Travertine backsplash in kitchen.

Hi, we bought beautiful travertine honed stone tile and a honed stone mosaic tile for a border. What is the most suitable adhesive for this type of stone tile?
Also the travertine (main tile) is slightly thicker than the mosaic border, so is there any way of "padding" out the mosaic to bring them both to the same level?
I read that the stone should first be installed and then sealed before grouting. What is the best sealer for travertine, we don't want to darken the color.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

 

I'm new to this site so I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or why I didn't get a reply to my question. Very disappointed with the site!!

 

Linda, not sure why we didn't answer you right away. Normally we try to do it the same hour, but cracks happen! I don't think bringing the mosaic out to match the travertine will be beneficial. I really like the "relief" look it gives. Of course that is your call. Adhering the tile to the wall can be done with white modified thinset, OR the newer product in sheets called Bondura or Simplemat. Peel off one side, stick it to the wall, peel off the other side and stick your tile. You're grouting in minutes rather than the next day. Several brands of sealers are made for travertine tile. The sealer won't tend to darken the color appreciably, as it soaks into the pores and seals it up.
If I didn't answer everything, post back. Several pros are here to help.
BTW, I note your screen name....are you an OD? My daughter and SIL are, also.

 

We thought about the Simplemat but reviews said it can be difficult to work with, once you place your tile it sticks and not a lot of room for adjusting. Another way we were thinking of padding out the mosaic is with extra mortar, heavier on the wall and then on the back of the mosaic too. Let that dry before tiling up. It's just about 1/16 " less thick.
Thanks for advice and the OD is my initials.

 

OK, daughter is a Doctor of Optometry, and has that after her name, so I thought you may be one, too.
Yeah, I can see where the simple mat would be unforgiving. Your idea of back buttering small tiles may backfire, as it will tend to squish out your grout lines. If you are careful and don't put too much pressure on the tile, you should be OK with that idea. Good luck and let us know how it goes. You can post pictures if you like http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...your-post.html

 

The white modified thinset would be a better choice. The double sided sticky stuff has some limitations. For starters no wall tiles bigger than 6x6. Also for porous stone like travertine, if you have to cut the tile on a wet saw you will not be able to install the cut tile until the tile is completely dry. Some ceramic tile will have the same issue.

 

Johnny, good point on the wetness of the travertine tile. I have yet to use the Simplemat type product. Every time I find myself doing a backsplash, I aim to get it and use it, but HD is out of stock, so I wind up using thinset. I can see, too, where applying 1/2 x 1/2" mats of tile, if you don't get it right the first time, it will booger up on you. Last backsplash I did had those small tiles, and even with thinset, you had to adjust some of the tiles.

 

We ended up returning the mosaic and got one that was the same thickness as the field tile. We used white Superflex to install the tiles and discovered it's easier and less messy to back-butter the tiles rather than spreading it on the walls. Last thing now to do is the grout. My husband thinks we should use a scrubby sponge (green rough side) after wiping off the grout to prevent the haze. Ever heard of this? I wouldn't want to remove the sealer or the surface of the tiles, but they are honed finish and not shiny anyway. It's looking great even though it took a long time to do with a lot of cuts.