— Natural stone · Bayswater, Melbourne
Travertine benchtops.
Travertine and limestone in Melbourne, cut and installed from our Bayswater workshop. The softest and warmest of the natural stones, for people who want a surface that looks like it has always been there.
— 01 · From slab to install
How your travertine benchtop gets made
The short version, for travertine and limestone: four steps from vein-cut or cross-cut to a honed, sealed top.
- Step 1 of 4
Vein-cut or cross-cut
Cut along the bed, the layers run as stripes; cut across it, they turn cloudy. Jurassic vein-cut travertine and Tundra Grey limestone are on our floor.
- Step 2 of 4
Set the direction of the lines
On a vein-cut slab the layers run one way, so the layout decides how they travel along the bench and across the joins before you approve it.
- Step 3 of 4
Filled, honed, then seen in 3D
For a bench the holes are filled flush, and a honed, matte face keeps everyday marks from showing. The render shows the finished surface before cutting.
- Step 4 of 4
Quick to cut, then sealed
Soft and fast on the saw, quick to profile, and easy to flute or reed. It is sealed at install and then regularly.
See the full process, from your drawings to install →
— 02 · Edges, thickness, fluting
Travertine edges, fluting and honed finishes
Soft stone takes every profile we cut and carves easily, so fluting and reeding suit it. Honed finishes suit it best. Try each edge on a travertine sample in 3D, then open a live quote.
Bookmatched slabs
Two consecutive slabs opened like a book, so the veining mirrors across the join.
Filled and sealed, travertine is a surface you can wipe.
See how your pieces are laid out on the slab →
Where travertine and limestone work
- Kitchen benchtopsWith careSoft and porous: filled, honed and sealed, for a kitchen used gently.
- Islands and waterfall endsWith careWorks honed and sealed; acids etch it.
- Bathroom vanitiesIdealA classic vanity stone, filled and sealed.
- SplashbacksWith careSeal it well behind a cooktop.
- Feature wallsIdealUnfilled travertine suits walls and cladding.
- FireplacesIdealA fireplace stone for centuries.
- Outdoor kitchensWith careHoned and sealed, away from harsh cleaners.
- BarsWith careSealed, and wiped when drinks spill.
- Edge profiles and flutingIdealSoft stone carves easily, so fluting and reeding suit it.
Living with travertine and limestone
Hardness
The softest stones we cut. They mark and wear with use, and that patina is why people choose them.
Acids and stains
Lemon, wine and vinegar etch them, like marble. They are porous, so seal them and wipe spills when they happen.
Sealing
Yes, and more often than marble. At install and then regularly. Water that sinks in rather than beading is the sign to reseal.
Heat
A warm pan is fine. Keep a hot pan off it.
Filled or unfilled
Travertine has natural holes. Filled travertine has them grouted flush, which is what a benchtop wants. Unfilled leaves them open, which suits a wall or a fireplace, not a surface you wipe.
In the workshop
Soft and fast on the saw, quick to profile and hone. Vein-cut shows the layers as long lines, cross-cut as a cloudy pattern. We cut both, and fill the holes flush for a surface you wipe.
The names people ask for
Vein-cut travertine
Cut along the bed, so the layers run as long lines. Jurassic vein-cut is on our floor.
Cross-cut travertine
Cut across the bed, for the classic cloudy pattern.
Tundra Grey limestone
Grey with soft fossil marks. Honed, it reads like a quiet marble.
— 03 · Before you buy
Travertine and limestone questions: pros and cons, sealing, care and cost
01Is travertine good for a kitchen benchtop?
For people who want a surface that ages, yes, filled and sealed. It marks, etches and wears with use. If you want a benchtop that looks the same in ten years, porcelain or granite is the honest answer.
02Travertine benchtop pros and cons
For: the warmest colour of any stone, soft to the hand, quick to cut and repair, and one of the less costly natural stones. Against: soft, porous, etches with lemon and wine, and wants sealing more often than marble.
03Filled or unfilled travertine?
Filled for any surface you wipe: benchtops, vanities, tables. Unfilled for walls and fireplaces, where the open holes are the look.
04Does travertine need sealing?
Yes, at install and then regularly, because travertine is the most porous stone we cut. Reseal when water sinks in instead of beading.
05How do you care for a limestone benchtop?
Seal it, wipe spills when they happen, keep lemon and vinegar off it, and use a pH-neutral stone cleaner. Etch marks can be honed out.
06What does a travertine benchtop cost?
Usually one of the less costly natural stones for the slab, and the fabrication is quick. The number of slabs, the edge and the cutouts set the price. We show them on your slab layout, not on a rate card.
07Travertine vs marble
Both soft, both etch, both age. Travertine is warmer in colour, more porous, and has the holes. Marble has the veining. Travertine is usually the less costly slab.
08Is limestone good for a kitchen benchtop?
It can be, with care. Limestone is soft and porous: acids etch it and oils can mark it. Honed, sealed and wiped promptly, it suits a kitchen that is used gently, and it is ideal for vanities and walls.
09How do you clean travertine?
Warm water and a pH-neutral stone cleaner on a soft cloth. No vinegar, lemon or bleach, and reseal when water starts to soak in.
10Is travertine good for a bathroom vanity?
Yes, it is a classic vanity stone. Filled and sealed, it takes water well; keep acidic products off it.
— Come and see it
See the travertine and limestone in person.
Factory 4, 15 Ramage St, Bayswater. Monday to Friday, 9 to 4, weekends by appointment. Bring your plans and we will show your job on the slab you like.
— 04 · Against the others
Travertine against the other stones
Travertine and limestone are natural stone at the soft end of the range. Beside them, the three man-made slabs: what each is, and where it does better or worse.
Travertine and limestone
Limestone laid down by water, with the holes to prove it. The softest and warmest natural stones we cut, filled flush for a surface and left open for a wall.
In the workshop
Soft and fast on the saw, quick to profile and hone. Vein-cut shows the layers as long lines, cross-cut as a cloudy pattern. We cut both.
Where each one differs from travertine and limestone: green is better, red is worse.
Porcelain Large-format porcelain slabs
A large-format ceramic slab, fired from clay and minerals, with the pattern printed on the face. Thin, light and colour-fast.
Sintered stone Smartstone · Dekton · Neolith
Natural minerals pressed and fired into a dense slab with no resin, coloured through the body. Made for heat, sun and hard use.
Reconstituted stone Quartz-look engineered surfaces, zero-silica
Crushed mineral bound in resin and cured into a uniform slab. The same colour and pattern every time. The reconstituted slabs we cut are specified by their manufacturers as containing less than 1% crystalline silica and fall outside the engineered stone prohibition. Safe Work Australia: the engineered stone ban