Tile and Grout Cleaning

Sealing Travertine

sealing travertine tile Sealing travertine has been debated among us in the stone and tile industry for many years.

The reason for the discussion has to do with the porosity of the travertine stone.

Travertine is very dense and polished travertine may not be as porous as honed travertine.

With that being said, what if a staining agent was to absorb into your travertine tile.

Now you would have a problem, and not just any problem, but possibly an expensive problem.

Our recommendation would be sealing travertine when it's first installed and depending what sealer you use, sealing regularly every year or every other year.

One thing about travertine you should be aware of. Travertine is a calcium based stone like marble and is susceptible to etching by any acidic liquid.

Sealing travertine will not protect it from etching, so caution should be used with any acidic liquid (orange juice).

How to Seal Travertine

Sealing travertine is not very complicated and if you take your time and clean it properly before you seal it, you shouldn't have any problems.

  • First, you need to know if there are any topical coatings such as wax or polyurethanes on the travertine, and if there is, it requires a stripping process, that's different than what it is described below.


  • Clean your travertine thoroughly with a neutral cleaner or if it's badly soiled, you can use an akaline stone cleaner to break down dirt and grease build-up.


  • Once the travertine surface is clean, dry it with a cotton or microfiber cloth. It's very important the travertine is dry before any sealer is applied. In some cases, if the travertine is more porous, it may need 24 to 72 hours to dry before applying a sealer.


  • If you're sure the travertine is completely dry, you can apply the sealer evenly using a lamb's wool applicator or any soft cloth. Honed or textured travertine will require more sealer due to it being more porous than a polished travertine.


  • Not all sealers behave the same and if you're using a water based sealer, it will take longer to dry compared to a solvent based sealer. It's important not to let the sealer puddle up as any unwanted residue can dry up and even stain some stones.


  • After applying a second coat of sealer, dry buff with either a microfiber or cotton cloth, making sure to remove all excess sealer. You don't want to see any streaks left by the sealer


  • If you do see streaks left by the sealer, re-activate the sealer with some more sealer, and then buff off.

  • Maintaining Travertine

    sealing travertine tile Maintaining travertine can be easy, as long as you know what cleaners are best and how to use them.

    When cleaning travertine we recommend using a neutral floor cleaner. Neutral meaning neautral pH or pH of 7 on the pH scale.

    For daily cleaning, use a microfiber mop, with warm water and your neutral cleaner. Mop your floor and dry with dry mop.

    When it comes to cleaning and sealing travertine or cleaning ceramic tile and grout, we strive to help educate our customers on the best protection they can have, helping them save time and money in costly restoration costs down the road.

    We are located in San Jose, CA, but clean tile and grout and natural stone surfaces throughout the south bay, penisula, and even find ourselves in the San Ramon Valley from time to time.

    Want to know more about our services and how we can help you maintain you tile and grout in your home or place of business? Give us a call at:

    408-998-8781


    Bay Area Cities we Proudly Serve!

    We are located at:

    341 S. 20th Street
    San Jose, CA, 95116


    Here is a partial list of some of the cities we serve:

    Aptos, Atherton, Belmont, Blackhawk, Campbell, Capitola, Cupertino, Danville, Dublin, East Palo Alto, Felton, Fremont, Gilroy, Half Moon Bay, Hayward, Hillsborough, La Honda, Livermore, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Menlo Park, Milpitas, Monet Sereno, Monte Vista, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Newark, Palo Alto, Pleasanton, Portola Valley, San Carlos, San Jose, San Martin, San Mateo, San Ramon, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Saratoga, Scotts Valley, Stanford, Sunnyvale, Sunol, Union City, West Menlo Park and Woodside.

    Want to Know More About Granite Sealing?

    Are you a do-it-yourselfer? Always working on your home on one project to another. Check the link below to learn how to seal your granite countertops.

    We know you can do it yourself and give you some tips on some of the pitfalls you might fall into.



    Are You in Need of Marble Polishing?

    We know even though you may be a do-it-yourselfer, you can't do everything. Marble polishing is likely one of those projects left for a professional. Check out the link below for more information on what the process involves.



    Client Testimonial

    Hi Guys! Just want to let you know that I am very happy with the outcome of your hard work. My bathroom looks like it was just remodeled. It looks great! I am very glad that I chose Integrity Stone and Tile Cleaning to do the job. I will definitely recommend Integrity Stone and Tile to my friends and neighbors. I saved a lot of money by restoring rather then replacing. Thanks again for the fine work!

    Charlie R.
    From Sunnyvale, CA


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