Travertine Cleaning & Sealing

Travertine cleaning and sealing is essential but before we talk about how we can help you let’s talk about the stone itself to know it better. Travertine is a form of limestone that is formed when limestone comes into contact with hot springs. One place where travertine is found in large deposits is Tivoli, near Rome in Italy. This town was called Tibur by the Romans, and the name ‘travertine’ is derived from the Latin term lapis triburtibus, which literally translates to ‘stone from Tibur, Just like limestone, it is easy to work with – it can be tumbled, brushed, honed or polished into a variety of different finishes, the primary reason why it is so popular. Its soft nature also means that it gets scratched more easily, Travertine surface is also not smooth it tends to have small pores formed by gases that escape as the stone is formed over thousands of years, Examining your travertine tiles with a magnifying lens will reveal that these niches are where dust particles collect, diminishing their generally bright appearance.

Travertine floors are a durable material and will last decades with proper care and maintenance however the surface of a sealed travertine can become dull looking after years of normal use. slate restoration is carried out in a variety of ways using a collection of methods. Each of the methods for polishing stone surfaces happens at a different time and for a different purpose.

Travertine is prone to etching, meaning it can be corroded by acidic substances. This is why acidic cleaners are never to be used while cleaning travertine tiles. An abrasive cleaner would scratch the surface of your travertine floor tiles, so at Drytec, we use a specialized and safe stone tile cleaning solution. We dilute it just right, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We know that replacing travertine tiles can be expensive, so we take great care not to harm your tiles in any way. Apart from bringing our professional expertise to the scene, we also use professional cleaning equipment, examining the state of the grout first. Only if it is in good condition can a pressure of up to 800-1200 psi be used in the cleaning process.

An environment-friendly penetrating sealer that reacts with the stone and lets moisture out is what would be recommended by Drytec. An alternate option would be to use a colour enhancing sealant which offers the same level of protection and also highlights the natural colours of your slate tiles. We know how expensive it is to replace damaged tiles, so we ensure that only high-quality products that do not damage your slate floor.

-Penetrating sealers:

Penetrating sealers seep into the surface leaving the external appearance virtually unchanged. Penetrating sealers do not form a thin film on the surface of the tile and they do not flake or peel off.

– Enhancing Sealers:

These sealers enhance the natural colour of the stone without the glossy effect. They offer good protection against beverages spills and the premium quality sealer provide protection against oil-born contaminants.

-Topical Coating sealers:

As the name implies these sealers sit on the surface of the stone and give it a glossy appearance. They have one major drawback that they wear off from the surface over a period of time and have to be applied frequently especially for surfaces with high traffic. For adequate protection more than 2 coats of topical sealers is required.