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I think it's been mentioned, but if your contractor doesn't or won't use Kerdy membrane under the tile, find a new one. It's the current state of the art for leak free tile showers.

Thanks for the responses so far! I'm still on the fence about the travertine. We spent hours on saturday on Route 1/9 going through several tile shops, and originally had planned subway tiles before going in the shops. But at the end, the look of silver travertine at Express Tiles (gray color) won us over.

My biggest concern is the shower leaking - our current shower leaks (down to our downstairs neighbor), and my goal this time is just to do it right, and hopefully doing it once (for the next 10 years, at a minimum)!!!

BTW, I'm planning on doing the yearly sealing myself - I'm not handy at all, but I assume that's do-able, right?

PS That's a beautiful tub MDM. If one day I ever buy a (big) house, I'll have a tub like that!!!

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I'm a fan of all black appliances for rentals, the price has finally come down to where it should be, the same as white paint. I'm not against stone, I just think some stones are more practical than others. I think the backlash against granite is mostly fashion based, people tired of seeing it everywhere including non-luxury places and want something different to be different. When I was starting renovating my apartments I thought "I should learn how to do concrete counters!", but then I found out that even when properly done they often crack and stain. No thanks.

The thing about granite (excepting certain of the light colors which I've heard aren't really granite) is it's very hard and very dense. It's relatively hard to stain or chip, and you can put hot pans right down on it. My home growing up had a burned piece of formica next to the stove where my brother put down a pan. Compared to fragile formica or Corian, granite is a miracle material. I put black granite tile counters in my rentals. If somehow a tenant damaged a tile beyond just repairing a chip with colored epoxy, it could just be cut out and replaced. I've done 4, including a white marble vanity,and it hasn't happened yet.

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I think natural stone will always be in fashion it has been for thousands of years. I think stainless steel appliances will fade out before natural stone in the kitchen or bath. I am already working with two clients who want all black appliances which is making a big come back.

I actually hate the look of most granite countertops. Looks too glossy, a little gaudy, and kind of 90s-ish? I really like concrete countertops.

I've done travertine looking tile backsplashes, but I worry that some of these trends like travertine bathrooms will end up looking dated like avocado appliances. There's already been a backlash against granite for a while, but it hangs in there because most granite's are crazy practical compared to soft, porous travertine. I won't even do a marble vanity again, too soft and easy to stain even after sealing.

I have tiled an entire shower (walls, floor, ceiling) with beautiful tumbled travertine for a customer a number of years ago.

It's not that easy to keep clean. Think soap scum and hair getting stuck in the crevices.

But it is doable if you do the following:

- Seal the tile before installation, and also periodically (maybe 1x per year)

- When grouting, fill in all the "cells" with grout. This will look best if you choose a grout that is similar in color to the tile itself

Also, I'm not sure if you are doing it yourself or if you have a contractor, but as a general rule of thumb always specify that Kerdi membrane be applied underneath the tile in a shower application. This is especially important with a very porous material like travertine.

Travertine tends to come with a lot of pits and holes. I imagine that it would make cleaning difficult.

Have you though to using bluestone instead?

If you don't mind the yearly sealing then why not? The choice of travertine for the bathroom does not end in the floors or walls. Travertine has also been used in bathroom fixtures such as sinks and bath tubs, and you could do your entire bathroom in travertine if so wished. I am using tumbled travertine for my kitchen backsplash and I love it.
Check out this travertine bathtub OMG its stunning.

Hi all - I know it's not strictly Jersey City related, but I live in JC, and is looking for some advice.

We're re-doing our shower, and is thinking about using travertine (the "tumbled" style - with holes, and un-even edges) in the shower and floor. We saw it at the tile shop over the weekend, and that was our favorite look.

I've read quite a bit this morning about the pros and cons on the internet. Sounds like as long as I'm willing to stick with the maintenance (daily wipedown, yearly sealing), I should be ok???

Anyone withe actual experience after several years?

Advice / suggestions much appreciated!