Travertine Floor Cleaning UK

If your travertine floor has dirty grout lines and ingrained soil.

You need a professional Travertine restoration company.

We have been cleaning and restoring Travertine tile floors for over 20 years and built up an enviable reputation for quality and service.

Get a free no-obligation consultation from a trained and experienced Travertine restoration expert as the first step in cleaning your Travertine floor

Can't praise Abbey Floor Care highly enough. We can't believe how they transformed our awful (inherited) stone floors into something so lovely. First-rate professionalism and a genuinely lovely man. Highly recommend them. Thank you, David ( & Christopher)

We Can Restore All Types Of Travertine Flooring

As with many types of natural stone, travertine flooring has different finishes, needing a different approach to restoration. Here are some examples of the different finishes of Travertine flooring. Click on the name of the picture resembling your floor to find out more information on how we can restore your travertine.

Honed Travertine

Tumbled Travertine

Vein Cut Travertine

Countertops

Trvertine Cleaning Weymouth Abbey Floor Care

Travertine Cleaning And Sealing Project In Weymouth Dorset

This Travertine floor in Dorset had worn well. However, the finish had dulled through etch marks and soil build-up in

Travertine Cleaning And Sealing Project In Biggleswade Bedfordshire Abbey Floor Care

The Travertine floor was installed in a heavy use kitchen, entrance and inner hallway in Biggleswade, Essex. After 10 years;

Travertine Cleaning Sealing Hull Abbey Floor Care

Deep Cleaning And Sealing A Travertine Floor In Hull

The homeowner was searching for a contractor to clean and seal their Soiled Travertine floor in Kingston upon Hull. Thy

Profesional Cleaning And Sealing Honed Travertine Floor Tiles

Honed travertine tiles have a smooth finish that can have a dull to a high sheen depending on the grade of finish you prefer. Travertine floors have natural holes and these holes are filled before finishing to give a smooth finish.
Over time you will notice:

holes appearing in a tile because:
- there is an existing is a hole just below the surface of the stone.
- the filling process does not wash out all the fines in the holes, so you often have filler sitting on top of loose sand, giving it a poor foundation.
Traffic lanes will start to go dull with foot traffic wearing the surface.
Dull etch marks start appearing caused by acidic food and drink spills.
Scratches appear from tracked in grit and moving furniture across the floor
strong cleaners will gradually degrade a penetrating sealer.
the grout lines gardually become more soiled.

We can treat all of these issues by:

filling holes in a tile with long-lasting fillers
remove scratches, etch marks and degradation from a tile by honing the floor

These photos show how dirty travertine floors can be deep cleaned and sealed with a water-based travertine sealer to give a beautiful finish.

Our finishing and protection systems will extend the life of your travertine floors so you can enjoy them for years to come.

Professional Travertine Floor Cleaning -Cleaning And Sealing Polished Travertine Floor Tiles

Honed travertine tiles have a smooth finish that can have a dull to a high sheen depending on the grade of finish you prefer. Travertine flooring material has natural holes and these holes are filled before finishing to give a smooth finish.
Over time you will notice:

holes appearing because:
- there is an existing is a hole just below the surface of the tile.
- the filling process does not wash out all the fines in the holes, so you often have filler sitting on top of loose sand, giving it a poor foundation.
Traffic lanes will start to go dull with foot traffic wearing the surface.
Dull etch marks start appearing caused by acidic food and drink spills.
Scratches appear from tracked in grit and moving furniture across the floor
strong cleaners will gradually degrade a penetrating sealer.

We can treat all of these issues by:

filling holes with long-lasting fillers
remove scratches, etch marks and degradation by honing the floor

These photos show how dirty travertine floors can be deep cleaned and sealed with a water-based travertine sealer to give a beautiful finish.

Our finishing and protection systems will extend the life of your travertine floors so you can enjoy them for years to come.

Grinding Honing Polishing Sealing Travertine

Grinding honed filled travertine flooring will remove most of the fillers as well as the travertine. So after a travertine floor has been ground, the tiles need to be filled with hard epoxy or cement grout. If the tiles are filled with epoxy, the epoxy will polish to a high shine. If the tiles are filled with cement grout, the grout will not polish and remain dull. So if you are considering grinding your travertine floors, we recommend filling with resin filler as you will get a smoother finish and a harder filling material.

However, this process is generally costly and time-consuming. In many cases, the costs of restoration will be mare than the cost of laying new tiles.

The work shown in the photos shows the results of grinding a travertine floor and the end results. In this case, the client wanted a smooth polished floor and did not want the upheaval of removing the existing tiles and replacing them with new tiles.

Cleaning And Polishing Vein Cut Travertine Flooring

The cost can range from £45+ per square metre, which we call a full restoration.

Vein cut travertine stone tiles are cut from the end-grain of the stone to give a distinctive finish to your flooring options.

In most cases the holes in this kind of travertine stone flooring are left to be a feature of the polished stone, however, the holes can be filled with hard epoxy or grout if you prefer.

Just like face cut tile, vein cut travertine tile can be cleaned and sealed to a dull, mid-sheen or finish. Or they can be honed and polished to a high gloss finish

In general, travertine stone floors with lippage above 2mm will need to be ground smooth before the floor can be honed and polished.

A travertine natural stone floor will also need to be ground if it has deep scratches and damage that can not be removed by honing.

Cleaning Cleaning Tumbled Travertine Floor Tiles

Tumbled travertine floors have the natural holes exposed. Tiles can be dull or honed to give the surface a light sheen.

Tumbled travertine floors can be really difficult to keep clean, especially if they are not sealed properly, or if the original seal has worn away.

The holes and crevices that make this kind of travertine so beautiful are the major sources of disappointment. They trap dust, grease, soil and dirty water from daily mopping. Over time they turn from beautiful features to embarrassing black ugly marks

Aggressive mopping to clean travertine, even with the wrong cleaning solution and using a scrubbing brush will not remove all the soil from the holes and crevices. All it will do is push more dirt and soil into the holes.

Holes can also get bigger as the edges break away or the filler comes out.

But all is not lost, proper cleaning and using the right sealer can make a tumbled travertine floor look beautiful again and much easier to keep clean.

The only way to remove the ingrained from travertine floors is with heavy duty cleaners and specialist cleaning equipment.

To clean travertine tile, first a suitable deep cleaner is applied and this is scrubbed into the stone to release the soil particles into a slurry. Now the issue is removing the dirty slurry. A wet vacuum will remove the slurry from most of the holes, but it can’t remove slurry that is trapped in deep holes and small pits. The only way to get at this soil is to use pressurised hot water. Our “clean and capture” equipment sprays hot water onto the stone. This gets into the holes and pits, rinsing out the slurry and soil. Once the floor is dry it is sealed with a sealer best suited to your situationfloords

Professional Restoration And Polishing Travertine Worktops - Vanitity Tops

As well as restoring travertine tile floors, we also restore countertops, worktops and vanity units. In most cases the travertine suffers from etch marking, causing dull rough spots on the nice shiny surface.

Etching is damage caused by acidic liquids spilling onto the stone. It is surprising how many standard household liquids are acidic for example; tea, coffee, fizzy drinks like colas, fruit juices, vinegar, milk, water rings, hand soaps. Many of these liquids are common in kitchens and bathrooms, exactly where homeowners love to use travertine!

This travertine vanity unit had a large etch mark from watermarking and attempts to remove it.

We restored the finish by honing the travertine with honing pads and honing powders. Finally, we used polishing powders to restore the beautiful shine.

Tips On Cleaning Travertine Stone Flooring

Travertine is a natural stone flooring material, quarried from the earth and machined into tiles for architectural use.

Travertine is a form of limestone, but its formation gives it a honeycomb structure. This structure gives it characteristics that need to be taken into account when cleaning and caring for the stone.

How Often Should You Be Cleaning Travertine Flooring

To keep your travertine tile floors in tip-top condition, you should dry sweep or vacuum the floor at least once per week, or if the stone looks soiled.

Sweeping and vacuuming your traveretine tile will remove grit that will scratch the tiles. In time, grit will wear away the sheen and finish and remove any protective sealant, leaving the travertine tile vulnerable to soiling and staining.

As well as regular cleaning, there are three maintenance tasks you will need to perform on your travertine floors.

Every few months check the grout lines for ingrained soil. If there is a build-up of soil, give them a good clean.
Keep the sealer topped-up.
- Surface-seal worn areas of travertine every one to two years, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Impregnating seal wear areas every 12 months according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

However, bear in mind that harsh chemicals will wear sealer more quickly, requiring more frequent resealing.

What You Will Need

Equipment / Tools

Dry Floor mop or vacuum cleaner
Microfiber floor mop
Cleaning solution
Grout brush for grout

Materials

The cleaning solution recommended by the sealer manufacturer. Dilute the cleaner diluted to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Instructions

Sweep or Vacuum the Floor

Dry-sweep or vacuum the floor to remove dry soil and grit

Mop the Floor

Apply a small amount of cleaning solution to the floor. Don’t overwet the travertine as excessive water can soften some surface sealers and promote the growth of mould and mildew

Clean the Grout Lines

Take care when using a coarse grout brush to clean grout lines. The rough bristles can remove the shine from the edges of the travertine tiles.

If the grout is heavily soiled, you may need to use a light abrasive. Mix equal parts of baking soda and water to create a fine paste. Carefully scrub the Baking Soda paste into the grout with the grout brush, taking care not to scratch the tile edges.

Some Quick Tips on Sealing Travertine Stone Flooring

Travertine has a honeycomb structure, which means the surface has tiny pores that trap soil. Gradually the soil will build up, discolouring the tile.

You can combat excessive soiling by sealing the tiles well before and during installation and periodically throughout its life.

Types of Sealant

There are two kinds of sealants used on travertine floors. Which type to use is dependant on if the base has a damp proof barrier and the final appearance you prefer.

The first is a penetrating impregnating sealer that seeps deep into the tile, bonding to the stone. The sealer makes it difficult for water and oil to penetrate the stone while allowing moisture vapour to pass through the sealer.

An impregnating sealer does not change the appearance of the stone, preserving the natural rustic appearance.

A surface sealer creates a high sheen or glossy resin layer on the stone. The sealer acts as a sacrificial wear layer.

Tips To Help You Keep Your Travertine Tiles Looking Clean For Longer

The golden rule is to clean travertine with the correct cleaners and keeping an eye on the grout lines.

Don’t use abrasive cleaners, harsh cleaners or acidic cleaners. Travertine is a calcium stone, and acid chemicals dissolve it.

Be careful when cleaning the grout lines. Don’t be tempted to use commercial cleaning chemicals or chemicals designed for ceramic tiles, because they often contain chemicals that will damage the travertine and the grout.

If your grout is badly stained or damaged, you can consider removing the damaged grout and replacing it with new grout.

Regrouting is a tricky job, but more straightforward and less costly than replacing the whole floor.

Cleaning Tumbled Travertine

Tumbled travertine tiles have the natural holes exposed. Tiles can be dull or honed to give the surface a light sheen.
Tumbled travertine tiles and the grout lines can be really difficult to keep clean, especially if they are not sealed properly, or if the original seal has worn away.

The holes and crevices that make this kind of travertine so beautiful are the major source of disappointment. They trap dust, grease, soil and dirty water from daily mopping. Over time they turn from beautiful features to embarrasing black ugly marks

Aggressive floor cleaning, even using a scrubbing brush, particularly on the grout lines, will not remove all the soil. All it will do is push more dirt and soil into the holes.

Holes can also get bigger as the edges break away or the filler comes out.

But all is not lost, using the right sealer can make a tumbled travertine floor look beautiful again and much easier to keep clean.

The only way to clean travertine and remove ingrained soil from travertine stone is with a heavy-duty cleaning product and specialist floor cleaning equipment.

First a suitable deep cleaner is applied and this is scrubbed into the stone to release the soil particles into a slurry. Now the issue is removing the dirty slurry. A wet vacuum will remove the slurry from most of the holes, but it can’t remove slurry that is trapped in deep holes and small pits. The only way to get at this soil is to use pressurised hot water. Our “clean and capture” equipment sprays water onto the stone. This gets into the holes and pits, rinsing out the slurry and soil. Once the floor is dry it is sealed with a sealer best suited to your situation