How Is a Travertine-Look Wall Made?

A travertine-look wall is made by trowelling a coarse-grained, lime-based finish onto the wall and texturing it while wet by dragging a brush or trowel through it. The pores and horizontal veins are formed by hand at this stage; no stone is fixed to the wall.

The application step by step

1. The wall is repaired, filled and primed to suit the technique.
2. The first coat is trowelled on at an even thickness.
3. In the second coat, while the material is wet, horizontal strokes open up the pores and veins of the stone.
4. The surface is lightly flattened; the hollows stay and the peaks level out.
5. Joints can be scored to give the look of stone blocks.
6. Once dry, a protective or tinting final coat is applied.

Which walls can it go on?

It can be applied over plaster, gypsum, plasterboard and sound old paint. Flaking paint and damp walls are repaired first.

How does it differ from real travertine?

It is a few millimetres thick, adds no load to the wall and gives a continuous surface without joints. Corners, niches and curved surfaces are covered without cutting stone.

Can I do it myself?

The texture depends entirely on a practised hand; getting even veining at the first attempt is difficult. You can see ready travertine-effect designs at ithalduvarkagit.com and ask Erdağ Yapı for a survey for the application.