Before you whip out your pen and paper, don’t worry, no real grading is involved, we’ve done the math for you. Travertine grades are a standard of quality control used to distinguish premium quality material from commercial quality material. Being that we’re quarry owners, NT Trading only stocks premium quality travertine, as we firmly believe that no other grade can withstand the elements and weather changes. How can you spot the difference? Here’s a handy guide to distinguishing premium quality travertine from commercial quality travertine.
Texture
The cobbled texture of Travertine is what gives travertine it’s rustic, cozy feel. Natural Travertine, regardless of grade, naturally comes with small holes and indents. What separates premium quality from commercial quality travertine is the amount of holes and the filled holes. NT Trading’s travertine pavers and pool copings come with minimal holes and large holes are filled with special filler, never cement, to further reinforce travertine’s strength. Commercial quality travertine comes with many holes, and large holes are left unfilled, where water and snow can easily enter and leave the travertine soft and exposed to damages. NT Trading stands by each paver and coping we produce, and have a special quality control team at the quarry in Turkey which inspects each item before it gets packaged and shipped to the United States.
Color
The beauty of natural stones is a variation of color, no two stones are exactly alike. But there’s nothing worse than selecting a color of stone and receiving material that looks nothing like what you chose. Commercial quality travertine has heavy variation, some pieces being almost black or large dark spots. Premium quality material keeps consistent color throughout the lot without large dark spots or large dark veins. Make no mistake, all travertine, whether commercial or premium, will have variation. That’s what makes it one-of-a-kind! For example, NT Trading’s Silver Travertine has light grey veining through the stone, giving it movement and life. But what we show you in our warehouse is exactly the material you will receive.
Durability
Travertine is a material that has withstood the test of time. The Romans used it for their bathhouses and the Greeks for their metropolises. But not all travertine is meant to last. Holes in commercial quality travertine expose the natural stone to water and melting snow, which makes the stone weak and susceptible to breaking and popping up from the ground. That’s why choosing a stone that has minimal holes or filled holes are so important. While the price may seem tempting at first, a commercial quality stone is not meant to last, especially if you leave in an area that has hot summers and cold winters, or extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes. Even temperature changes overnight, especially in areas where the nights are cold and the days are hot, can be too much for commercial quality travertine.
NT Trading has hands-on quality control of our quarry, and hand selects only the best travertine, marble and limestone to stock in the United States. Our quality control team inspects each product that comes here and we stand by our material 100%. We’re so confident that you’ll love our material that we encourage you to stop by our warehouse in Hawthorne, New Jersey, where you can see our showroom or even see the material in the exact crate you will receive. Come visit us anytime to choose the right travertine for your project!
