Travertine is a name derived from the Latin word – lapis tiburtinus, which means Tibur stone, named after the Roman city where it was quarried. It is a part of history and civilization. This extravagant sedimentary stone is composed mainly of calcium carbonates. Travertine has a variety of beautiful colors, like white, beige, and chestnut, pink and red.
How Does Travertine Get Damaged?
Wear, tear or carelessness can degrade the travertine. The following damages can occur to your travertine under such a situation:
- Etching: the travertine gets damaged when an acidic substance like wine, vinegar, coffee, or acidic cleaner penetrates the stone and corrodes it. It causes whitish stains or spots on the travertine.
- Staining: travertine gets stained when the substance penetrates the stone and leaves a darker mark.
- Scratching: when sharp or heavy objects are rubbed into the travertine surface, it gets scratched.
- Mold, mildew: if your travertine is exposed to constant moisture, molds and mildew are common to grow and damage the travertine.
However, you can revert these damages with professional restoration.
Travertine Honing and Polishing
Travertine Honing restores the beauty of the stone floors by removing marks, scratches, and stains with industrial diamonds. Honing involves special industrial grinding machines and technicians who use the industrial diamonds, or honing powders to clean the stone. Sometimes honing is all it takes for a floor to look just like new. Honing buffs away the outer layers of stone. This exposes a newer surface that is free of scratches, marks, or stains.
Polishing is another method to restore the travertine and gives a mirror-like shine that looks very luxurious. It also involves the usage of industrial diamond pads, just like honing. However, polishing a lower grit meaning they are less abrasive.
Basic Travertine Care
Travertine needs regular care and maintenance to retain its color. Refer to the given tips to keep travertine in top conditions.
- First of all, sweep the floor with a soft broom or a dry dust mop.
- You can also vacuum the floor to get rid of grit and dust.
- Do not use tough brooms as they can scratch the surface of the travertine.
- Use a high-quality neutral cleaner for cleaning the travertine.
- Buy a product that is labeled as safe for natural stone.
- Clean the travertine using warm water, gentle cleaners, and a microfiber rag or mop.
- Wipeout spills as soon as possible to avoid stains or marks.
- You can use carpets and rugs to protect the floor. Get rubber protectants for furniture.
- Use placemats, coasters, caddies, and trivets on kitchen counters and vanity trays in the bathroom.
- You can deep-clean your floors with an automatic scrubber or a vapor steam cleaner twice a year.
- Squeeze your shower after each use and keep the bathroom ventilated to avoid moisture.
To Wrap It Up
It is best to call for help from professionals when it comes to very travertine maintenance. This saves you time, money and the trouble of redoing the work.. If you are looking for professional marble cleaning service in Houston or nearing areas in Texas, Biz Floors is the place to go.
Our experts have the right combination of tools, expertise and products for removing any significant health hazard from your home. Instead of cleaning your floors with the wrong chemicals, you can easily call for help. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch with our highly-trained experts at Biz Floor now!