Renovating and Sealing A Travertine Floor in Rickmansworth.
A Travertine Cleaning Rickmansworth Project
This travertine cleaning Rickmansworth project concerned Honed and filled Travertine tiles installed in a heavy use kitchen, hallway and w/c in Rickmansworth.
The client was not happy with the appearance of the Travertine.
After 10 years, the tiles had lost their sheen, the grout looked grubby and there were holes from collapsed Travertine filler.
This happened because the original smooth finish of the natural stone had worn off the tiles, exposing small pits and voids that filled with soil.
This soil is very difficult to remove by mopping.
The grout was soiled because cleaning slurry from mopping had soaked into the grout lines.
They had to scrub the floor on their hands and knees to remove the spoil from the grout.
But they could not remove the ingrained soil from the Travertine tiles.
The grout would quickly go dark again.
They were looking for a clean floor, that would continue to look clean and display the natural colours in the tiles, without having to scrub the Travertine on hands and knees.
After evaluating the situation, we recommended the following solution:
- Remove any existing sealer residues.
- Deep clean the tiles and the grout
- Grout Fill holes.
- Apply a long-lasting sealer
Cleaning Travertine Floor Tile and Grout
On the day I arrived the customer had prepared the work area by removing all small items of furniture.
My first step in the Travertine cleaning process was to brush and vacuum the area to remove any loose debris.
I then applied a dilution of Travertine cleaner focusing on the heavily soiled areas and grout lines and then left to soak in for ten minutes.
I scrubbed the Travertine with a rotary scrubbing machine.
I removed the cleaning slurry with pressurised rinse and capture equipment.
I repeated the cleaning and rinsing until the soil and old sealer residues were removed.
Travertine Tiles Hole Filling
Holes are a natural feature of travertine, but they can trap dirt, so it is best if they are filled with a suitably rigid filler.
Also, if left alone the larger holes can quickly become larger as their edges crumble and break up leading to the entire tile becoming unstable.
So the next job is to fill the holes in the Travertine tiles and any areas of missing grout.
We used a high-quality Beige colour filler.
We were careful with the cleanup to leave as much grout as possible in the holes
The resulting grout was only slightly concave, so the holes will not collect soil.
Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor
We offer a number of Travertine sealing options for this floor type.
Giving a matt, satin or gloss finish
After discussing the options with the customer, we decided on a Hybrid, satin finish film-forming sealer
I applied a high-solids sealer that dried to a pleasant mid-sheen finish.
The sealer acts as a sacrificial wear layer, protecting the surface of the Travertine and the grout.
The sealer also gives more time to wipe spills before they damage the floor
Importantly, the sealer makes the floor much easier to clean.
My client was certainly impressed with the improvement and was over the moon when they saw the result.
Travertine Aftercare Advice
Sealers protect your tiles from staining and enhance their appearance, however, they do wear down over time.
This is when dirt can become ingrained in the pores of the tile, so if you do want to keep your stone floor looking its best to ensure there is always a good coating of sealer.
If you are impressed with our travertine cleaning Rickmansworth project and need help with your Travertine floor, please drop me a line.
I’ll be happy to help.
Related Posts
Travertine Cleaning And Sealing Work In Nantwich Cheshire
This Travertine floor in Nantwich was 10 years old and had been well maintained. However, there were lots of holes caused by collapsed filler and the finish had worn in the traffic… Read More
Need A Dirty Travertine Floor Cleaning – See This Project In Balderton Newark – Brilliant
This Honed Travertine floor in Balderton had a lot of holes where the surface of the Travertine tiles had collapsed. The holes had filled with soil. The tiles also needed a good cl… Read More
Looking For Help Cleaning Your Travertine Tile Floor | Check Out This Project In Selby
The Travertine floor was around ten years old. They had cleaned and resealed the tiles a couple of times. However, the floor had got progressively soiled, and they could not get it… Read More
Travertine Cleaning And Sealing Project In Ipswich Suffolk
This Travertine floor in Ipswich suffered from ingrained soil in the tiles, the grout and collapsed holes. The homeowner had tried a number of times to clean the floor, but could n… Read More
Travertine Polishing Costs Less If You Keep Your Floor In Good Condition
My customer in Gloucester has a lovely polished Travertine floor. After 10 years, and a previous polish, in places, the shine was starting to wear. The tiles also had a few visible… Read More