Perfect Velvety Floor Finish

This is a newly installed travertine floor. The homeowner wanted a slight polish instead of the finish you see here.

This is the semi-polished travertine finish that the floor had after we gave it a little bit of polish. Notice how the light reflects. This is the look the homeowner had in mind when she selected the tile.

Natural Stone

Floor,

Travertine

Client: Homeowners in San Diego
Info: Travertine cleaning, refinishing, and sealing

Problem

This dull looking travertine floor in San Diego had recently been installed. The homeowner didn’t want a highly polished finish, so she asked for a more subdued satin finish. However, once the installation was complete, she discovered the floor didn’t have the look she had in mind. She worried that she would just have to live with the original finish (see the BEFORE image). Nevertheless, she gave us a call to find out if it were possible to change the finish to give it a nice sheen and a slightly more reflective quality.

We explained that natural stone, unlike other types of flooring, is conducive to a variety of finishes and gave her a free estimate based on the outcome she had in mind. She scheduled services right away.

Solution

Although the floor was relatively clean, we scrubbed the travertine with a floor machine to remove any residue from the installation process. Then we lightly honed (honing is a wet sanding process) and polished the travertine to a beautiful satin finish. Notice how the light reflects in the AFTER image. The final step was to apply a premium impregnating sealer to inhibit staining. The homeowner was very happy that we were able to customize the finish.

To learn more, visit our Travertine Services page and watch this short video.