When it comes to floor coverings, Americans prefer hard surfaces over soft, by far. In 2011 for example, a good 67% of floor replacement jobs used hard surface materials such as hardwood and stone as opposed to soft materials such as carpeting and wool. The year before, about 39% of hard surface materials were sold for commercial use. In contrast, only 25% of carpet and rug materials were sold for commercial use. An astounding 95% of consumers prefer hardwood for common living areas such as the living and dining rooms. In terms of bedrooms, the craving comes down to 56%, which is still much higher for the 44% of consumers who prefer carpets in their bedrooms.
Needless to say, hard surface materials are in high demand in the United States.
There are many different kinds of hard surface materials you can use for floors. Hardwood, marble, granite, limestone, ceramic tiles, terrazzo, and travertine. Out of all of these marvelous choices, however, travertine is considered one of the finest materials available today. Travertine is a kind of limestone that is deposited in mineral springs (especially hot springs). It has been used as construction material for thousands of years. The Romans, for example, are one of the first civilizations to use travertine for construction. In fact, the Colosseum in Rome is mostly made out of travertine!
Though much has changed since the days of the Roman Empire, travertine (and its enduring popularity) has not. Today, the U.S. imports or mines about 0.85 million tons every year for construction purposes. Another thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the need to clean it! Travertine polishing, travertine restoration, and other travertine cleaning services are in great demand. In order to keep your travertine tiles beautiful, it is important to have them cleaned from time to time. For more information about travertine cleaning services, feel free to leave a comment or question at the bottom.