Finished Floor (Almost)

Today is (hopefully) the last day that I will need to use this as my refrigerator. 

For the last 2 days, access to the kitchen has been completely off limits.  This includes the stairs to the basement where the fridge is currently living.  So we have been roughing it.  I never thought I would say this, but I'm getting a bit tired of hummus and salad.  Even though I've tried to mix it up the last 2 days by putting it in a wrap...  I'm also sick of sausages.  I could really go for a nice mushroom risotto, or some miso soup.... stuffed pasta shells....vegan pizza!!  I could go on.  This is really the first time since becoming vegan that I feel at all restricted by my diet.  And it's not that I miss eating non-vegan food, it's that I miss the diversity due to a lack of available vegan convenience food. 

The good news is the floor is finished....except for a few holes where we ran out of tiles.  Apparently there is often breakage of the tiles (especially the larger ones) in transit.  BUT they don't allow you to return extra tiles, so you can't order extra just in case.  This I see as a flaw in the system.  It may protect the wholesaler, but it screws the customer.  Now we're stuck waiting for the delivery of more tiles.  Luckily they are supposed to be in later this week and they will be installed on Friday.  As long as that doesn't interfere with the other workers!!

Despite these minor setbacks, the floor is absolutely delicious.  I could stare at it all day long.  The picture really doesn't do it justice because it is still all covered with grout that needs to be washed off.   I can't imagine ever tiring of it.  My recent love affair with travertine has led me to wonder....  What the heck is 'travertine'??  So I did a little research....

Travertine is actually a form of limestone, an intermediary between limestone and marble actually.  It is more porous than marble.  It is formed by the rapid deposition of minerals (calcium carbonate for all you science geeks like me) out of mineral springs, often at the mouth of a hot spring or in a limestone cave.  As such, the sources of travertine in the US include geothermal areas such as in Yellowstone National Park.  Turner Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oklahoma; 77 feet of water cascade over a travertine cave.  But, the US is not a major supplier of travertine.  It is mostly imported from Italy, Iran, Mexico, Turkey and Peru. 

This particular stone was often used as a building material in Italy.  In fact, the Colosseum is the largest building built mostly of travertine.  Sacré Coeur Basillica in Paris is also built largely from travertine.  I can imagine a travertine world tour!!

Given that breakage is common in transit, I was worried about the durability of the stone once it was installed.  But it is said to be quite strong as a flooring; however, proper sealing is important.  Being porous, the stone is susceptible to acids such as vinegar, orange juice and (gasp) wine!!  But once it is sealed it is easy to clean and is considered hygienic!  Sealing is done by painting or rolling on a liquid sealer.  The sealer should be reapplied on a regular basis.  Depending on the wear on the flooring, I have been told that reapplying every 3-5 years is wise.