Dirty Travertine & Scratch Removal in Whitstable, Kent
A couple had recently moved in with their sons and were embarking on the sizable task of turning the the new house into a home.
Travertine is a type of limestone but has a lot of natural holes in it that attracts dirt, so it can look unhygenic, especially in a kitchen environment.
They didn't know where to start and realised that it probably needed professional attention.
Once engaged with the work, we turned up and used a 17 inch silicone carbide rotary brush with a strong alkaline cleaner.
The bristles flex into the holes and the grout to clean both at the same time.
Next it was to address the scratches. This is a milling process using the handheld rotary with a series of 3x 4 Inch diamond wet and dry polishing pads.
This process removed the scratches but left the tile areas dull and rough to the touch.
Now to burnish the whole floor!
3 or four 17 inch, soft diamond pads were used in succession. Each with a finer grade of diamond than the last.
The slurry was vax'd up after each pass and the floor started to regain its natural sheen.
We then left to allow the tiles to dry overnight.
The next morning we returned and tested the floor for moisture content. Happy the tiles were dry enough, we then performed a 'spray-burnish' with the final diamond pad that closes the stone's natural pores in readiness for sealing.
Using a natural look, impregnator, solvent-based sealer, we gave the floor two coats, allowed it to dry and then a final fine diamond pad polish.
Instructions were left with 2 very happy customers on how to best look after the sealed floor which should give them 3 years protection.