What adhesive and grout to use for honed travertine on cement sheeting?

[twhitford]

Hi everyone. I am looking to tile two indoor areas:
1) fireplace surround (see photos below)

2) kitchen island benchtop

I have beautfil 300 x 300mm travertine honed tiles.

Questions for the group (I see @Adam_W and @MitchellMc are particularly helpful with other projects)

1. I have cement sheeting for the fireplace surround as substrate. After taping up and compounding the panel joins, what is the recommended tile adhesive, grout (epoxy?) for travertine tiles? Any tips for this tile? And possibly a sealant prior to grouting for all those wonderful tile holes and crags/crannies?

2)  The kitchen benchtop. My thinking is to do a) waterproofing, b) tile adhesive c) tiles d) sealant e) grout f) sealant. But do you have any recommendations given this needs to be a prep area/wet area? Ideally preserving the beautiful finish on the tile.

benchtoptiles (honed travertine)fireplace surround 1fireplace surround closetiles (honed travertine)fireplace surround 2fireplace surround 3

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @twhitford. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about tiling.

Before choosing your adhesive and grout, it’s important to check with the manufacturer of the tiles to see if they require any special adhesive. Many natural stones, including travertine, can be moisture-sensitive and may need a specialised adhesive to ensure the best bond. If your tiles are moisture-sensitive, the Ardex adhesives team have requested that you contact them so they can guide you through the process. We want to ensure everything goes right for you. They can be reached at 1300 788 780.

If the tiles are not moisture-sensitive, for the fireplace surround on cement sheeting, you can use Dunlop 20kg Mastic Tile Adhesive. This should work well for that substrate.

For the kitchen benchtop, I’d like to clarify—are you planning to adhere the tiles directly to the existing surface, and do you know what the surface is made of? This will help determine whether any additional preparations or materials are needed before tiling. Also, considering the kitchen will be a prep and wet area, it’s essential to ensure the right waterproofing and sealing steps are taken to protect both the tiles and the underlying substrate.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell