Laying Out The Facts About Travertine Tile
Travertine, now employed primarily for flooring as well as paving patios and garden walks, has been used for building for centuries. It can be seen from the Colosseum in ancient Rome to the Burghausen Castle in Europe a 1000 years ago on up to Los Angeles’s Getty Center, etc., and is mostly used for facades and wall cladding.
A type of limestone, formed by minerals dissolved by underground water supplies, it is actually the same material found in the stalagmites and stalactites in caves, and is characterized by a series of surface “pits and troughs,” that can be honed into a smooth, polished finishes available in a variety of colors from cream to grey and coral red.
To seal a new travertine floor, wet the entire surface and let it dry before before applying specially made stone sealer. Spread the chemical over the floor completely and wet it down again. It is important to allow it settle for about a half hour before wiping away any excess. While it is generally okay to walk on the newly sealed floors after four hours, most specialists recommend letting it “cure” for two days.
Maintaining travertine tile should be done the same way as cleaning marble floors. Vacuum them with a brush attachment or dust mop frequently. Use only special stone soap or a “neutral” ph liquid to wash them, making sure to rinse it off thoroughly. It is also important to dry them with a clean mop, rather than letting them air out in order to prevent streaking. Spills should also be blotted up, not wiped away for the same reason.
Never use abrasive cleansers such as bathroom tile cleaners, grout cleaners, Ajax or anything that may have any type of acids in them. These can cause severe damage requiring specialists to come in to either re-polish the surface or replace the tiles entirely. You can, however, use certain steam cleaners with the correct cleaning solutions.
Related posts:
- Installing Travertine Sinks and Tiles in your Bathroom
- Large Area Rugs Over Travertine Floor Tile
- What You Should Know About Floor Cleaning
- How To Clean Marble
- Some Thoughts About Dust Mites And The Polti Steam Cleaner
Filed Under: Flooring & Floor Cleaning
