grouting travertine

[maudegonne]

Can anyone give me useful tips on grouting unhoned travertine?
I did one area but found it quite difficult: I put one coat of sealer on before grouting.... should I put more on?
When is the best time for washing it of? I found myself scrubbing a lot (left it too long..... but when it was softer I was washing it out of the groutlines).
Any tips are welcome

Cheers

 

[Gazzer]

Walls or floors?
What grout are you using ?

 

[White Room]

I use an epoxy grouting tool for floor's

 

[TilingLogistics]

Can anyone give me useful tips on grouting unhoned travertine?
I did one area but found it quite difficult: I put one coat of sealer on before grouting.... should I put more on?
When is the best time for washing it of? I found myself scrubbing a lot (left it too long..... but when it was softer I was washing it out of the groutlines).
Any tips are welcome

Cheers

I use a Rubi metal spatula

Kev

 

[m.w.tiling]

Be careful if sealing before grouting, any sealer in the grout join will effect drying time. If grouting with a limestone or beige etc i dont seal first, just work the grout over the whole tile to avoid leaving stains near the joints. Work quickly and in smaller areas, clean the tiles in more stages, dont try to get a finnished look straight away, i usually end up gently sponging the tiles clean three or four times then buff off the bloom with a dry cloth.:hurray:

 

[wetdec]

I just came from a wedding and you really dont want my answer to this. its to l8 to be doing education. MW Tling has the right idea in fact best post about stone this week,

tiler

..

 

[maudegonne]

To answer the first questions:
It's a floor... not sure what the grout exactly is. it is beige..... something for wide joints....
I am suprised with the suggestion of not sealing beforehand? I would be terrified that a film would stick on it? The shop were the tiles were bought instructed sealing them before grouting... I had not trouble with small yellow travertine tiles... but these are big ones... with cushioned edges.. quite smooth....
I will check tomorrow what kind of grout they supplied me with exactly and let you know..

 

[wetdec]

To answer the first questions:
It's a floor... not sure what the grout exactly is. it is beige..... something for wide joints....
I am suprised with the suggestion of not sealing beforehand? I would be terrified that a film would stick on it? The shop were the tiles were bought instructed sealing them before grouting... I had not trouble with small yellow travertine tiles... but these are big ones... with cushioned edges.. quite smooth....
I will check tomorrow what kind of grout they supplied me with exactly and let you know..

This man has answered your question in good detail :

Be careful if sealing before grouting, any sealer in the grout join will effect drying time. If grouting with a limestone or beige etc i dont seal first, just work the grout over the whole tile to avoid leaving stains near the joints. Work quickly and in smaller areas, clean the tiles in more stages, dont try to get a finnished look straight away, i usually end up gently sponging the tiles clean three or four times then buff off the bloom with a dry cloth.

Why oh why are you working with this stone when by your own admission you can't and worse trying to do your homework half way through the job:furious3:


tiler

..

 

[maudegonne]

This man has answered your question in good detail :




Why oh why are you working with this stone when by your own admission you can't and worse trying to do your homework half way through the job:furious3:


tiler

..

Oh dear.......
Well I did do some homework: read about travertine on other treads where they are talking about sealing it twice before grouting. Also because the instructions from the shop were to seal it beforehand. I was merely questioning the 'why' and not dismissing the advice.
Sorry to upset you....
And to anwer you question as to why I took the job: Well simply because the customer was practically begging me to do it because nobody else in the area does tiling. I told them beforehand about my limited experience and the difficulties with natural stone. They had no problem with it... so no need for you to get you 'knickers in a twist'!

 

[wetdec]

No knickers in a twist just that if you can lay ceramics it doesnt give you the qualification to lay stone as you are finding out.

You asked the question and you were answered but then you questioned validity of the answer I have found these 2 threads which you have obviously missed in your search. They will give you an insite ........


http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-forum/7934-unfilled-travetine.html?highlight=unfilled

http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-forum/7599-sealing-travertine.html?highlight=unfilled


Please learn by this............

tiler

..

 

[enduro]

I always seal prior to laying, just a quick wipe over with sealant, i have done miles of the stuff wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[wetdec]

I always seal prior to laying, just a quick wipe over with sealant, i have done miles of the stuff wouldn't do it any other way.

Why would you seal a surface that you want to fill then doesnt this prevent absorbtion by the porus surface so reducing or eliminating the opotunity of grab for the grout you are using.

As well as the above I would think stone is rarely dry on arrival, is re-wetted when laid by the adhesive and wiping down, if you seal it where does all the moisture go assuming you use a water based sealer as a chemical one won't work anyway will it ?

tiler

..

 

[enduro]

I always get the stone a week before i need it, and it has to go into the house before i lay it, so its dry. I do work for a guy who has been laying stone for 20 plus years, he also imports it, got a shop and all he does is natural stone, thats the way he taught me.

 

[wetdec]

I always get the stone a week before i need it, and it has to go into the house before i lay it, so its dry. I do work for a guy who has been laying stone for 20 plus years, he also imports it, got a shop and all he does is natural stone, thats the way he taught me.

Then its not your fault :lol:

To be honest then you have the perfect circumstances for a stone lay but in 9 out of 10 fixes these tiles are holding moisture as they are cut and crated within a short period of time so have no oppotunity to dry at all.

My experience and the reason I push laying correctly is I troubleshooted floors for a big stone importer for 6 yrs so have seen the results of bad lays 6mths after the tiler has left the building. Where it can look good on the day popping of fillers and grout expecially on wooden floors is a very disheartening sight and part of the reasoning behind dirty stone.

Please dont think I was patronising you just trying to explain the thought process.

tiler

..

 

[enduro]

I think any advice people can have wetdec about natural stone the better, your post have been very good for new people who want to lay stone. keep them coming.

 

[maudegonne]

No knickers in a twist just that if you can lay ceramics it doesnt give you the qualification to lay stone as you are finding out.

You asked the question and you were answered but then you questioned validity of the answer I have found these 2 threads which you have obviously missed in your search. They will give you an insite ........


http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-forum/7934-unfilled-travetine.html?highlight=unfilled

http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-forum/7599-sealing-travertine.html?highlight=unfilled


Please learn by this............

tiler

..

Thank you for that. I indeed missed those.... Those treads were very informative!
I always like to understand the reasons for doing things......
The grouted walls that I did look absolutely fine, but it was indeed a lot harder than ceramic tiles. I was wondering if I did something wrong.. but you are clearly pointing out that natural stone and ceramic are very different to work with.

Thank you for your help!!

 

[wetdec]

It is no trouble at all, I will talk all day if it means helping anyone learn the basics of stone as there just isnt enough understanding out there.

If you dont ask you dont learn no matter how silly you may think the question there is always an answer !!!!!

tiler

..

PS, threads has a h in it even in Ireland :lol:

..

 

[TilingLogistics]

Why would you seal a surface that you want to fill then doesnt this prevent absorbtion by the porus surface so reducing or eliminating the opotunity of grab for the grout you are using.

As well as the above I would think stone is rarely dry on arrival, is re-wetted when laid by the adhesive and wiping down, if you seal it where does all the moisture go assuming you use a water based sealer as a chemical one won't work anyway will it ?

tiler



I have to ask for my own peace of mind a couple of questions!!!

If you preseal prior to grouting as indeed Enduro does and I used to in some situations?

How does a penetrating sealer with a water carrier prevent grout from grabbing the surface?

Whether the stone is dry or not what is to prevent you using a sealer with a water based carrier?

Kev

 

[maudegonne]

Sorry about that. Although I live in Ireland, English is not my native language...... Next time I will use the spell check.

Wow... learning tiling and english at the same time!!!!

 

[wetdec]

How does a penetrating sealer with a water carrier prevent grout from grabbing the surface?

But it doesnt does it you should know that so why would you bother using it !! We are talking about filling If you fill a hole that has had a sealer aplied then where is your moisture going to go it will have to dry inwards and the grab has to be reduced

[FONT=&quot]Whether the stone is dry or not what is to prevent you using a sealer with a water based carrier?[/FONT]

Nothing thats why I said

[FONT=&quot] assuming you use a water based sealer as a chemical one won't work anyway will it ?
[/FONT]

 

[Peter]

Personally I never seal until after grouting is complete. Never had any bother with grout caking on or staining.

 

[SnipSnap]

....Where it can look good on the day popping of fillers and grout expecially on wooden floors is a very disheartening sight and part of the reasoning behind dirty stone.

..

That's interesting....

Can you tell us more about the above? or have a link?

Thanks.

 

[wetdec]

What can I tell you on this Snip ?

Will help if I can

tiler

..

 

[MICK the Tiler]

I have to support wetdec on the advice given about laying and grouting stone his words of wisdom should be a solid guiding path to laying and grouting stone products.

Stone doesn't allow for quick instalation it just can't be slapped down like ceramic and must be handled and laid with care. As a example fixing 10m2 of unfilled trav can take up to 3 days to complete. Don't be in a hurry have plenty of spare buckets with clean water only seal after grouting an wipe down canstanly with a damp not wet sponge. Only grout up about 1m2 at a time and finish each section before moving on to the next one. Be paitent don't be hurried work clean but steady. Just follow a few of these points and also those made by wetdec and you will be rewarded with a beautiful long lasting stone project.

 

[wetdec]

Thank you Mick thats very kind of you to say !!


tiler

..

 

[SnipSnap]

What can I tell you on this Snip ?

Will help if I can

tiler

..

I do not do much of travertine laying but on all the work I have done so far I never had any problem with popping filler and grout. When you say filler do you mean the resin?

I know someone had a problem with that (filler popping out) but he (and I) assumed that it was to do with the manufacturing process.

I belive that he re-filled the stone with some resin but I cannot say what he used.

How can this filler popping happen?

As a coincidence I am doing a honed and filled tranertine floor on timber at the moment :yes: .