Problem
Homeowners in the Del Mar, California area called us as a last resort, assuming this botched installation of 3,500 square feet of travertine would have to be removed. When we inspected the floor, we found several problems. The first five images demonstrate how the inexperienced installer left lipage (uneven edges) on almost all the tiles on the floor, and to make matters worse, he tried to grind the floor using over-abrasive concrete-cutting diamond pads instead of those meant for stone, leaving deep scratch patterns in the stone.
Solution
Restoring this floor was a step-by-step process. First, we needed to grind the floor with 50 grit and 100 grit metal stone grinding pads to remove lippage. Then, we used 50, 120, 220, and 400 diamond resin grit pads, depending on the depth and severity of the scratch patterns. Finally, we polished the stone and sealed it with a solvent-based impregnating sealer to protect from future wear and tear. In the remaining images, you can see the beautifully restored and polished floor. We had a little bit of fun showing the customer just how level the floor was — we rolled quarters across it to demonstrate.
For more information about travertine restoration, such as etch removal, lippage removal (leveling uneven tiles), crack and chip repair, stain removal, sealing, filling naturally-occurring travertine holes, as well as honed, slightly polished, or high-gloss polished finish, watch one or more of these short videos: Floating Travertine, Travertine Strip, Hone, and Repolish, and Travertine Repair, Restoration, and Polishing or visit our Travertine Services page.
