RMS Traders FAQ
Please call the RMS Traders team or make an enquiry if you can’t find your answer here.
General Questions
RMS Traders has been trusted for decades as a premier supplier of travertine, marble, limestone, granite, and bluestone. We source directly from world-class quarries and deliver authentic, high-quality stone for residential and commercial projects across Melbourne and Australia.
Natural stone offers timeless beauty, durability, and unique character that manufactured products like Caesarstone can’t replicate. Each slab or tile is one-of-a-kind, with natural veining, textures, and tones that elevate kitchens, bathrooms, outdoor areas, and commercial spaces.
Yes. Most natural stones, including travertine, marble, and limestone, benefit from sealing to protect against stains and moisture. RMS Traders provides expert advice on sealing and ongoing care to ensure your stone lasts for decades.
Costs vary depending on the stone type, finish, and application. Travertine and limestone are often more cost-effective, while marble and quartzite sit at the premium end. RMS Traders offers competitive pricing without compromising on quality.
Yes. We regularly work with architects, designers, and builders on large residential and commercial projects. From slabs to bulk paving solutions, our team ensures precision, value, quality, and timely delivery.
Yes. Our range includes tiles, slabs, and pavers suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, living areas, facades, landscaping, and pool surrounds – ensuring continuity of design from indoors to outdoors.
You can explore our showrooms in Richmond, Geelong and Hoppers Crossing or see our full range, including natural stone slabs at our Hoppers Crossing slab showroom, where our expert team will guide you through textures, finishes, and applications to help you choose the perfect stone for your project.
Slab-Related Questions
People often ask what exactly a “slab” means. A stone slab is a large, flat piece of natural or engineered stone (like marble, granite, or quartz) cut from blocks and polished for use in benchtops, vanities, and wall panels. At RMS Traders, marble slabs are used to create custom marble benchtops, marble vanities, and splashbacks for kitchens and bathrooms.
People often ask this to understand which stone suits their kitchen or bathroom best.
- Marble slabs are natural, elegant, and unique but need sealing.
- Granite slabs are harder and more resistant to scratches.
- Quartz slabs (engineered stone) are consistent in colour and easier to maintain.
Homeowners compare them mainly for kitchen benchtops and vanities.
For kitchens, granite and quartzite are popular for their strength and heat resistance, while marble and travertine bring elegance and luxury. Our team can guide you on the best choice depending on your lifestyle, maintenance preferences, and design goals.
You can buy high-quality marble from reputable natural stone suppliers that import, stock, and cut their own slabs, ensuring consistent quality and authenticity. In Australia, look for suppliers with a wide selection of marble slabs, marble tiles, and marble benchtops, plus the ability to let you view the actual slab before purchase.
RMS Traders is one of Australia’s trusted stone suppliers, offering premium marble tiles, marble bathroom tiles, marble vanity tops, marble kitchen surfaces, and marble benchtops. Our team sources marble directly from leading international quarries to ensure every slab meets strict quality standards for colour, veining, and durability.
Whether you’re renovating your marble kitchen, upgrading a bathroom vanity, or selecting marble tiles for floors and walls, you can explore our full range in-store or online and get expert advice tailored to your project.
- Colour and veining: white Carrara for a soft, classic look; Calacatta or Statuario for dramatic veining.
- Finish: polished for a glossy surface, honed for a matte feel.
- Application: honed slabs suit marble bathroom vanities; polished slabs are stunning for marble kitchen benchtops and splashbacks.
RMS Traders helps clients hand-select slabs directly from the warehouse to ensure they find the perfect match.
Marble-Related Questions
Marble bathroom tiles are very popular in Australia for creating a luxurious, spa-like look. They’re ideal for walls and floors, but since marble is a natural stone, it should be sealed properly to prevent moisture absorption and staining. Honed finishes are recommended in wet areas because they’re less slippery than polished marble tiles
Yes, marble benchtops are a stunning and durable choice for many Australian homes, especially in marble kitchens where elegance meets functionality. However, marble is porous, so it needs regular sealing to resist stains from oils, wine, and acidic foods. With the right care routine, marble benchtops can stay beautiful for decades.
For a classic white look, Carrara or Calacatta marble is often used for marble benchtops and marble vanities. For darker tones, Nero Marquina or Pietra Grey marble tiles are popular choices. The best type depends on where you’re using it, marble bathroom tiles need durability and slip resistance, while marble kitchen benchtops should resist heat and stains.
Sealing is essential for all marble surfaces, including marble tiles, benchtops, and vanities, as it protects against staining, etching, and moisture. In high-use areas like marble kitchens or bathrooms, sealing should be done once or twice a year. Regular maintenance ensures your marble keeps its natural beauty and lasts for generations.
Yes. Marble tiles can be used outdoors in covered areas like verandas, patios, or entryways. However, direct sunlight and weather can cause fading or wear over time. If you want to use marble for outdoor benchtops or tiles, choose a honed finish and reseal regularly to protect against the elements.
Travertine-Related Questions
Travertine is generally considered a mid-range natural stone, more affordable than marble or granite but still offering a beautiful, luxurious appearance. Its price varies depending on the quality, finish, and country of origin, with premium imported Travertine costing more due to its finer texture and colour consistency.
Many homeowners choose Travertine because it provides a high-end natural look without the premium price tag. It’s a popular option for bathroom tiles, outdoor areas, and feature walls, and pairs beautifully with marble benchtops or marble vanities for a timeless, elegant finish.
Travertine is a natural stone, but it is not marble. Both Travertine and marble come from limestone, yet they form in different ways. Travertine forms around mineral springs, creating small holes and textures that give it a natural, rustic look. Marble, on the other hand, forms when limestone is exposed to heat and pressure over time, making it denser and smoother.
In short:
Travertine: more porous, textured, and earthy in appearance.
Marble: smoother, glossier, and often more formal or polished.
Travertine is often used for flooring, outdoor paving, and bathroom tiles, while marble is a favourite for benchtops, vanities, and wall features. Both stones are elegant, they just offer different looks and levels of maintenance.
Travertine is a porous stone, so it absorbs some water and may darken slightly until it dries. If it’s not sealed, moisture can cause stains or mould. When sealed properly, Travertine handles water well and is ideal for bathrooms, showers, and outdoor areas.
Bluestone-Related Questions
In Australia, Bluestone refers to a type of basalt, a dense volcanic stone known for its deep grey-blue colour and natural strength. It’s commonly used for paving, pool surrounds, garden edging, and outdoor tiles because it’s durable, slip-resistant, and handles Australia’s climate well.
Bluestone has a slightly textured surface and a timeless look that suits both modern and traditional designs, making it a popular choice for patios, driveways, and landscaping projects.
Bluestone is known for its dense structure, fine texture, and distinctive blue-grey colour. In Australia, Bluestone is valued for its durability, slip resistance, and weather tolerance, making it ideal for outdoor paving, pool areas, and landscaping. Learn more about Bluestone and discover its best uses here.
Bluestone is ideal for outdoor paving, driveways, patios, garden paths, pool surrounds, and landscaping features. Its durability, slip resistance, and weather tolerance make it perfect for areas exposed to the elements. It’s also used for steps, retaining walls, and decorative landscaping, giving a natural, elegant look that lasts for years.
Granite-Related Questions
Granite is an igneous rock made almost entirely of visible, interlocking crystals of three main minerals:
Feldspar: The most abundant mineral, which gives granite its colour (pink, red, white, or grey).
Quartz: Hard, clear, or smoky-grey crystals that make the rock tough.
Mica: Dark, shiny flakes (like Biotite) or light, silvery flakes that add sparkle.
It is chemically rich in silica
Granite is used extensively in construction, architecture, and design due to its durability. Main Uses: Countertops: Most commonly for kitchen and bathroom surfaces (heat, scratch, and stain resistant).
Flooring and Cladding: Used for tiles, floors, and building facades. Paving and Curbing: Used for roads, sidewalks, and garden paths.
Monuments and Memorials: Used for statues, gravestones, and public monuments due to its longevity.
Crushed Stone: Used as aggregate for road bases and construction fill.
Granite is formed deep within the Earth’s crust as an intrusive igneous rock.
The process is:
Melting: Silica-rich magma is generated by the partial melting of continental crustal rocks.
Slow Cooling: This magma rises and cools very slowly deep underground in large chambers (plutons).
Crystallisation: The slow cooling allows large, interlocking crystals of quartz, feldspar, and mica to form, giving granite its coarse-grained texture.
Exposure: Millions of years of uplift and erosion are required to expose the granite at the surface.
Terrazzo-Related Questions
The name Terrazzo comes from the Italian word that literally means “terrace” or “balcony.” The material originated in 15th-century Venice, Italy. Resourceful mosaic workers would use the leftover marble chips from their projects to pave the outdoor living areas, the terraces, around their own homes. Essentially, the name refers to the place where this flooring technique was first widely used and perfected: the outdoor terraces of Venice.
The high initial cost of terrazzo flooring is driven by two main factors:
Highly Skilled Labour: It requires specialized artisans for the labour-intensive process of mixing, pouring, curing, and then extensive mechanical grinding and polishing to achieve a flawless, smooth, monolithic finish.
Material and Design Complexity: Intricate, custom designs that use multiple colours, metal divider strips, and premium aggregates (like glass or mother-of-pearl) significantly increase both the material cost and the installation time.
No, terrazzo and travertine are very different materials.
Travertine is a natural stone, specifically a form of limestone that is quarried. It forms naturally in mineral springs and has an earthy, porous texture. Terrazzo is a man-made composite. It’s constructed by mixing chips of marble, glass, granite, or other aggregates into a cement or polymer binder, then poured and polished.