Sealed granite If you want your kitchen to have all the bells and whistles and your budget allows it, a natural stone like granite is a great option for your benchtop. It’s extremely durable and will be a life-long feature in your home.

Travertine stone is easier to cut and contour than porcelain tiles, therefore making it very convenient to fill areas that are small or have an unusual shape. Travertine kitchen countertops and travertine bathroom countertops are very well-made and solidly-built like marble countertops.

Travertine tiles are a great choice for kitchen floors because they’re much easier to clean than other materials. When they’re sealed on a regular basis, common kitchen messes like food and water won’t penetrate the tiles and leave marks.

Travertine has more of a rustic look as opposed to the sophisticated look of marble. Of course, depending on your own personal preference, travertine can prove as an excellent material to incorporate into your home, be it in the form of benchtops, tiling, stone cladding, flooring and more.

Hard tile materials such as travertine are made to take a beating without showing significant damage from scratches, cracks, or chips. Over time, a weathering effect can occur, which is often prized for giving the floor a distinct character that evokes ancient architecture.

Travertine tiles are slippery when wet, just as most glazed ceramic tiles, porcelain tiles, marble tiles, and granite tiles are. There are many “non-slip” coatings which can be applied to natural stone tiles that will increase their SCOF rating. Applying a “Non-slip” coating or sealer can raise the SCOF by .

Hard tile materials such as travertine are made to take a beating without showing significant damage from scratches, cracks, or chips.

Travertine is very good at reflecting light, which makes the kitchen a brighter place to work in. Travertine kitchen and bathroom countertops are very durable and last longer than most other materials. They can also be used for exterior and interior decorations.

Both are quarried from the earth, but granite and marble (and marble’s relatives: limestone, onyx, and travertine) are different from each other. The greatest difference lies in the porosity, which affects the softness and durability of marble when compared to granite.

Natural Stone. Natural stones — soapstone, lava stone or marble — make gorgeous countertop alternatives to granite. Soapstone has a vintage appeal and is impervious to stains, durable and unaffected by heat from direct contact with hot pans.

Granite is especially a good pick for kitchen countertop as it can withstand high heat. Whether you are placing a hot cooking pan on the counterops or have a range oven in the vicinity, the granite countertop can easily handle the heat without any damage.