Another week has passed and yet.. I look younger! 
There are many stones available for fireplaces..
Limestone, slate, marble, granite – with so many to choose from, which stone is the right one?
In this article, I will be focussing my attention to Travertine, simply because I have been dealing with this particular stone alot lately and have had quite a number of questions asked by my clients
Travertine has an interesting story attached, as it is formed in a slightly unusual way.
Travertine is formed when carbon dioxide-rich water passes through rocks in limestone-rich areas. The water dissolves the limestone and becomes saturated with it.
When the environment the water runs through, changes – a drop in pressure and/or a change in the temperature, the water releases carbon dioxide gas, rather like when one releases a cap on a fizzy-drinks bottle.
The calcium carbonate then re-crystallises in the form of small debris, scrub and living biotic material such as; moss and algae. – (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travertine)
As the living material decomposes, air holes are then formed within the rock – See Fig.1 below:
One can purchase this stone in its original form!
In fact, I did visit a client at their house recently, where travertine stone had been laid on their patio..
In most cases, Travertine is filled and honed – see fig.2 below – although generally, this is only the case with one side of the stone (the top-side). The base is commonly left in it’s natural form!
The arrows in figure 2, show the areas of stone which have been filled by the resin – In my opinion, the resin does add aesthetic value to the stone, by contrasting the stones natural markings..
Figure 3 demonstrates clearly, the qualities that travertine can have in its finished form!
To be continued…
