What is the difference between tumbled and honed marble

It also depends on the aesthetic you want for your natural stone kitchen countertops. Do you prefer high-shine or more of a matte look? Honed marble is ideal for certain design aesthetics. Polished marble is ideal for lavish looks and always looks high-end. It shines and is a beautiful compliment to luxe fixtures and ornate lighting. A fabulous crystal chandelier will revel in design fellowship reflected off a gleaming marble floor, table top, or counter. Polished marble also stands alone as a decorative element.

Some of the great halls in grand homes and royal castles are simply an expanse of polished marble. Polished marble with clean lines and edges is also an ideal choice with a modern design. Its smooth shiny texture looks right a home next to chrome and leather.

Yes, you can. Consider a kitchen island in a showy polished marble like Calcutta with countertops in a honed marble of the same or contrasting stone. The polished area will draw the eye giving your kitchen a bold focal point. You may be overcome by the beauty of a showy slab and not be able to imagine it getting anything less than a full polish. On the other hand, that same piece may be just what someone is dreaming of for their matte-finish, 70s-Revival organic-look kitchen.

They may decide a honed finish is just perfect for their vision. Click below to schedule a consultation today. The items are packed in such a way that the pieces rub against each other with the grit between them.

Depending on the finish desired, this process can take weeks and three or more steps using different types of grit. Tumbled stone is typically unfilled when purchased and can be left that way after installation or filled with grout by the installer during the grouting phase.

Note: It is important for you to know that tumbled travertine should be sealed before and after grouting. A brushed Travertine finish is obtained by brushing the surface of the stone with a rotary wire wheel or brush until the desired texture is achieved. Brushed stone is often unfilled and not as common as honed or tumbled stone. A polished Travertine finish is acquired much the same way as a honed finish. In most cases, polished stone has been filled. Polished stone has a smooth texture and a gloss or semi-gloss finish that can sometimes be reflective.

The color of a polished stone is not as dramatically affected by enhancing sealers which darken most of the other finishes. Polished Travertine is common in smaller sizes like an 8x12 or 4x4 and is used as a wall tile or insert piece. Because it tends to be slicker when wet it is not recommended as a floor covering in wet areas.

Straight Edge sometimes known as saw cut Travertine is stone that was cut from a slab or block and then un-modified after that. Straight edge Travertine has a finish that ranges from smooth to rough based on the quality of the stone, type of stone and type of blade used to cut the stone.

Chiseled edge Travertine has a rough irregular edge instead of the straight or beveled edge that most other cuts of stone would have. The chiseled edge is intended to give the stone an aged or weathered appearance. The chiseled edge can be applied to any finish; however, it is commonly paired with a brushed or honed finish.

Chiseling can be done by hand or with a machine. A chiseled edge finish is common with many varieties of Travertine, including Roman and Versailles patterns and can be used in the same way that tumbled and honed Travertine can be.

There are four classifications of travertine tiles in total. Of the four, two of them are most commonly used for residential flooring. They are: honed and tumbled travertine. The difference between honed and tumbled travertine is in the texture of their surfaces. Honed travertine has a softer appearance and a lightly polished surface whereas tumbled travertine has a more rustic appearance due to its unfilled holes and unpolished surface. Honed travertine is the class of travertine most commonly used inside homes.

The pock marks and holes in honed travertine tiles are filled in with an epoxy grout or resin and then the entire surface is smoothed out, or honed as its name implies. This leaves behind a tile with a polished but generally flat finished appearance. Its edges are also typically squared which provides a more uniform shape. Tumbled travertine tiles go through a tumbling process that results in a rougher more rustic look than what you see with honed travertine.

The tumbling process involves placing similarly sized and cut stones into a barrel that is then filled with water and abrasive grit or pebbles and sometimes even acid. Travertine is vulnerable to acids because of its calcium carbonate make up. The filled barrel is then tumbled and the friction created softens the edges of the stones and creates a worn look. The tumbling process can take three to five weeks. Because honed travertine tiles have been smoothed and polished, they have less natural traction underfoot and can be slippery.