Travertine is a sedimentary rock, formed from limestone. Constituted largely from Calcite and Gypsum it often boasts a very mellow yellow, brown or golden hue. It is often chosen largely for its beauty and its cheapness relative to some marbles and also for its relative ease of maintenance.
Travertine tiles tend to be less permeable than marble but will still etch very quickly when in contact with anything acidic ; however this and light scratching tend to be less of a problem when the tiles are given a honed finish instead of a polish.
Spalling, or the appearance of holes where the crystalline structure of the tiles breaks down forming holes , is a fairly common problem with lower grade and less dense travertines.This is cured by using the normal colour matched two-part epoxy resins or else by whole tile replacement where the damage has become too much. Generally travertine is restored with the use of diamond grinding and diamond polishing and then the careful selection of hardwearing and appropriate waxes and sealers.