Renovating Dull Travertine Tiled Flooring in Saddleworth with Tile Doctor Burnishing Pads
Late last year a landlord got in touch with us about the in a rental property they owned in Saddleworth. The client informed us that unfortunately the last tenant hadn’t maintained the floor very well and now it looked neglected and in need of renovation. Numerous cracks had also developed which wasn’t due to previous tenant but more likely due to poor installation by the tiler who hadn’t bedded the tiles in properly.
My client was now considering selling the property and so naturally wanted the floor looking its best before putting it on the market. Happy to help I arranged a time to pop over and take a detailed look at the floor.
After surveying the floor, I recommended giving it a deep restorative clean, polish and then applying a fresh sealer. I worked out a quote for this and included filling the many holes and cracks as far as possible all of which would make the floor aesthetically pleasing and easier to maintain.
My quote was accepted and I agreed to start the work at the earliest date possible.
Cleaning and Polishing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor
To deep clean and renovate the floor I applied a set of Diamond burnishing pads fitted to a rotary floor machine and run over each tile three of four times. Using only water for lubrication this process starts with the application of a coarse 400-grit burnishing pad attached to the floor buffer. This produces a lot of slurry which was removed with a wet vacuum.
This left the Travertine clean, but rather raw from the coarse pad so to refine the appearance of the stone the next two burnishing pads were applied which are 800 and 1500-grit. These pads polish the stone and close the pores, restoring the natural sheen in the process. After each pad was applied the slurry was rinsed off the floor with water and extracted with the wet vacuum. Once complete the floor was left to dry off fully overnight.
The cracks and pits in the travertine were then filled using a special resin filler that was then rubbed down to get it as smooth as possible. The floor was then left to dry off overnight.
On day two work started with the application of the fourth diamond burnishing pad which is a fine 3000-grit. This pad further improves the polished appearance of the stone resulting in a satisfying sheen. This pad is applied with only a little water sprayed onto the floor as the pad is run over the stone leaving it completely dry.
Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen
The last step was to seal the floor with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal which is a natural look impregnating sealer that doesn’t change the appearance of the stone. The sealer works by soaking into the stone occupying the pores and thereby ensuring dirt remains on the surface where it can be easily cleaned away.
The work really transformed the floor making it look much cleaner and inviting. My client was certainly happy and took the time to leave the following feedback: Kevin did a lovely job restoring my Travertine floor. Kevin was great to do business with and he achieved what he set out to achieve. I’ll definitely be contacting him again to organise maintenance requirements in the future.
For the care and maintenance of polished sealed floors I recommend the use of Tile Doctor’s Stone Soap which is a gentle but effective cleaning product that won’t impact the sealer and contains a patina enhancer that will help maintain the polished appearance.
Source: Professional Stone Floor Restoration Services and Solutions near Saddleworth