How do I clean up my travertine tiles?

[Hoppy]

Hi,
My travertine floor was laid 3 years ago. The company that did it did a great job but its starting to look a bit worn now and in need of a bit TLC.
Can anyone help me out with what products I need.
Do I need to impregnate it again?
Do I need to use a proper tile cleaner before I put a sealer/impregnator on top? How many coats
I have bought Mastice per marmi to fill in holes that have appeared-I am assuming this is the right stuff to use? How do I use it?
Any replies greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Wayne
forgot to say it was treated with Lithofin protective impregnator when it was laid.

 

[enduro]

Hi,
My travertine floor was laid 3 years ago. The company that did it did a great job but its starting to look a bit worn now and in need of a bit TLC.
Can anyone help me out with what products I need.
Do I need to impregnate it again?
Do I need to use a proper tile cleaner before I put a sealer/impregnator on top? How many coats
I have bought Mastice per marmi to fill in holes that have appeared-I am assuming this is the right stuff to use? How do I use it?
Any replies greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Wayne
forgot to say it was treated with Lithofin protective impregnator when it was laid.

What cleaning product have you been cleaning the floor with?

 

[Hoppy]

We have not been using a cleaning product! Is this bad? We have just been using mild soapy water as we have not dared use anything stronger!
Cheers
Wayne

 

[enduro]

OK, the reason your floor looks dirty is the soap not being cleaned of the floor properly and leaving a sticky residue that attracts the dirt.
I would use Aqua mix Heavy duty Tile and Grout cleaner, i would apply this to the floor and use a rotary scrubber and let it dwell on the floor for 5-10 Min's and then re-scrub and then use a wet vac to remove dirty solution, then rinse the floor with just water to remove all of the cleaner.
This is the best way to bring it back to how it should be, to do it by hand would be hard work but if its only a small area it could be done.
As for using mastice per marmi to fill the holes this is not a good idea for a diyer, this is a professional product, as its a resin once applied to the holes it would need diamond polishing to get the correct finish so i wouldnt use it, just use grout.
As for sealing just do a test by putting a teaspoon full of water onto the stone, if it sits on the stone then you will not need to apply a sealer, if it absorbs into the stone you will need to apply some more sealer.
What area are you from, could be easier to get someone in to clean and advice on a maintenance program for you.

 

[Terry Cottar]

Hi,
My travertine floor was laid 3 years ago. The company that did it did a great job but its starting to look a bit worn now and in need of a bit TLC.
Can anyone help me out with what products I need.
Do I need to impregnate it again?
Do I need to use a proper tile cleaner before I put a sealer/impregnator on top? How many coats
I have bought Mastice per marmi to fill in holes that have appeared-I am assuming this is the right stuff to use? How do I use it?
Any replies greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Wayne
forgot to say it was treated with Lithofin protective impregnator when it was laid.

Great advice from enduro most problems arise like this due to incorrect cleaning methods for example hoovering or sweeping with a brush. the floor should be mopped with a large flat anti static dry mop to get rid of the dust and grit and then mopped with a damp mop using a ph neutral cleaner

tel

 

[Hoppy]

Thanks for your replies.
What sealer and regular cleaner would you recommend? Is impregnator and sealer the same thing?
We live in county durham, do you know of anyone in our area who we could call?
Cheers Wayne

 

[Matt]

Our very own Dave is from County Durham

tilersforums.com | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum - View Profile: Dave

 

[Terry Cottar]

if lithofin was used i would stay with it or after cleaning use aqua mix sealers choice gold cos theres no smell and its a good impregnator as for regular cleaning i would use aqua mix neutral or antibacterial cleaner or lc6 ph neutral cant help u with co durham mate but sure someone on ere can do it for u

tel

 

[Dan]

Just bumping some threads related to cleaning travertine. Not all threads will be current discussion but if you would like to reply with some information, go ahead, it may be valuable to somebody in the future. Tile Cleaning and Tile Restoration Forum