Significance of Travertine Restoration

Travertine is a sedimentary stone that is formed in and around fresh water hot springs. Its formation takes place when calcium carbonate (calcite) is deposited by water and compressed over time to a solid structure. Travertine, in its natural state, has holes and channels from where water and hot gases usually escape during the formation. Most often, these holes are ‘filled’ during fabrication process with resin (like epoxy) products to form an even, flat surface. It is advisable to avoid filling the travertine holes with cementeous grout because cement grout would get dirty in no time!

Travertine is one of the softest flooring materials available in the market today. However, because of its softness, it easily gets scratched and abraded by hard materials, such as dirt and debris tracked in from outside, unprotected or rough furniture legs and posts, metal, and even hard plastics. Like its close cousins such as limestone and marble, travertine is also very reactive to all acids, including mild ones like orange juice. Therefore, travertine restoration and cleaning is a must. Marble restoration and cleaning of marble floor are also two important maintenance activities that should be undertaken regularly.

As a matter of fact, irregular and improper maintenance is the single greatest cause of travertine degradation. You would find that most travertine is damaged by improper routine maintenance and care than any other causative factor, including stone quality. If you are amongst those who admire travertine in its natural state, it is very important to understand the significance of specialised expert maintenance. The holes that were formed as a result of water running through the travertine over time get easily targeted by dirt or grime. If the same is left unattended, it could even cause discolouration of the stone, thus robbing travertine of its natural elegance and shine.

It is where the significance of travertine restoration comes into effect. Usually the process of travertine restoration comprises a multiple step mechanical process that makes use of diamond abrasive pads and water. Most often, it is a three step process that starts with grinding the surface of the stone with a course grit abrasive pad. The second step involves honing the surface of the stone with a finer grit abrasive pad. The surface of the stone becomes very smooth through honing, but it results in very less shine. The final step after honing is to polish the surface of the stone with fine diamond abrasive to acquire the desired finish in your travertine floor tiles.

One of the well-known companies that offers outstanding marble floor restoration, cleaning marble, and travertine restoration services is Posh floors Ltd. For more information, please visit www.poshfloors.com.