Travertine Tile Repair A Simple Guide By Abbey Floor Care

Last Updated on February 2, 2026 by David

Those little holes that start appearing in travertine tiles are unsettling. They seem to appear out of nowhere, collect dirt, and make an otherwise clean floor look tired and patchy.

If you’ve tried filling them before and ended up damaging the surrounding tile, you’re not imagining things. Travertine has a thin surface layer, and once that’s disturbed, even careful sanding or scraping can exacerbate the problem.

This page focuses on a simple, low-risk method for filling small holes in travertine with cement-based grout. It avoids epoxy and polyester fillers, which behave very differently and are much harder to control without specialist tools and experience.

This project is one of many examples referenced in our Travertine care and restoration guide, which explains how travertine behaves in real homes and why these surface issues develop over time.

Why do small holes appear in travertine tiles

Travertine naturally contains tiny voids just below the surface. Over time, normal foot traffic, cleaning, and wear cause the thin surface caps over these voids to break, leaving small pits behind.

These pits aren’t a sign of damage or poor-quality stone. They’re part of how travertine ages. The problem is that once they’re open, they trap dirt and moisture, making them stand out far more than they should.

A simple way to fill small holes in travertine

For small, localised holes, a colour-matched cementitious grout is often the most stable and forgiving option. It bonds well, blends visually, and can be cleaned back without grinding the surrounding tile.

You will need:

• A stainless steel teaspoon
• A disposable plastic bowl
• Thin protective gloves
• A soft microfibre cloth
• Colour-matched grout
• A dry vacuum cleaner

You can purchase these products online.

These links are included for convenience, to show the materials used for this small repair. Sealing and wider protection are covered elsewhere, not here.

Mapei Jazmine Grout – 2Kg pack Shop Now

Mapei Ultracare GROUT PROTECTOR Shop Now

Microfibre Cleaning Cloths Shop Now

If the hole contains loose dirt, clean it out gently first. There’s no need to dig or scrape — the aim is simply to remove debris that would stop the grout from compacting properly.

Mix a small amount of grout with water to a thick, custard-like consistency. Let it sit for a couple of minutes so the moisture fully absorbs, then mix again. The grout will stiffen slightly, which is exactly what you want.

If you replace water with a grout additive, the mix becomes denser and less porous. This improves durability but also changes the cleaning residue slightly, so it’s worth being deliberate rather than rushing.

Using the teaspoon or a gloved finger, press the grout into the hole and smooth it level with the tile surface. Leave it undisturbed for around ten minutes.

If water was used, gently wipe the area with a dry microfibre cloth. Use just enough pressure to remove residue from the tile surface while leaving the grout in the hole. If an additive was used, a lightly dampened cloth works better.

Once dry, vacuum away any remaining dust. The repair should now feel solid and visually settle back into the surrounding tile.

Where this approach has limits

This method is intended only for small surface holes and shallow voids. Larger cavities, structural cracks, or areas where the tile is unstable require a different approach and should not be treated as a simple grout repair.

If holes keep reappearing quickly, or the surface starts to feel uneven, that usually indicates more widespread wear or underlying movement rather than a filling problem.

Following requests for a more detailed explanation of alternative repair systems, see here.

Article by: David Allen – Abbey Floor Care
UK natural stone and tile specialist with over 30 years of hands-on experience working with travertine floors in domestic settings. David’s work focuses on explaining how stone materials behave in real homes, why issues like surface pitting develop over time, and which repair approaches are stable — and which introduce unnecessary risk. His writing prioritises clarity, limits, and realistic outcomes rather than quick fixes.