Marble vs Travertine: hardness, care and where to use each

Marble and Travertine compared: typical hardness, water absorption and strength of each stone family, usual finishes and suitability use by use, with the stones of each family in our catalogue.

By Fabrizio Musetti, Marmi di Carrara srl, quarry owners in Carrara since 1956. Updated: 8 October 2026

Marble vs Travertine

	Marble	Travertine
Mohs hardness	3–4	3–4
Water absorption (EN 13755)	0.1–0.6 %	0.5–3 %
Bulk density (EN 1936)	2,650–2,750 kg/m³	2,300–2,600 kg/m³
Compressive strength (EN 1926)	70–140 MPa	40–110 MPa
Flexural strength (EN 12372)	7–20 MPa	6–14 MPa
Weight of a 2 cm slab	about 54 kg/m²	about 49 kg/m²
Typical finishes	Polished, honed, brushed, sandblasted, bush-hammered	Honed, filled or unfilled, brushed, tumbled, polished
Typical uses	Flooring, wall cladding, bathrooms, vanity and kitchen tops, stairs, fireplaces, sculpture	Flooring, façades, pool surrounds, bathrooms, exterior paving
Interior floors	Excellent	Excellent
Wall cladding	Excellent	Excellent
Kitchen worktops	With care	With care
Bathrooms and wet areas	Excellent	Good
Exterior paving and façades	Good	Good
Frost exposure	With care	With care
Back-lighting	Limited	Not suitable
Stones in our catalogue	691	64

Density, absorption and strength are indicative ranges for the stone family, not test results of this block. Certified values for a specific lot are provided with the offer.