urgent .....need advice....tarvertine / Onyx

[avacohen100]

urgent .....need advice....tarvertine / Onyx in homes

My friend is buying a brand new home in the SF \\ Bay Area, California

1. with Travertine flooring

Any thoughts on travertine ?

easily stained ?

high maintenance ?

good / bad for floors ?

1. Onyx in bath room, bath tub area

same questions as above ......

Any pointers / Suggestions ?

Pls send me your comments.

Thanks

Ava

[dadiOH]

Travertine and onyx are two very different things. Travertine is calcium carbonate, usually deposited from solution around springs and the like. Onyx is a very fine grained quartz; other similar minerals are flint and chert.

Calcium carbonate is very soft - the only thing softer that comes to mind at the moment is talc; quartz is very hard. Calcium carbonate is easily stained and porous; onyx is not.

If it were my house I'd be happier if the choice in each area had been reversed.