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 Gloucester

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 Floor Renovation Bishops Cleave

Travertine Tiled Floor Renovated in Bishop’s Cleeve

1 Comment / Cheltenham Tile Cleaning, Tewkesbury Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History /

The client in Bishops Cleave contacted me as she was so frustrated with her Travertine tiled floor she was thinking of having it taken up. The tiles had been laid throughout the Hallway and into the Kitchen many years prior. The appearance of the floor had slowly deteriorated over the years to the extent that she was now having real trouble getting it clean.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor before polishing Bishops Cleave

I arranged to visit the property in Bishops Cleave which is a small village between Cheltenham and Tewkesbury. The floor was indeed in need of attention, the sealant had clearly broken down and dirt had become ingrained in the pores of the stone. I discussed with the client what could be done to restore the appearance and demonstrated the cleaning process on part of the floor. She was thrilled with the result and about the possibility of getting the floor restored. Better still she would avoid all the disruption of relaying the floor and of course the cost. We agreed a price to carry out the work and I arranged a suitable date to return and complete the work which would take two days.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor before polishing Bishops Cleave

Renovating a Dirty Travertine Tiled Floor

Returning to the property the first task was to protect the kitchen units and wooden stairs with masking film. I then started cleaning with floor with a coarse 400-grit Diamond burnishing pad fitted to a rotary floor buffer using water to lubricate the abrasive process. The pad is run over each tile a few times and then once the section is completed the floor is rinsed with more water and fine slurry extracted with a wet vacuum.

This process is then repeated with the medium 800-grit pad and fine 1500 grit pads, again rinsing with water and extracting after each pad with the wet vacuum. it’s a slow process but burnishing the floor in this opens the pores in the stone so the dirt can be removed and then closes them up again so restore its appearance.

The grout lines were quite heavily soiled with dirt, so my next task was to scrub them with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean. The area was then again rinsed, and the soil extracted leaving the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

Returning the following morning, I then spray burnished the floor with a 3000-grit polishing pad to remove any residue that might have been left behind and to further bring up the polished appearance of the Travertine.

This final pad is applied dry with only a little water, so it leaves the floor nice and dry and ready for sealing. For the sealer I had selected Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a no-sheen, penetrating sealer which doesn’t change the appearance of the stone leaving a natural finish. It is formulated to provide maximum stain protection, so is particularly good in kitchens. It is also an excellent grout sealer. The sealer was applied and left to dry for an hour then buffed again with the 3000-grit pad. This gave the floor a lovely finish and the natural beauty of the Travertine was at last able to shine through. I was very pleased with this restoration.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor after polishing Bishops Cleave Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor after polishing Bishops Cleave

The client was delighted and very pleased the she had contacted Tile Doctor, the floor looked great. She was very happy she had not needed to replace the floor. I suggested to her to maintain the floor she should use Tile Doctor Stone Soap which is a pH balanced product which you dilute. It will ensure the seal is not compromised and will keep the floor in great condition.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor after polishing Bishops Cleave

 

Professional Restoration of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in Gloucestershire

Travertine Tiled Floor Renovated in Bishop’s Cleeve Read More »

Travertine Kitchen Tiles Before After Polishing Cheltenham

Restoring Polish to a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Cheltenham

1 Comment / Cheltenham Tile Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History /

These photos are of a Travertine Tiled Floor installed in the Kitchen and Dining area of a property in Cheltenham also known as Cheltenham Spa. The property is situated in a lovely location with Cheltenham being located on the edge of the Cotswolds, which is well known as an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ in Gloucestershire.

The floor which was installed 15 years prior had sadly not been maintained correctly over the years and was not looking its best, any sealer that may have been present on the floor had long since worn off with wear and now dirt had penetrated the pores of the Travertine making it difficult to keep clean and giving it a flat uninteresting appearance. The customer 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 Floor Cheltenham Before Cleaning
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.

Travertine Floor Cheltenham Before Cleaning

Cleaning Travertine Kitchen Floor Cheltenham

Before starting I protected the wooden skirting and kitchen units with plastic sheeting to ensure they did not get damaged. The floor was then burnished using a set of diamond encrusted burnishing pads of different grits using our usual process of lubricating with water and rinsing between each pad. Working my way through the different pads I started with the coarse 400-grit pad, then the 800-grit and finished on the 1500-grit.

The grout lines were then cleaned with Tile Doctor Remove and Go this is a multi-purpose stripper formulated with a long dwell-time that can clean whilst removing most sealers, coatings, synthetic finishes, adhesives and paints; pretty much most things that could have be left on the floor over 15 years! I then rinsed of the now soiled cleaning solution off the floor with water which was then extracted using the wet vacuum. I then left the floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing Travertine Kitchen Floor Cheltenham

On my return the next day I applied the last of the burnishing pads which is an extra fine 3000-grit pad really bring up the polish on the stone. This pad is applied dry with a little water sprayed onto the stone using a method we call a Spray Burnish.

The floor was then sealed with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, this product is a colour intensifying sealer which enhances the natural colours in the Travertine whilst adding durable stain protection. I highly recommend colour grow for sealing Travertine as it really does bring out the natural brown shades in the stone. The floor was left to dry and then buffed with a soft white buffing pad to bring the shine further.

Travertine Floor Cheltenham After Cleaning
My customer was very impressed with the result and left the following comment on the Tile Doctor feedback system:

“Our travertine floor has been transformed from a dull, impossible to clean surface to one that looks better than it did fifteen years ago. Every time I walk into the kitchen I stop just to look at it. I am delighted with what you have achieved! Thank you.
Laura C. “

Travertine Floor Cheltenham After Cleaning
 

Polishing & Sealing Travertine Kitchen Floor Tiles in Gloucestershire

Restoring Polish to a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Cheltenham Read More »

Polishing Travertine Floor Tiles in Cirencester

Restoring the Appearance of Travertine Kitchen Tiles in Cirencester

1 Comment / Cirencester Tile Cleaning, Grout Cleaning, Travertine Tile Cleaning, Work History /

This customer from Cirencester was not happy with her look of her Travertine floor tiles; in fact, she had been browsing the Tile Doctor web site and realised how her floor should look and got in touch to have it renovated.

Polished Travertine Cirencester Before Cleaning Polished Travertine Cirencester Before Cleaning

I’m based in Dursley which is West Gloucestershire and have made the journey to Cirencester to the East on several occasions to work on tiled floors there. If you have never been it’s worth a visit; it’s a lovely market town which dates back to Roman times and is situated on the lower slopes of the Cotswold Hills.

Burnishing a Travertine Tiled Floor

To get the best from Travertine it really needs to be burnished which is an abrasive cleaning process that involves the application of several different grades of diamond encrusted pad to the stone lubricated with a small amount of water.

The pads are fitted to a rotary buffer and run over each tile in sequence from coarse to very fine. I started with the first of the four burnishing pads which is a coarse 400 grit pad that designed to grind away the dirt and old sealer on the surface of the floor. After applying the first pad, I moved my way through the medium 800 and fine 1500 grit pads to gradually restore the appearance of the Travertine making sure to rinse the floor with water in between to remove the soiling.

Next, I set about cleaning grout lines with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which was diluted with water and then scrubbed in with a stiff narrow brush. The soiled cleaning solution was then rinsed off with more water and extracted using a wet vacuum.

Polished Travertine Cirencester During Polishing Polished Travertine Cirencester During Polishing

The burnishing and grout cleaning took most of the day and I need the floor to be dry in order to seal it so I left for the day and left the floor to dry off fully overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

The next day and before sealing the floor I applied the last pad in the set of four which is a 3,000 grit “very fine” burnishing pad. This final pad really builds the final polish on Travertine tile. The pad is applied with the rotary buffer as before but is applied dry with only a fine spray of water using a process we call a “Spray Burnish”

Once I was happy with polish I proceeded to seal the floor using Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a natural look sealer the seeps into the pores of the stone protecting it from within but without affecting the look of the stone. The floor was then left to dry for an hour and I finished by giving the Travertine a final buff using a white pad.

Polished Travertine Cirencester After Polishing Polished Travertine Cirencester After Polishing

My customer was delighted and now she has a Travertine tiled floor looking how it should.

Professional Travertine Floor Polishing and Sealing in Gloucestershire

Restoring the Appearance of Travertine Kitchen Tiles in Cirencester Read More »

Restoring the Appearance of Travertine Kitchen Tiles in Greet

Restoring the Appearance of Travertine Kitchen Tiles in Greet

1 Comment / Travertine Tile Cleaning, Winchcombe Tile Cleaning, Work History /

Details below of an unusual Travertine tiled kitchen floor in Greet, Gloucestershire where we were asked to restore the appearance of the tiles and leave a natural as opposed to shiny finish. Greet is a lovely little village at the edge of the Cotsworlds and famous for being a short walk to Winchcombe station on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway which is run by volunteers and often has steam trains running on its line.

Travertine Kitchen Floor in Greet Before Cleaning Travertine Kitchen Floor in Greet Before Cleaning

Burnishing a Travertine Tiled Floor

Travertine responds well to burnishing which is an abrasive cleaning method as opposed to chemical. Basically, it involves the application of several different grades of diamond encrusted pad to the stone lubricated with a small amount of water. You run the pad over each tile and then give the floor a quick rinse before moving on to the next pad, I started with the first of the four burnishing pads which is a coarse 400 grit pad that designed to grind away the dirt and old sealer on the surface of the floor.

After applying the first pad, I moved my way through the medium 800 and fine 1500 grit pads to gradually restore the appearance of the Travertine. Normally I would of also applied the fourth pad in the series but if you recall the customer did not wanted a polished appearance so I stopped after the 1500 grit pad.

Travertine Kitchen Floor in Greet During Cleaning
The pads work well on tile but struggle to reach recessed grout so to clean that I applied a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and scrubbed it into the grout lines manually using a stiff grout brush. Once I was happy with the appearance of the grout the soiled cleaning solution was rinsed away with water and extracted using a wet vacuum leaving the floor to dry off overnight.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Floor

The next day I returned to finish the floor and first task was to run a Tan buffing pad over the floor to ensure the floor was clean and any residue from the diamond pad burnishing had been removed.

Travertine Kitchen Floor in Greet After Cleaning Before Sealing
Once I was happy with the tiles I proceeded to apply two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that protects from within by occupying the pores in the stone so dirt can penetrate and lifts the natural colours in the stone in the process.
I should mention that normally only one coat of Colour Grow is usually required to seal Travertine however on this occasion the stone was quite porous.

Travertine Kitchen Floor in Greet After Cleaning and Sealing Travertine Kitchen Floor in Greet After Cleaning and Sealing

The colours in the Travertine were so much more vibrant after the job was completed and the customer was happy with the result, although personally I would have preferred to have applied the fourth pad to build up the shine however I delivered what the customer had asked for so I was happy with that.

Professional Travertine Floor Polishing and Sealing in Gloucestershire

Restoring the Appearance of Travertine Kitchen Tiles in Greet Read More »

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