M
MollyHowell
I need to refinish all the travertine tiles in my home. They weren't sealed properly when they were installed three years ago (not my work, thankfully) and they now look really faded and dull thanks to all the hard water build-up. In addition to the usual wear and tear, there are some acid etching stains that clearly come from somebody having poured Cif or something similar on certain areas. I have one stain where you can see how they squirted the cleaner onto the wall and how it dripped down. I used Lithofin Wexa on a patch, but it didn't make much of a difference. I spoke to the technical advisor at Lithofin who advised me to sand the tiles down. Apparently, that is the only way to get rid of the acid etching. I have never done this before, but I figure now is as good a time to learn as any, and I would rather attempt the learning curve in my own home before I try to do this for a client. Could somebody please give me some good advice on the following? Any help is greatly appreciated.
1) What is the best way to sand down natural tiles - using diamond abrasive sanding pads, using an abrasive powder or using a lubricant? Do I have to start with a really large grit and then work my way down to the finest? If so, how many different grit gauges should I use?
2) What is the best sander to use? I have read that random orbital/eccentric sanders are the best since they are less likely to pit and groove. I am looking for something as lightweight as possible because I have a lot of wall surface to cover.
3) What cleaner is the best? I have both Lithofin and Vitrex already, but I am willing to try something else if there is a really good product out there.
4) What is the best sealer for limestone?
5) The installers did not screw down the floors before laying the tiles, hence I have grout popping out all over the place. Since I don't have replacement tiles, lifting them to secure the ply underneath is not an option. Other than using epoxy grout, can anybody think of any other options?
6) Anything else of which I need to be aware?
Thank in advance for any help!
1) What is the best way to sand down natural tiles - using diamond abrasive sanding pads, using an abrasive powder or using a lubricant? Do I have to start with a really large grit and then work my way down to the finest? If so, how many different grit gauges should I use?
2) What is the best sander to use? I have read that random orbital/eccentric sanders are the best since they are less likely to pit and groove. I am looking for something as lightweight as possible because I have a lot of wall surface to cover.
3) What cleaner is the best? I have both Lithofin and Vitrex already, but I am willing to try something else if there is a really good product out there.
4) What is the best sealer for limestone?
5) The installers did not screw down the floors before laying the tiles, hence I have grout popping out all over the place. Since I don't have replacement tiles, lifting them to secure the ply underneath is not an option. Other than using epoxy grout, can anybody think of any other options?
6) Anything else of which I need to be aware?
Thank in advance for any help!
