Travertine is a beautiful natural stone that has a lot of advantages. The one big disadvantage is that it requires you to perform regular maintenance so that it looks great for a long time.
Selecting the perfect travertine sealer is going to be important for the natural appearance and longevity of this stone, particularly when it comes to patios that are frequently used. You certainly don’t want to end up using a sealer that is substandard since it can damage the travertine in a costly and disastrous way.
In addition, sealers are going to be effective when it comes to protecting the stone against harsh weather conditions, especially if you are in an area where your outdoor tiles will be subjected to repeatedly being frozen and thawed.
There are a lot of things that you should consider when you are choosing your sealers, such as the daily wear, the surface type, etc.. Here are a few things that can help you decide what sealer you should choose for your job.
Kinds of Travertine Sealers
The sealers are going to be in one of three categories:
Penetrating
Enhancing
Topical
All these types can be used in a variety of surfaces such as granite, marble, clay, brick, and travertine. Penetrating sealers will give off an appearance is natural, and they’ll leave your surface unchanged once they are dry. Enhancing sealers will enhance the look of the stone without a glossy finish. A topical sealer will give a finish that is shiny and glossy.
Penetrating Sealers
These types of sealers go on the surface of the stone and they leave the stone’s external appearance unchanged. This type of sealer does not leave a film on the tile’s surface, and it also does not peel or flake off. They come in two types of quality – standard quality and premium quality.
Standard
These types of sealers are used for protecting against beverages, cold drinks and dirt. They’re not very effective in commercial food surface areas or kitchens since they aren’t able to protect against oil-based items.
Premium
These sealers give protection of the highest quality against oil-based stains and beverages and they’re great for use in commercial food areas and kitchens. But they’re really expensive when you compare them with the standard sealer.
Enhancing Sealers
These kinds of sealers enhance the stone’s natural color and will not provide a glossy look. Standard enhancing sealers give you protection against beverages, while the premium ones are able to protect against items that are oil-based.
Topical Sealers
Just as their name suggests, they sit on the stone’s surface and provide it with an appearance that’s glossy. The huge drawback of these types of sealers is that they are going to wear off as time passes and you’ll have to frequently apply them, especially when the surface is being used a lot. For the best protection, it’s required that you put multiple coatings of the sealer on the surface.
How Travertine Sealers are Applied
It’s easy to seal your travertine tiles. It can be done in about an afternoon. Below are the steps to take to seal your tiles.
Clean Your Tiles
Before you start applying the sealer, you have to clean your tiles. Choose one that is going to be suitable to use with your chosen sealer since different chemicals are going to interact in a different way with one another. Thoroughly clean your tiles according to the cleaning product's instructions. After they’re clean, use water to rinse them well and let them dry for 60 minutes. Once they’re dry, use a clean, dry broom to sweep them so that any dust or residue is removed.
Applying Your Sealer
When you’re ready to apply the sealer, begin by spraying some water with a bottle over your tiles’ surface. Don’t wait for the water to dry – put the sealer right on your tiles with a roller made of foam. Wait about 30 minutes and remove any extra sealer using a good absorbent cloth. Put another coat on and then wait 24 hours so that it’s totally absorbed before you use the surface again.
When Travertine Should be Resealed
No matter what kind of protection the sealers provide, it’s important for the sealer to be reapplied every once in a while so that the tile is protected. How often it’s reapplied will depend on how much foot traffic or activity the tiles have to endure.
An easy way to figure out when to reapply your sealer is by simply sprinkling some water on your tile’s surface. If it is quickly absorbed, it’s time for the sealer to be reapplied. If it takes a while for it to absorb or it stays on your tiles’ surface, you can wait.
Applying Other Sealers
You can also use travertine tiles for decoration by painting designs on them. Put sealer on the tile's surface, using a brush, so that the tile is properly painted, durable, and it will also prevent the paint from absorbing.
Once the sealer has dried, paint your tiles using unique impressions so that the brilliance is increased and to ensure that your paint is moisture resistant. Another sealant coat will increase the tile's defense against external impurities like dust.
This is a guide to the types of travertine sealers and how to use them. Sealing your travertine pavers will make it last longer and keep it looking new.