Travertine Tile Cleaning

Welcome to my Work History archive where you will find detailed examples of the cleaning and renovation of Travertine tiles carried out in North Kent

Cleaning and Polishing Travertine tiles

Travertine is a natural material that has unique features and colouring that no other stone can offer. The distinctive look of Travertine creates some of the most distinguished floor tiles and has proved very popular with commercial and residential use. It can be used for floor tile, kitchen flooring, bathroom walls and floors, and it is often used externally. There are many varieties such as Tumbled and Polished and like all natural stone it needs to be sealed to prevent dirt becoming trapped in the pores. Unlike other stones however Travertine does suffer from pitting however these holes can be filled.

One of the main issues with polished Travertine is the polish starts to wear down with use and eventually becomes dull. Another issue we see is acid etching where strong unsuitable cleaning products used on the stone etch the surface and ruin its appearance. To resolve both these problems the stone needs to be re-polished with diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits to hone the stone and bring back that deep shine. If this sounds familiar you should talk to us about our annual maintenance program where we visit you once a year to clean, polish and seal your floor thus keeping it in top condition.

Below you will find detailed examples of work we have carried out in the past, it should give you some idea of what’s involved and what can be achieved with the right techniques and products.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Leeds Village

Large Travertine Floor Cleaned and Polished in Leeds Village

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Maidstone Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning /

I was contacted about a Georgian property in the Kent village of Leeds , to see if I could do anything to improve a Travertine tiled floor. The use of Travertine was extensive and had been installed throughout the ground floor including the kitchen, dining room, utility and bathroom WC. Travertine is probably my favourite stone, but it is acid sensitive and attracts dirt easily, due to its ‘holey’ composition.

Travertine Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Leeds Village

Initially we discussed the floor over the phone where I got to know about the issues they were experiencing, and I detailed the renovation process I normally use to restore it including the products and timelines. Naturally they wanted to me to provide a quote for the work however its tricky to do that accurately without seeing the floor, so I arranged a date to pop over.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Leeds Village Travertine Tiled Floor Before Cleaning Leeds Village

Upon arriving I could see the tiles and the wide grout joints had extensive, ingrained dirt indicating the previous sealer had long since worn away. This is a common issue with stone floors, and to re-assure myself and the client it could be resolved I cleaned a small area in the utility room with pleasing results!

Travertine Tiled Utility Floor Test Clean Leeds Village

This test clean helped me to understand which products and methods would work best on the floor and later that day I emailed over a detailed quote for the renovation. Happy with the quote I received a reply the same day asking when I could start.

Deep Cleaning Travertine Tiled Flooring

My colleague and I arrived on the agreed date and work started with adding protection to all areas that required it. We use a lot of water during the cleaning process and some materials such as MDF can become damaged with water ingress, so it makes sense to do this.

To get the floor clean, a coarse Carbide Brush fitted to a rotary machine was run over the Travertine tiles to scrub in a strong solution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. This process generates a lot of slurry as the dirt was washed out of the stone and grout which is extracted with a wet vacuum as we progressed.

Next it was on hands and knees with more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and handheld brushes run over stubborn areas and along the grout lines to take them from 80% up to 100%.

Happy with the results, the next step was to renovate the stone using a series of diamond encrusted burnishing pads. Using only water for lubrication this process starts with the application of a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad attached to the floor buffer. This produces a lot of slurry which again was removed with a wet vacuum.

This left the Travertine clean, but the pores of the stone had been opened giving the floor a matt finish and more absorbent than it was originally. To further refine the appearance of the stone the next two burnishing pads were applied which are 800 and 1500-grit. These pads polish the stone and close the pores, restoring the natural sheen in the process. After each pad was applied the slurry was rinsed off the floor with water and extracted with the wet vacuum. Once complete the floor was left to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Utility, Kitchen, and WC

I arrived the next day and took several moisture readings from the floor to check that it had dried off sufficiently overnight. The results were good, so work moved onto sealing the Travertine with two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a natural look impregnating sealer. It works by soaking into the stone, occupying the pores and thereby preventing dirt from becoming ingrained there. This ensures dirt remains on the surface where it is easily cleaned away.

Travertine Tiled Floor During Sealing Leeds Village

The final step in the floor’s renovation was to apply the last of the diamond polishing pads which is a very fine 3000-grit. This pad further improves the polished appearance of the stone resulting in a satisfying sheen.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leeds Village Travertine Tiled Utility Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leeds Village

The work made a massive difference to the floor, and I received an email the next day from one of the owners who was really pleased with the transformation:

”Floors look brilliant. Very pleased.”

Travertine Tiled Floor After Cleaning Sealing Leeds Village

For the care and maintenance of polished sealed floors I recommend the use of Tile Doctor’s Stone Soap which is a gentle but effective cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer and contains a patina enhancer. When it comes to sealed floors my mantra is:

“If you look after the sealer, the sealer will look after the floor!”

 

Professional Renovation and Polishing of a Travertine Tiled Floor in Kent

Large Travertine Floor Cleaned and Polished in Leeds Village Read More »

Pitted Travertine Floor Renovation Maidstone

Multiple Travertine Tiled Floors Renovated in Maidstone

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Maidstone Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning /

I was recently asked to survey a large Travertine tile installation at a 300-year-old thatched cottage in Maidstone. The Travertine floor was installed throughout the downstairs including the kitchen, dining room and utility room.

Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Maidstone

The stone floor had not been sealed in years and the previous sealer had now worn off with use leading to accumulated ground-in dirt. They were also concerned about numerous cracks that had appeared in the tiles, presumably from the underfloor heating.

Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Maidstone Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Maidstone

Travertine is a type of limestone that is acid sensitive and is naturally ‘holey’ or pitted. These pits are usually filled by the manufacturer but this can come loose and more holes can develop over time especially if you use an acidic bleach-based cleaning product.

Travertine Floor Before Cleaning Maidstone

I performed a survey and worked out a renovation plan and quote. Happy with the quote we agreed a date for the work to start.

Filling and Cleaning Travertine Floors in Maidstone

The first job was to clean the cracks and holes in the Travertine before they could be repaired with a filler. This was done with a rotary floor machine fitted with a carbide brush in conjunction with water and Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is an effect alkaline tile and grout cleaner. The work was performed in stages and the resultant dirty water was removed with a wet vacuum as we worked.

The floor was then inspected and the grout lines, cracks and larger holes were individually scrubbed by hand with a stronger Pro-Clean solution. Interestingly the grout lines cleaned up well to reveal they were a Jasmine colour that wasn’t evident before.

A heat gun was then used to dry the cracks and holes before applying a specialist stone resin sold for exactly this purpose. Once dry it was then sanded down so the filler was flush with the surface of the Travertine.

Next, a set of diamond burnishing pads were applied to the stone floor with using water for lubrication. There are four pads in the set with grits from 400 to 3000, each diamond pad is fitted to the buffer in turn. The pads are slowly passed over each Travertine tiles, first lengthways and then widthways ensuring a good and consistent cut. The resultant slurry is then extracted as before with the wet vacuum. Each successive pad had a finer grit of diamond which closes the pores of the stone and starts to put the natural sheen back.

A final mop and then we left for the day to allow the tiles to dry out to be sealed the next day.

h2>Sealing Travertine Tiled Floors in Maidstone

Returning the next day the first task was to check the moisture readings of the floor using a damp meter. The readings were good and it confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing. This check is really important as applying a sealer to a damp floor would impact its ability to cure and result in it looking patchy.

Happy with the readings from the moisture meter the floor was sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor’s Ultra Seal a natural look, impregnator. The sealer soaks into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and without altering the natural appearance of the honed stone.

Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone

A final polish with a fine 3000-grit diamond pad left the floors with an attractive reflective sheen and a happy customer!

Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning which for a polished stone floor like this, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer and will maintain the patina.

Travertine Floor After Renovation Maidstone

 

Professional Renovation of Travertine Tiled Flooring in Kent

Multiple Travertine Tiled Floors Renovated in Maidstone Read More »

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Renovated in Sandwich Kent

Blue Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Sandwich

1 Comment / Broadstairs Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning /

This client from Sandwich had a Blue Travertine floor in their kitchen which is not as common as its ‘Yellow’ cousin but certainly more interesting to look it. It does however have the same maintenance requirements and unless the sealer is maintained will trap dirt. This happens very gradually over many years until one day you look down at the floor and think, ‘How did that happen?!’

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles Before Cleaning Sandwich

I visited the property to conduct a free survey of the floor and assured the client that the appearance of their unique Blue Travertine floor could be restored with a deep clean, polish and fresh sealer. I explained the renovation plan and the costs involved which they were happy to accept and a date agreed for the work to start.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

On day 1 work started with cleaning the grout lines using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a strong industrial strength alkaline cleaner. Its applied to the grout lines, left to soak in for a while and then scrubbed in using a stiff brush by hand. This process lifts the dirt from the grout line into the solution and then extracted from the surface using a wet vacuum.

Next, a 400-grit diamond burnishing pad was applied to the stone floor with using water for lubrication. This is the first step in the honing and polishing process that will remove the ingrained dirt and restore the polished appearance of the Travertine. This was followed by the 800 and then 1500 grit burnishing pads, slowly cleaning and re-building the polish. In between each pad the soiling was extracted with the wet vacuum.

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles During Cleaning Sandwich

Once done, it was as far as we could do for the day and we left, allowing the tiles to dry overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen and Utility Floor

Returning the next morning work began by checking the moisture readings of the floor using a damp meter. The readings were good and it confirmed the floor was dry and ready for sealing. This check is really important as applying a sealer to a damp floor would impact its ability to cure and result in it looking patchy.

Before applying the sealer, I ran a very fine 3000-grit burnishing pad over the floor to further bring up its polished appearance. This is applied with a small amount of water sprayed onto the tile using a process know as a Spray Burnish. This really finishes off the honing process and by now the floor had a good sheen to it.

The sealer of choice was Tile Doctor’s Ultra Seal a natural look, impregnator that soaks into the pores of the tile protecting it from with and without altering the natural appearance of the honed stone. Two coats were applied and a final buff with a White pad left the kitchen floor looking like you could eat your dinner off it!

Blue Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles After Renovation Sandwich

My client was very happy with their difference I had made to the Blue Travertine tiles which really looked like they had just been installed.

Lovely guy that came out, arrive in time and kept me informed of progress of the job.do not hesitate to use Tile Doctor.

Before leaving I took time to discuss aftercare cleaning which for a polished stone floor like this, I recommend the use of Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a gentle cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer and will maintain the patina.

 

Professional Restoration of a Blue Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Kent

Blue Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated in Sandwich Read More »

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovated Margate Kent

Badly Maintained Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovated in Margate

1 Comment / Grout Cleaning, Margate Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work by Category, Work by Location, Work History /

These photos are of a Travertine tiled floor installed in the kitchen of a property in Margate. The floor had sadly not been maintained correctly over the years and was now looking very dirty which is quite common with travertine due to the porous nature of its surface. Any sealer that may have been present on the floor had long since worn off with wear and now dirt had heavily penetrated the pores making it difficult to keep clean and giving it a flat, lifeless appearance.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Margate

The client was looking to revive the floor and was specifically unhappy with what appeared dull looking marks all over the floor and the grout lines which were heavily ingrained with dirt and had now become black.

Travertine is a natural stone material that has unique colours and features that no other stone can offer. The distinctive designs and natural patterns found within travertine make it very popular as a flooring material and if treated properly it can look beautiful. I discussed with the client what Tile Doctor could do to improve the appearance of the floor, we agreed the cost and organised a date to get started.

Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Before starting the first process of cleaning I some some time protected the wooden skirting and kitchen units with decorator’s plastic sheeting to ensure they did not get damaged. The floor was then burnished using a set of Tile Doctor diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Margate

I started with a coarse 200-grit pad which was applied to the tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean to add lubrication and extra cleaning power, then after running the pad over each tile at least three times the floor was rinsed with fresh water and the resultant slurry extracted. This process was repeated through the different pads using only water for lubrication, grits included 400-grit, 800-grit and finished on the 1500-grit.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor During Polishing Margate

The grout lines were then hand scrubbed using more Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a multi-purpose alkaline cleaner which is very effective in lifting dirt from tile and grout. I then rinsed the now soiled cleaning solution off the floor with water which was then extracted using the wet vacuum. Once I was satisfied with the tile and grout it was left dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Margate

On my return the next day I applied the last of the burnishing pads which is an extra fine 3000-grit pad which really brings up the polish on the stone. This pad is applied dry with only a little water sprayed onto the stone using a method we call a Spray Burnish. An additional advantage of this is it leaves the dry and ready for sealing.

I had discussed sealing with the customer previously to understand what finish they wanted after cleaning. For this floor they wanted the stone to have a natural appearance, so I recommend Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. It’s an invisible impregnating sealer that doesn’t darken the stone and therefore ticks the box to provide the desired natural look whilst adding protection. Two coats of Ultra-Seal were applied leaving each coat to dry before applying the next, when the last coat was dry the floor was buffed with a soft white buffing pad to bring up the polish further.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Polishing Margate

My client was very impressed with the result and left the following feedback on the Tile Doctor feedback system; you know you have done a good job when your client leaves feedback for you.

“Lovely guy that came out, arrived in time and kept me informed of progress of the job. Do not hesitate to use tile doctor”

 

Travertine Tiled Floor Professionally Cleaned in North Kent

Badly Maintained Travertine Kitchen Floor Renovated in Margate Read More »

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