All about maintenance of Travertine Tiles

02:03 Home Improvement 2 Comments

What is a Travertine?
One of the most unique stone types used in the building market is travertine. It shares almost the same mineral composition that of marble and limestone, but its unique color swirls makes it a popular choice. The characteristic quality of the stone that it can be cut perpendicular to the bedding plain exposing a linear pattern known as the vein cut or the cross cut makes it unique. These cuts flaunt the cloud like patterns in the stone. Travertine tile will certainly add a lifetime beauty to your home, but only when it’s properly cared for. Before deciding to use this stone for your home, it is more important to understand what is involved in the cleaning and maintenance of travertine tile.

How to care for indoor installed travertine stones?
Interior stones are usually cleaned by dry dust mopping to remove dirt and debris. To wash your interior stone, you can use a neutral (PH 7) and clean water. Soap less cleaner can be use as one of the Travertine Care Products, as soap can often leave streaks and film behind, which can easily be noticed on polish-finished travertine stone. Ideally you should use mild, phosphate-free, biodegradable liquid soaps or powders to clean your travertine tile. You must always follow the manufacturer’s directions on the cleaning solution and gently wash in an overlapping sweeping motion from the bottom up. A wet vacuum can be used to remove contaminants from the tile wherever necessary. If you are cleaning a high traffic area, a mechanical scrubber fitted with a disc brush can be used to remove dirt and debris without damaging the stone tile.

How to care for outdoor installed travertine stones?
The foremost step to maintaining travertine installed outside is routine cleaning, ideally once per year. This can be done merely by rinsing it with clean water in order to prevent an accumulation of dirt and other impurities. If regular cleaning has not been performed, the most economic method is that of using those commercially available water systems such as hydro-air or plain water. Older buildings with collected amount of dirt are more difficult to clean. A pressure washer can remove most of the accumulation. Though, the use of chemicals on exterior stone could be detrimental to the look and should be used only by professionals.

How to decide upon which cleaner to use?
Since travertine comes from the limestone family, you should never use an acidic or chemical cleaner when caring for the surface. There are many Travertine Care Products readily available for stone cleaning. Your stone supplier can guide you the best cleaner available for your travertine stone. No matter which type of travertine tile you choose or where you fix it, taking proper care of it is an essential thing for lasting quality. Following the basic tips along with your manufacturer’s recommendations will help keep your travertine tile in like-new condition. Contact us now to check the range of cleaners available for your travertine tiles.