Travertine is a type of stone that has been widely used as a building material because the time of the ancient Romans. Travertine stone is naturally porous, as well as the surface of travertine pavers is covered with little holes and depressions. Honing and filling are processes used to decrease or eliminate the imperfections in the surface of the stone and increase its look, and the processes can be used separately or together in the manufacture of pavers.

Honed Pavers

The practice of honing involves sanding or polishing the surface of the paver to decrease the depth of the holes on the surface, leading to a smoother finish using fewer noticeable imperfections. Honing lower-grade pavers, which possess a more demanding natural surface, will allow them to appear smoother and smoother in look to higher-grade stone. High-grade stone with fewer surface imperfections will require less honing. Honed pavers which are unfilled will have a relatively smooth surface, but a few imperfections will likely stay.

Filled Pavers

Filled pavers have had their surface imperfections full of grout so the surface of the stone is smooth and never noticeably porous. The grout used to fill the holes is created of natural rock dust and is colored similarly to the natural color of this stone; the filling is usually not obvious except in which the stone is particularly porous, with large holes or an excessive number of holes. Pavers aren’t necessarily honed before they are filled, although the two processes can be used on the same stone.

Honed and Filled Pavers

Pavers which are both honed and filled are honed first so that little holes may be eliminated and larger holes are diminished in size before filling. Placing the stone after honing means the filler is likely to be noticeable since there will be fewer and smaller holes to fill up. The surface of honed and filled hardened is smooth, without visually obvious surface imperfections, however, the surface finish is matte and comparable to that of natural rocks.

Other Surface Treatments

The surface of honed and filled pavers is smoother than that of tumbled pavers, which can be processed so that their normal personality is preserved; tumbled pavers have rough, porous surfaces and uneven edges. Polished pavers are given an exceptionally smooth surface so they are shiny and reflective. Honed and filled pavers, whether they’ve undergone both or one of their honing and filling processes, lie between tumbled pavers and shiny pavers concerning smoothness and reflectivity.

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