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Travertine Installation

Does travertine need to be sealed before grouting? We are installing 18x18 filled & honed travertine on our kitchen floor. This is new construction. We've fired the first tile setter for excessive lippage and using a dark colored thinset. Now the second tile setter wants to grind down the edges of the lipped corners with his belt sander. Is this a feasible solution? We do not want to make any more mistakes. Thanks.
 

Dear JD:

 

Does travertine need to be sealed before grouting?

 

No; only very absorbent stones could benefit from that, and travertine is certainly not among them.

 

Now the second tile setter wants to grind down the edges of the lipped corners with his belt sander. Is this a feasible solution?

 

Absolutely not!

 

Don't let that man come even close to your driveway: You had enough of “Michelangelo”; you don't need his brother now!!

To be certain, you will need to have your floor ground, re-filled (the grinding will open many holes) and re-honed. This is certainly not the job for a tile setter!

The use of gray thin set is inconsequential with travertine. I wouldn't worry about it.

Your only option is to hire a bona fide stone restoration contractor.

Now, you'd better watch out! I consider stone refinishing as the very pinnacle of all the activities related to stone from a professional point of view. Unfortunately, there are a lot of quacks on the loose out there! You get one of those, and you may even have to kiss your stone bye-bye!

How could you tell a champ from a chomp? Could you trust the recommendation of your local stone distributor, or contractor, or your interior decorator? Hardly!

We have available a very comprehensive article on how to select a bona fide stone restoration contractor, which will give you all the intelligence you need to make a competent choice. It does carry a small price tag, and you can order it by logging on the Educational Literature section 0f our website at:   http://www.mbstone.com/literature/literature.htm. It's available in pay-per-download format and I consider it a cheap “insurance premium” to pay when there are thousands of $ involved! Not to mention the little and much needed support you'd be giving to the cause – YOUR cause, since every single penny of the cost of the article will be used to support it.

Also, will you please read and sign our Statement of Purpose at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/purpose.htm? By spreading the word about this valuable site among your friend & family and the stone trades' people you've been dealing with you will be rendering everybody a valuable service!   

Moreover, do take advantage of the plethora of FREE Helpful Hints available at:   http://www.mbstone.com/HH_promo/helpful_hints.htm. They're on the house!

Thank you.

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

www.marblecleaning.org – The Only Consumers' Portal to the Stone Industry Establishment!
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