How To Clean Grout Off Travertine Tiles

Cleaning Grout & Sealing Travertine Problem

by Kelly
(Brooks GA)

QUESTION:

I just had a travertine floor honed surface laid and the installer grouted the tiles and and then put an impregnating sealer enhancer on the tile. It looked corking for a while simply when it dried all types of streaks appeared. He came back and wiped the tiles down with something that fabricated some of the streaks get away but lots of dull places on tile now. what can I do to ready the tiles? Practice I accept to remove the sealer and reseal with the enhancer again? I am thinking that he did non make clean off the grout brume plenty before he did the enhancer.

Reply:

First, I need to clarify something. "Honed" travertine is not shiny. Information technology can have a sheen and and so it's possible to get dull spots when exposed to acids, but this is typically a problem with "polished" marble.

The causes of your problems and the solutions for a honed surface vs. a polished are different, although in this example the solution may end up existence the aforementioned... professional restoration and/or replacement.

Travertine floors should not be sealed for at least 3 weeks after installation. You lot need to make sure the tiles are completely dried out and you need to make clean the floor several times to make sure no dust or grout haze is going to get trapped by the sealer.

I think you lot are right... the installer did non clean the grout haze properly. He practical enhancer over the tiptop which accentuated the grout and and so came back and used an acidic grout release that etched your travertine.

If the dullness and streaks are basically covering your whole floor, the only reasonable solution is to take it

re-surfaced/re-honed by a marble restoration professional or simply tear it out and commencement over.

If indeed the travertine is polished and not honed then it could have been just the enhancer sealer that was causing the streaks. Polished travertine is not absorbent making the sealer very hard to utilise if yous tin do information technology all. The result is a streaky haze.

Hopefully, you had this installed past a real company with some money and non your neighborhood handyman.

Obviously, it is the installers mistake and he should pay to set it, only if he doesn't have the fiscal resources, you lot are out of luck. Y'all could sue him and maybe (probably not) become some compensation.

One other solution.... Yous could peradventure take him come back and apply an acid cleaner over again and again until you have a compatible expect to the floor.

He needs to really arouse and work it though... not just wipe down with a rag.

The floor volition expect more than rough than it did originally, but you'll probably similar it just fine. More of a rustic wait than a high honed finish... and actually easier to take care of regarding etching.

If yous do this yous will want to seal it. If yous want to enhance the color, utilize the enhancer first and then utilise a regular impregnating sealer.

But don't do it for a few weeks after you become everything removed from the surface... and examination the enhancer-sealer philharmonic on a small surface area or sample tile that you apply the acrid cleaner on besides.

I like this final thought the best really. Cheapest and easiest to accomplish and your floors volition still look keen. More similar a tumbled travertine than honed.

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