Q. I made the mistake of sealing my new travertine floor and it looks awful. It is streaked and spotted. How can I strip the sealer and leave it natural?

 

A. This is why we say it is essential that ALL sealer be removed from the surface of the stone when doing a sealing job. Removing excess sealer can be a rather serious undertaking for DIY project. If the area is small you could reactivate the sealer by applying the same sealer to the affected area, let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe off as much of the reactivated sealer as possible. It may or may not work.There are other products out there that would work but they are for professional use only.

If this is a large area you may need a stone professional to get this done for you the right way. Visit www.stoneandtilepros.com/findapro.php to locate a stone restoration / maintenance contractor in your area.

 

NOTE: Dr. Fred (Fred Hueston) of The Stone and Tile Show is doing a segment on sealers which will address this topic. You can find the archives of the show at www.thestoneandtileshow.com