet).
	4.   The calibrated pieces are put in vibrating tanks full with abrasives.  This process is called tumbling and gives the pavers a tumbled finish.
	5.  Marble Matters pavers are packed in strong wooden crates

What is Vein cut or Cross cut?
Travertine blocks are cut in two different fashions. Cross cut  or vein cut. It is similar to cutting wood along the grain or across the grain. This gives every tile its unique look.

Vein Cut	Cross Cut

How do you take care of travertine tiles?
The very important thing to remember is  NOT to use any acid based or corrosive cleaners as this will damage the integrity of the stone. Instead use  mild soap and detergents when cleaning your tiles. All  they need is regular cleaning and vacuuming.

Is Sealing required?
Although sealers are not essential for your stone it can be recommended if you want to fully maintain your tiles. Sealers can protect  " to some extent"  the natural stone products against spills.  Sealing should be done as soon as your tiles are laid and the sealer’s manufacturer’s recommendation must be followed. Sealers are not guaranteed to be bullet proof and picking the right type stone is much safer than simply relying on a sealer.

What options are available?
When the stone is being manufactured there are many different options to choose from. These include:

Vein cut: This cut exposes the striking veins and other unique characteristics of the stone, The finishes can be  honed or  polished., cavities can be filled with cement or resin. Resin filling takes better polishing however would not be suitable for outdoor applications. Vein cut tiles tend to be not as strong as the cross cut tiles.

Cross Cut: This cut  exposes the various calcium deposits composed in travertine.

You can also choose the finish for the stone. These include:

Filled and Polished: The cavities are usually filled with cement based filling, mastic (glue) or clear resin before being polished. Having a glue or resin filling will polish better than cement fillings.

Filled and Honed : The cavities are usually filled with cement based filler

Tumbled: Cut travertine  pieces are put in vibrating drums and the abrasives  in the drums creates  the  worn look on the surface  (and the sharp edges get slightly rounded)

Brushed finish: After honing the surface the wire and hard plastic brushes used to give leather effect on the cut travertine pieces.

Acid wash or sandblast: not common on travertine.

Split face: Also called rock face. Cut pieces are  split by impact. This finish is  usually used at cladding pieces of walls and building.

Is travertine slippery?
Our travertine pavers  have W rating (low risk when wet)

Where can I use stone?
Stone tiles are  quite versatile in terms of the colours and sizes that they come in, Stone can be used indoors or outdoors and it is absolutely perfect for both walls and flooring. Some ideas for using natural stone include;
flooring  or wall tiling in living areas, bathrooms, kitchens and laundries,  entrance ways, as a splashback, cladding kitchen islands or cabinetry,  flooring in your outdoor living  areas,  around your pool.

Is stone okay to use in the bathroom?
You can create a look in the bathroom that no other material could give.  Stone is elegant, timeless and rich. Stone is luxururious and yet can still be competitive with high quality porcelain and other similar products.

Stone is always versatile, a modern look or  an organic look can be created  by just selecting the right format and finish of  a stone.

If you happened to need some more tiles  later on you would have much more chance of finding a similar or the same stone rather than  porcelain tiles that appear to change colours faster than the seasons.

Whether you choose  travertine,  limestone or marble you are choosing a beautiful, natural flooring with rich, warm colouring.  Its  intriguing grain and subtle patterns that make every stone wall and  floor unique. You can choose to use matching stone vanity with the  tiles or contrasting patterns to achieve the design effect you might be  looking for. Different cuts and sizes of stone tiles could  also enrich  design layout.
Stone tiles on walls laid  up to the ceiling will  enhance the appearance of the room.  It will give the entire room a warm and natural, yet sophisticated look.

Why should I use natural stone?
Today there  are  more and more designers using natural stone in their projects. The more experience they have with natural stone the more they fall in love with it. Natural stone is growing in popularity. Natural stone gives lots of flexibility to the designers. It is now quite common to see natural stone used in different parts of the home from walls to floors, from kitchen top to bathroom vanity tops, from outside pavers  to  wall claddings  and many other uses, There is  a wide range of beautiful natural colours available in the stone.

Stone tiles are absolutely beautiful and they will enhance any style of home with ease, from traditional through to ultra modern look with ease.

Natural stone provides an elegance and feel of luxury that simply cannot be matched by porcelain or ceramic tiles. Natural stone makes your design timeless, in other words your home / bathroom will never date.  In addition to its beauty natural stone is also durable, entirely free of harmful allergens,  and ideal material for the Australian climate, remaining cooler to the touch. Low maintenance of stone would  surprise you pleasantly. 

A designer who knows his  colours and comfortable with stone  could make your home elegant and  timeless.  This  should not cost you the world.  It takes a lot to beat the beauty and character of natural stone, with every piece unique in terms of its pattern and texture.  Currently natural and earthy  tones are more popular.

While man made stone products have been marketed widely and  heavily , nothing can compare with the  elegance and beauty of natural stone.  Having said that  it’s important to choose the right stone for the job; for external applications, use  a stone with good weather-proofing qualities to ensure that it stands the test of time whatever the conditions, and  avoid anything with a slippery finish for floors. Marble Matters pavers have a W rating.

What are the types of natural stone?
The natural stone products can be used in many different places like bench tops, floor or wall tiles,  pavers, around pools, cladding, sinks and bathtubs. Natural stone products are now more affordable than ever.  Marble Matters  offers  quality products with  economical prices.

There are several different  types natural stone available.

Granite – Granite is  a volcanic rock and would be one of the hardest  available. It is commonly used  for flooring in heavily used areas (i.e. commercial projects). It comes in different finishes like sandblasted or flamed that achieves  high slip rating.

Marble – Marble is softer than granite and commonly used on walls and floors in residential  projects. Marble offers a wide choice range of colours and usually takes a good polish. Marble could be used almost in anywhere in the home. It makes your living area elegant and timeless.

Limestone – Limestone is usually  softer than marble however  it is still ideal  to use  in many places in your home. It is largely made up of materials such as corals and shells. There are many limestones available in light and  earthy colours and would make any design sophisticated. Marble Matters has several different options of limestone and has experienced the growing demand in recent years.

Sandstone – Sandstone is a textured stone that is made up largely of grains of sand. It can be used on floors and walls.  There are  many different colourings and patterns available.

Slate – It is available in a range of colours. Slate  is composed of quartz, shale and slate that has a textured finish' It looks like sheets of stone that have been laid.

Travertine – Hardness of travertine is quite close to marble. It is a sedimentary rock. It has a textured surface  due to the natural cavities in the stone. These cavities  are filled during the production of the tiles or can be filled  as the tiles are being laid. Again like limestone and marble it is very versatile and can be used in many places at home.

Manufactured Stone – Manufactured stone is made by using stone chips of dust combined with cement or epoxy resins. Although it has stone in its structure it is  not the real thing.

Which type stone should I use?
It is worth consulting a specialist in stone tiles before you decide which type of stone you want to use for your particular application. Some types of stone are better suited as pavers or for swimming pool surrounds than others and some types of stone are more suitable for indoor use. Your consultant will be able to give you advice about which type of stone is best for you. Hopefully the type of stone you pick comes in the  colour and size you prefer so you would not need to compromise your selection.

Can I install travertine tiles?
As long as you could read and follow some instructions , of course you can.  Experience and the right tools obviously would help. A good tiler should  generally grade tiles to ensure a  beautiful  blend in colour with a  pattern consistency. If you have not done this before we suggest to work with someone who is more experienced with natural stone tiles.

What size tile should I use?
It is a personal choice. General rule of thumb is use larger tiles in open and large areas and use the smaller tiles  in smaller areas.  Our suggestion is to use  the biggest size your area can take. Our Mega French pattern might be just the right product for your place and design. Do not  always  listen  to your tiler who just might not be comfortable of  laying big tiles. Get an experienced opinion.

How easy to maintain natural Stone tiles?
Stone tiles are also incredibly durable and hardwearing and they will last for many years. Their lifetime is measured in decades rather than years like many other surfaces are. You don’t  need to  worry about them wearing over time. The only maintenance that you have to do is to clean them as you would any other hard surface, Avoid using any harsh chemicals or acid based products on your natural stone. Talk to a sealer specialist if  necessary. You would be the best person to tell the need for sealing . Most stone tiles do not stain as easy as some people  tend to believe.

The fact that stone tiles have remained intact in dwellings thousands of years old is testament to their longevity. When you lay stone tiles in your home, garden or patio, you can expect them to last as long as you live in your home and add value to your home should you decide to sell.

Is natural stone expensive?
Stone is usually more expensive than other types of flooring . You need to check the price always with the quality. A decision purely based on price could be an expensive experience. Marble Matters products offer the best match in quality and price,  With a reasonable maintenance your stone tiles will last for decades rather than years. They would  look just as good as the  first  day.  In fact in many cases, they will look better as stone only improves with age unlike that become worn out, faded and dull looking.

How much extra quantity should buy?
Buy more than you think you are going to need. A common practise is allowing at least 10 percent more than the net area, You also need to consider the shape of the area that might require extra cutting. If your tiles have  bevelled edges  then you would not be able to use every cut tile so you might need to allow more. With some extra tiles you would also be able to select the better pieces to use. This will save you several trips between the shop and home. It is quite common for our customers to make costly and time consuming mistakes by ordering shor. Get an experienced person to measure and quote.

What is Kalesinterflex?
Kalesinterflex is a porcelain ceramics panel with a thickness of only 3mm and with dimensions of 1000 x 3000mm. It is the thinnest, biggest and lightest porcelain ceramic panel.

The tiles  cut from panels are  also available. There are two standard thicknesses available; 3 mm and 5mm. The panels are made as plain ( no mesh behind),  fitted ( with mesh ) and laminated   (3+3 or 5+5).  Standard tile sizes ( in cm)  ; 100x100, 50x300, 50x150, 50x100, 50x50, 20x150,5x100

What are the main  advantages?

1. Its size
2. Light weight;  3mm thick panels  weigh only 21 kg/m2.
3. Flexibility; (1000x3000x3 mm panels - radius of 5.5 m)              
4. Fire Resistance  ( Category 0)
5. Chemical Resistance
6. Is cut / drilled by standard glass and ceramic cutters  & drills
7. Easy to clean
8. Eco friendly; less raw material/less water/less electricity/less CO2 emission to produce

 Where can Kalesinterflex be used?

Kalesinterflex can be laid:

1. On walls and floors;   on plaster board, on gypsum, on cladded gypsum, on separated gypsum board, on existing wall paint, on existing tiles,     
                                          on concrete blocks, as splash backs in kitchens
2. Facade Systems;       Hidden Clips System (mechanical), fitted with adhesive on construction
3. Special Systems;      Hygienic areas such as laboratory counters, hospital walls&floors surgery rooms,
                                         food manufacturing plants,  Dividing panels, furniture applications,  modular constructions

Some of the areas Kalesinterflex is used:
Hotels , Business Cnters, Shopping Centers, Shop Fitting, Luxury Residences, Residences
Factories, Warehouses, Restaurants / Cafes, Hospitals, Laboratories, Marine industry, Food processing areas, furniture industry

What does Kalesinterflex offer to the professionals?
Kalesinterflex is a product preferred by professionals due to its unique properties, ease of use, specifications  longevity. Kalesinterflex adds a new perspective to architecture and construction technology. It allows new ideas to be put into practice and create modern living spaces.

 Kalesinterflex, with its freedom of change in dimensions and easy processing (to polish surface, to decorate, easy cut and drill) is of assistance to architects to show their own style and originality in projects. It creates modern areas with all unique, the design and surface styles are always in the process of improvement. With its colors, designs, fabric, lightness and composite properties (not to fragment when broken down), Kalesinterflex creates the most suitable system and the detailed solution for architects.  Kalesinterflex creates smooth, fashionable and modern surfaces for every application. The product represents the last trends and opens up new frontiers for the sector.

 Kalesinterflex is preferred in the internal areas mostly because of its thickness and lightness.  Due to its size, less joints occur which causes less dirt accumulation. The thickness causes Kalesinterflex to be implemented onto the material on the surface without demolishing the existing floor covering. Kalesinterflex causes neither thickness occurrence nor heaviness on the surface. That it can be cut into various sizes is another reason of its preference.

What thickness should I use?
 Internal area wall applications; 3mm with or without  mesh
Internal floor applications; 5mm with or without mesh
Façade applications;  3mm or 5mm with mesh
Internal partitions;  3+3 Lamineated,
Laboratory counter tops/ bench tops; 5+5 Lamined, 5mm with mesh

Does it discolour outside?
At the production Kalesinterflex is fired at about 1250 ° C.  Natural materials are used in colouring.
Discoloring or degeneration would not occur because  of these reasons.

Are the edges bevelled? Can it be chamfered?
Kalesinterflex edges  are not chamfered, however if needed it can be  chamfered by using sand paper.

What is the required joint size?
A gap  is required between tiles due to  thermal expansions and small movements of the buildings. Minimum joint space should be 3mm.

How easy is it to break?
Kalesinterflex is a fragile product. it may break by  an impact force . This would be the same for glass and other materials that are used on walls and floors. The most important  thing is the proper installation of the product. If there is no void left behind the panel (i.e.  the adhesive completely spread ) the product become more durable against  impacts and loadings.

How do you  cut / drill Kalesinterflex?
Kalesinterflex can be cut with standard glass and ceramic cutters, drilled with glass drills as well as waterjet  cutting machines.

Saw with battery                                         Ceramic Cutting Tools

             Strip Cutter                                                                      Drilling machine – vacuum   

Edge Pliers                                                                                                      Circle Cutters

How easy is it to clean?
Kalesinterflex is a  porcelain ceramics that has the smallest water absorption ratio in the world. Permanent dirt never accumulates on such a material because dirt cannot penetrate into the material chemically. If it gets dirty, it can be cleaned with any cleaning material and water.

What is the guarantee period? 
Kalesinterflex as a product guarantees the quality for a 10 years.

Can it be used as benchtop?
For countertops, 5+5mm (laminated),  or  5mm ( with mesh)  is recommended. 

What adhesive should be used?
Kalesinterflex without  mesh  (Plain):  Cement based adhesive
Kalesinterflex with  mes  : Polyurethane based adhesive

Does the colour tone change in  production?
In the porcelain ceramics production, at least little tone difference occurs from one batch to  other.  The difference does not occur during the same batch.

Is it enviromentally friendly?
Kalesinterflex has Ecospecifier certificate.  Kalesinterflex is enviromentally friendly because of the following reasons.

1. it requires only  25% of the raw material used per m2 in a standard  tile
2. Its production requires 8 liters of water/m2  whereas a standard tile requires  as much as 50 liters of water /m2.
3. Its production requires 3 times less natural gas and 4 times less electricity compared with the production of a standard ceramic tile
4.  Its production has  20 times less gas and dust emission,   and has 1000 times less CO2 emission

How is it packed / transported?
It is shipped in 1m x 3m  wooden crates. If standard sized  tiles then they are usually shipped with cardboard boxes  wooden crates.