# Can I put hardwoods on top of existing travertine?



## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

I did something pretty stupid and installed unhoned and unfilled travertine in my kitchen AND I own a big huge English Bulldog. Of course, even though it's sealed, he is making all of the crevices so dark. It is working well for me in my bathroom and hall but not in the super high traffic area of the kitchen. I really want to clean up the travertine and then cover it with hardwoods so that if someone wanted it back and they didn't have a dog, they could just tear out the hardwoods. Can you install hardwoods over existing travertine without damaging the travertine???? The travertine was installed on concrete slab.

I always thought I should get laminate wood flooring, because of the dog, but my brother highly recommends I just go with real wood. I thought my dog, being as messy as he is (spilling water everywhere) would do better with fake wood. Especially with his very long nails! I'm so confused. 
Any suggestions would be highly recommended. The current travertine is very expensive (more expensive than the hardwoods) and is installed in a versaille pattern that runs continuously through the kitchen to the hall and then the bathrooms. 



It's killing me to think about ripping it up!


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

I hear you, travertine is a very beautiful stone, but unfortunately very porous, relatively soft, and subject to damage. Maybe not the best stone for your kitchen, but it is in, so I tend to agree, best to leave it. One option is to relax about the staining, and live with it. You can try to clean up the stone and seal it, although there are others on this site with a lot of experience working with travertine, they undoubtedly know a lot more than I do about sealing that particular type of stone.

An option would be to put down cheap interlocking vinyl over the travertine without any mastic, then when you sell the house, remove the vinyl and presto, you have a new floor. You cannot install a traditional 3/4 inch hardwood floor over travertine, since you cannot nail through it. You might be able to install engineered wood, but again you can't nail through it, and you certainly don't want to glue down over travertine, so vinyl might be the ticket.


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## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

That is so what I didn't want to hear. The staining will cost $850 to remove. I had 2 companies come out and give quotes on cleaning and resealing.

The bathroom and hall looks fabulous still but the kitchen is where the dog plops down and I can't keep it clean and because it flows seamlessly into the hall, I can't put down porcelain tile so I wanted another material that would add value when I sell the house (like hardwoods). By spending money on laminate, I'm almost certain that I will have just thrown money away. I just want to cry when I see the floors. They are only 1 year old and I just remodeled 2 bathrooms and the kitchen so everything is really nice except that nasty floor!

Thank you for your words of wisdom though!


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

......and you think wood is the answer???


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## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

Not really, but I can think of no other option. At least wood can be replaced in the area that is damaged without ripping up everything. If I put some kind of porcelain in my kitchen it will absolutely clash with the travertine pattern in the hall. It's in the versaille pattern. I'm really stuck and just found out that real hardwood floors have several processes that are time consuming. I have nowhere to leave my animals and can't keep them out of the kitchen and livingroom for very long so I don't think I can do hardwood.

What would be the highest quality laminate I could get that can go on the top of the travertine. I think everyone is of the same mind that I can't put real wood on top of travertine but I can do laminate. I just need to find a high quality laminate now unless someone has a better idea?????


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

And how will the laminate approach any doorways where normally the jambs and casings are undercut to receive the laminate.

I would suggest getting into a commercial type series of coatings for the travertine. You can apply a proprietary sealer undercoat to protect the stone, then apply several coatings of a sacrificial topping that is part of the system. This topping can be scrubbed and buffed and cleaned dozens of times before it must be stripped and replaced. The topping will receive the toenail scratches (if that's a problem:yes and it will resist any spills or liquid deposits. It is used in hospitals and malls and grocery stores all over the country. When scratches become unsightly simply re-coat the floor or buff 'em out.

I just did about three thousand square feet of this system on the last travertine installation I did and it is working perfectly for that customer.

If you are interested...send me your email address in a PM or turn on your PM.


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## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

My email is [email protected] feel free to email me about the system.

What both of the companies told me that came out to quote cleaning/resealing it was that by sealing it like a commercial building, it would get very scratched up quickly and it would then look awful. They said stuff about it being porous and you can't overcoat...blah, blah, blah. It wasn't anything I wanted to hear. I'd just spent a fortune on the stuff and immediately realized it was such a bad idea in the kitchen. And unfortunately, the travertine runs seamlessly to the other areas in the house so I'd have to coat everything, which is probably pretty costly.

Thanks!


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

> My email is [email protected] feel free to email me about the system.


A little late tonite but I'll get back to you tomorrow.



> What both of the companies told me that came out to quote cleaning/resealing it was that by sealing it like a commercial building, it would get very scratched up quickly and it would then look awful.


OH YOW, commercial buildings all over the world use those commercial systems because they scratch quickly and look awful and are so super expensive to use!!!!



> They said stuff about it being porous and you can't overcoat...blah, blah, blah.


So what you are saying is you are dealing with idiots that want to sell you "THEIR SYSTEM". Where do you find these people?



> I'd just spent a fortune on the stuff and immediately realized it was such a bad idea in the kitchen.


NONSENSE. You have no idea how many kitchens I have done without a single hitch.

Your biggest issue is the animals and that isn't a major problem if intend to keep 'em.

What part of the country are you in? I'll see if I can source the stuff locally for you.:yes:


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## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

Thank you for your help. I am in the Houston area. Pasadena to be exactly, on the east side of Houston. 

Thanks again!


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Sorry, didn't mean to drop the ball. Had a tooth pulled, then got bit by a dog, now headed for Colorado in a few hours but I'll get caught up in a couple of days.


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## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

Thank you so much!


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## jmwinke (Nov 15, 2009)

I'm not really sure how to add the photo of my current floor, but I'm trying to learn. this is when the floor was installed. It doesn't look anything like that now. It's very dirty looking and I can't stand it.


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## DanaG (Jun 15, 2018)

What did you end up using? We also have travertine floors and an American Bulldog and I need to either cover them or get a heavy duty sealer and high polish!


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

DanaG said:


> What did you end up using? We also have travertine floors and an American Bulldog and I need to either cover them or get a heavy duty sealer and high polish!


Don't expect an answer, he has not been here since 2009.


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