Travertine - Maintenance Required

Basic travertine care for the homeowner

If you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who have installed travertine in their home, you have already discovered that it requires care. More than occasional mopping, travertine needs maintenance. I will try to touch upon the most common things that happen with travertine (and most other calcium based stones).

My travertine looks nice except for this one spot:

 Usually this occurs when something acidic like lemon juice has been dropped on it. This and other surface marking is called etching. My first suggestion here is to get either some tile sealer or some acetone, and a white polish pad. Home depot sells these things. All etching normally does is dull the surface while the finish is still under it. Pour out your sealer on the travertine and stand on the white pad (cut down to a maximum of 4 x 8 inches) and rub back and forth very hard with all your weight. Don’t spin on the pad. This almost always works. Unfortunately I’ve recently seen where national brands such as Lysol, Mister Clean, or 409, when scrubbed with an green scrub pad did etch the travertine so deep it took full restoration.

I have a bad stain in my travertine, what can I do? Bleach can be used to remove stains like coffee. Used occasionally, it won’t harm calcium based stones like travertine and limestone. Other options include acetone and sealer. These last two are considered solvents because they effectively blend with and counteract a large number of contaminants.

My travertine has green mold growing on it:

This is the easiest yet. Green mold, or Moss dies immediately with bleach. I mean pour it on and poof, it is gone. Either dilute it and neutralize the bleach with water, or vacuum with a wet dry shop vac, and pour down the toilet not the storm drain.

My travertine has black mold growing on it:

This is much tougher than green mold. Bleach, acetone, and sealer won’t touch it. Tile and grout cleaner with a scrub brush will kill it, but may leave the travertine dull or etched. You might want to call a professional for this. Tile and grout cleaner is acid, and must be neutralized. It is very dangerous to inhale the fumes.  

Sudden appearance of pits or holes in your travertine:

     All travertine has filler. Some, more than others.  The filler and the stone expand and contract at different rates. A 1000 square foot floor might average about ten spots where suddenly there is a pea sized hole that appeared for no reason. If you roll a desk chair directly on travertine expect hundreds of pits in a 5 x 5 area. Steam clean 1000 square feet and expect 50 pits the next few days. I always leave each job by instructing the homeowner how to mix grout in the same color as the travertine, and apply it with a razor blade. This will fill the hole and make the grout filler equal in height as the tile. If done correctly no sponging is necessary on the hole, just carefully around it.

My travertine is dirty:

Find yourself a good neutral ph stone cleaner like StonePro deep clean gel. It is good for the travertine. Like a conditioner for your hair, if you leave it on the travertine it is good for it. Pour your diluted solution on the floor, agitate with a white polish pad or a soft natural bristle brush. This will emulsify the dirt, while cleaning the grout lines and tile back to it’s original color. If grout or pits come out, follow the instruction for pits. The cleaning gel is very slippery while wet, but adds slip resistance once dry.

I wish my travertine had a shine on it, and I don’t care how long it lasts?

Obviously, this is a job best done by a professional. There is a fairly simple way to put a variety of shiny finishes from semi-gloss to high gloss. A word of warning, don’t expect this to last too long, a month or two at most. This is as simple as calling your local maintenance supply store and telling them you want enough acrylic to achieve the desired effect.. Besides the acrylic ( a white liquid that dries clear), all you will need is a finish mop. Dip the mop in the liquid and Walk the edges first. Just try to be consistant. Almost any style will work. After the edges fill in the rest with figure eight strokes. It doesn’t need to be perfect because it dries clear and the next coat will cover. Wait at least 45 minutes between coats and do 3 – 4 coats. The acrylic goes a long ways. You can put an amazing look on 1000 sf of travertine for less than $100.00, including the mop. For a few days, your floor will look great. My style of diamond polish and crystallizer, however, seems to last virtually forever, and is a much better deal over time.

I had my travertine steam cleaned and now there are pits (holes) everywhere:

Steam causes very rapid expansion and contraction of the stone and the filler. They react at different rates and literally pop out, sometimes leaving hundreds of holes everywhere.

Now, you need to re-grout the entire job. See fills pits above

Travertine is a unique stone with character, and with a little bit of care it will last forever.

I only used plain water on my travertine, why is it getting dull?

Sadly, our water is very alkali, and over time will remove sealer and therefore make the stone more susceptible to damage and dulling. Use only neutral ph cleaners on travertine.

How do I choose the right Travertine care Professional?

Only a C-54 Tile and Stone Contractor is Licensed to do Travertine restoration, Travertine cleaning and polishing, along with repair and installation. Carpet cleaners, painters, drywallers, etc . and all others cannot legally do travertine restoration or installation. Check with your local BBB, they rate all legitimate business, members or not.

As one final sales pitch for the author, Andy Bertrem: Bertrem Custom Tile & Marble is a C-54 Travertine Restoration Contractor with an A+ BBB rating. Call 619 807 0081 for a free estimate today!