Travertine Sealing Services Orlando
Travertine pavers are often used to give any outdoor path or area an elegant design. These thick stones make beautiful pathways, hallways, and outdoor patios and make an extremely durable option. Over the years, travertine pavers have indeed become a staple in aesthetics and landscaping.
To protect travertine pavers, it’s a great idea to have them sealed. This gives them an extra layer of protection against weather, mildew, and weeds. It can also improve their external appearance and keep them looking good for longer.
Travertine sealing protects your pavers against corrosion as well. Given your investment in installing them, you can increase their longevity and prevent signs of wear and tear. If you place your pavers in an area that is regularly exposed to water, sealing them can help protect against water damage. Travertine sealing can also shield your pavers against food and beverages stains.
Don’t neglect your travertine pavers. Whether it’s your travertine pool deck, travertine driveway or your back porch, it’s important to seal and maintain them. Give us a call today to see how we can help.
Why You Should Seal Travertine Pavers
It’s true that travertine pavers do well against the elements without additional travertine sealing.
Choosing to implement travertine sealing, though, can give your pavers more protection and a handful of extra advantages.
1. Protection Against the Weather
Here in Florida, your pavers will be exposed to all kinds of weather, especially the intense sun. Mud can scratch natural stone surfaces, dust can get stuck between them, and oil or rust can stain them. Travertine sealing can also prevent sun damage and bleaching.
2. Prevention of Mold and Bacteria Growth
The surface of travertine pavers is porous which makes it easy for mold and bacteria to grow. Pressure washing the pavers can damage the stones further, but travertine sealing prevents the pores from attracting bacteria in the first place.
3. Appearance Enhancement
Travertine pavers are beautiful on their own, but travertine sealing will enhance their appearance even further. A sealant helps bring out the travertine’s natural color and protect it from fading over time. It can also give your pavers a satin to glossy shine (depending on the surface texture and Customers goals) and make them easier to clean.
How the Sealer Works
We use a special sealant to form a protective layer over the stone surface. Travertine sealing begins with cleaning the pavers. Your pavers need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove hidden dirt and organic material. Mold/ Mildew/ Algae and lichen are treated as well. Our Clean Image Cleaning System uses pressurized Hot water and a Vacuum to recover the soils and organic material. The surface is also rinsed to remove any remaining cleaning residues. The travertine cleaning agent we use doesn’t damage your pavers. Cleaning the pavers is important as you do not want to seal soils into the stone.
There are 2 methods of installing Travertine Pavers, sand set and mud set. Pavers that are sand set are set onto a base that has been compacted. The surrounding pavers (soldiers) are mud set, or you may have a concrete retaining curb. Pavers that are mud set are bonded directly to a concrete slab. This type of install may or may not then have the joints grouted. There are advantages to both types of installs. With Sand set installation, depending on the joint width, we typically will use a fine sand and “wet sand” the joints. This wet sanding carries sand under any small gaps under the paver and in between the pavers. This helps solidify the installation before paver sealing.
There are a couple of options when it comes to paver sealing. The most popular type of travertine sealing is the sealer that leaves a protective layer on top of the stone. The other type is an impregnating sealer and goes into the natural stone. We use Seal N Lock for our protective sealer and it does a great job at consolidating the stone as it seeps into the pores. The sealer acts as a joint stabilizer as it hardens the sand between the joints. Travertine colors will be enriched due to the enhancing qualities of the sealer and increase the level of shine. Typically 3 coats are applied for maximum protection.
Will Travertine Sealing Make The Stone Surfaces Slippery?
This is an important concern for customers with exterior Travertine. At Clean Image, we have developed a method of applying an aggregate to the sealer to mitigate the potential of slip and fall. We have 2 options of aggregate that include a glass nano bead and a polymer bead. Creating a beautiful Travertine hardscape should include slip mitigation, and we have taken that into account with our travertine sealing services.
How Often Should I Seal Travertine Pavers?
Ideally, you should seal your beautiful travertine tile immediately upon installation. This prevents them from sustaining any damage in the first place.
Depending on how often your pavers are used or how much foot traffic they receive, you’ll want to have a professional carry out travertine sealing every three to five years. If you use harsh chemicals to clean your pavers, you’ll want to do it closer to every three years.
If you’re unsure of how often to seal your pavers, give us a call and we’ll be glad to advise you.
Cleaning Your Sealed Travertine
It’s important that you clean your travertine tile pavers so that they continue to look good. Dirty pavers will grow mold and attract bacteria. To prevent this and keep your pavers looking new, here are two common travertine cleaning questions and their answers.
1. Can I Pressure Wash My Tile Pavers?
Never use a pressure washer on your travertine pavers if you can help it. A pressure washer should only be used in extreme cases, and if you absolutely have to use it, turn it to the lightest setting. Pressure washing may damage the coating sealer, and on unsealed Travertine may erode out the softer minerals creating more holes.
If you really want to scrub your pavers, we recommend soap and water. Using fiber brushes and a mild travertine cleaning agent will do the trick. Apply your detergent, scrub as needed and use your garden hose to rinse. Using a blower or broom to remove most of the dry soils first will make travertine cleaning much easier.
2. How Do I Remove Stains?
If your pavers are sealed, they shouldn’t stain easily. If they do get stained though, mix 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. You can add a bit of your regular cleaning detergent as well.. Let it work for 10 minutes before wiping or rinsing away. Most stains our Customers encounter are from trees dropping their seeds, fruit and other organic material that sits and decays on the travertine. When sealed it is all on top of the sealer and cleans easily.
3. What Happens if I Don’t Seal Travertine?
Although travertine pavers are beautiful, that doesn’t mean they won’t be damaged. Acidic substances, oils, tree fallout, pool chemistry, plant staining or harsh weather can severely damage the pavers over time. Without any sealant, you’re leaving the travertine open to stains that can infiltrate the pores. Without paver sealing, your pavers won’t last as long and they won’t retain their aesthetic for nearly as long.
We recommend sealing travertine surfaces to retain their natural stone look. Protecting them from staining and from weather damage also means easy maintenance for the years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you’re considering sealing your travertine tile pavers, you may have some questions.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions to help you out.
Before your sealers arrive, there are a few things you can do to make it easier for them. Any furniture you have that sits on top of your travertine tiles needs to be moved out of the way. This helps the process get off to a smooth start and it’s also best to move your furniture on your own to prevent any possible accidents or mishaps.
You’ll know it’s time to reseal your travertine pavers when they start to look dull. You should, of course, continue cleaning them regularly. Oftentimes, this will help prevent them from dulling. If they’re still dull even with regular cleaning though, it’s time to strip and reseal them.
It’s best to seal your travertine pavers as soon as they are installed. This will prevent any wear and tear or damage from occurring soon after. It will also protect against stains.
You should clean your travertine pavers regularly. Use a mild detergent and scrub your pavers gently. Do this weekly for the best results or just when you feel like your pavers need cleaning.
Why Hire a Professional Travertine Restoration Team in Orlando FL?
Travertine pavers are built to be durable, but they can be easily damaged if a sealer is not correctly applied. Travertine pavers are porous so unless a sealer is properly applied, it could just go right through without providing any extra protection.
It’s important that a sealer is applied correctly by an experienced Orlando FL travertine restoration professional. Applying a DIY sealer to your travertine may seem like a great way to save money, but you may damage your pavers which could cost you even more.
When you hire our Orlando FL travertine restoration experts, you benefit from their years of experience in the industry. Sealing travertine pavers correctly is a difficult process and takes years to master. Rather than risking your pavers, hire an Orlando FL professional to take care of the work. Sit back, relax, and know that your pavers are in the good hands of our Orlando FL travertine restoration team. We’ll also inform guide you throughout the entire travertine restoration process and keep it seamless and fuss-free for you.
Give us a call today and get your free quote. Let our travertine sealing experts help to protect or restore your travertine pavers.