Archive for the ‘Travertine Floors’ Category

How to clean a tiled stone floor?

By CS On August 19, 2019 No Comments

Nothing beats the beauty of a natural stone floor, be it travertine, marble, terracotta, slate, limestone or sandstone. The elegance and durability of stone tiles make them a popular design choice for both residential and commercial properties in the Home Counties. But like all good things it takes a little work to keep stone in good condition. So, what can you do to stop the stone floor in your home or business becoming ingrained with dirt, making it unsightly or unsafe? Thankfully, with the right approach and some expert care most stone floors can be returned to their stunning best and kept that way. Here are some tips from Cornwell Services.

Stone floor cleaning – what to do

Do ensure your natural stone floor is swept and vacuumed frequently so that dirt and grit aren’t allowed to build up and damage the tiles’ surface.

Do take care that the floor is mopped with a damp mop and not a soaking wet one!

Do ensure that specialist stone cleaning products are used as this won’t leave a residue or damage the seal on your tiles.

Do make sure that any accidental spills are cleared up immediately to help to preserve the stone floor.

Do make use of a specialist stone cleaning service since trained professionals have the expertise, equipment and cleaning products to clean, seal and maintain the finish of your stone floor.

Natural stone floors – what to avoid

Don’t allow the floor to be mopped with any cleaner that’s acidic since this will damage natural stone like travertine, marble and limestone. Take care because commonly available tile and grout cleaners often contain acid in the form of lemon juice or vinegar and general cleaning staff may be unaware of this fact.

Don’t allow the use of abrasive cleaners as they can scratch and mark stone tiles.

Don’t allow the use of a vacuum cleaner which has worn or missing wheels when removing dust and dirt, since this can harm the stone’s surface.

Specialist cleaning to restore stone floors

Typically, homeowners and commercial property managers will need specialist help to rescue natural stone floors where the tiles and grout have become dirty and stained over time. Specialist stone floor cleaning technicians like Cornwell Services, know how to approach different types of stone floors and renovate them. These are three approaches a specialist might use:

  • Restorative refinishing, including diamond stone polishing for smooth marble floors, and cleaning and repairing grout lines
  • Aggressive cleaning with high performance chemicals or poultices to remove paint, adhesives, mould, mildew and ingrained dirt
  • Deep cleaning with steam pressure to restore natural colour and condition

Once the stone tiles and grout lines are returned to their natural colours, the stone floor can be resealed by your specialist with a coating that makes it resistant to water, oil, bacteria and dirt. At Cornwell Services we select impregnating or topical sealers dependant on the type of stone and its condition.

Once thoroughly clean and resealed, a six-monthly cleaning routine, using pH neutral products, followed by a top-up seal will normally be sufficient to keep travertine, terracotta and any other stone floor in excellent condition.

Budget-friendly stone cleaning routines

With regular specialist cleaning, you’ll be able to secure better value for money. That’s because regular cleaning will ensure that stone floors can retain their cleanliness, safety and aesthetic appeal for longer. This in turn means that you need less serious intervention resulting in less disruption and a lower cost.

Cornwell Services provide domestic and commercial stone floor cleaning services in Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and south-east England.

Contact Saul at Cornwell Services on 07738 022813 to find out more about our specialist stone floor cleaning service or to talk through your stone floor restoration requirements.



Travertine Tile Cleaning Secrets

By saul123 On May 26, 2017 No Comments

Travertine tiles are an excellent alternative as a natural stone floor. Why is this? The colouration suits may home and business environments and they, if cared for correctly, are durable and versatile.

To keep travertine floor tiles looking great, information about their care is really important. An uncared for tiled floor will start to look dull and lifeless quickly. No one wants this after the expensive of installation.

Travertine Tiles HarlowGeneral cleaning techniques can be used as with many other stone types. The removal of loose dirt and grime will mean that the floor area will be free from debris. Small and larger particles can deteriorate the surface of the floor. Small particles act like sandpaper against the tile’s surface and the larger particles can easily scratch or damage the tile.

This removal should be completed daily if possible to ensure that there is no build up. This can be done with a hover or dry mop to remove all dirt. A chemical-free dust mop or soft towel can also be used for this process. A top tip when using a hover on a tiled floor is to make sure that it is suited to use on stone floors. Your manual will offer information and advice on this matter.

If you are looking to complete a more thorough clean then a mixture of a pH neutral stone cleaner and warm water mix is appropriate for travertine tiles. It is important that the cleaning mixture is formed as per the instructions on the product so that the dilution is correct.

Cleaning Top Tips:

Once the entire floor has been cleaned then it is important to fully rinse the floor with a wet mop. Three tips here to ensure success are:

  • to make sure that no water is left on the tiles for any amount of time
  • ensure that too much water isn’t used
  • make sure there is no product residue left on the tiles when the process has been completed

Why is this important? It means that you will be less likely to have unwanted streaks or that the floor will re-soil quicker due to the fact that dirt will be attracted to the residue markings.

Has your travertine floor been etched? Are there marks that cannot be removed with the above methods? Do you feel that your floor has looked better and your cleaning efforts are not working? Call Cornwell Services; we offer full stone floor cleaning and restoration services for Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas. Call to enquire today on 07738022813.



Cleaning Travertine Tiles Harlow

By saul123 On April 15, 2013 No Comments

These travertine floor tiles in Harlow had become quite grubby over the last few years.

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Some of the original filler had ‘popped’ out of the holes in the stone which then collected dirt further diminishing the overall appearance.

I, first of all, deep cleaned the travertine tiles followed by filling all the holes and craters in the tiles with an epoxy type filler that sets as hard as the stone.

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Once the filler had set, using diamond encrusted tools, I honed the surface of the floor to a smooth matt finish making the floor look like new.

Travertine Tiles HarlowCleaning travertine can produce incredible results; travertine is a striking stone. It is multi-functional and popular natural tile.

It is often believed that the cost of stone tile cleaning is prohibitive and this couldn’t be further from the truth. We would really appreciate the opportunity to provide a no obligation quotation which will provide you with assurance that the cost is not only reasonable but cost-effective.

We will work hard to provide you with spectacular results but also aim to earn your repeat business by offering the highest level of customer service.

We offer tile and grout cleaning for all types of stone flooring.



Travertine Tiles – Cleaning and Polishing Letchworth

By saul123 On May 1, 2012 No Comments

One of our customers had a dirty looking travertine tile floor in Letchworth, Hertfordshire.

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We cleaned off all the dirt using our powerful machine and cleaned the slurry off the travertine tiles.

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We then started on the polishing process.

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And finally ended up with a great looking travertine floor that our customer was very pleased with.

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Please contact Saul with any travertine flooring enquiry. We offer stone cleaning services for all types of natural stone tiles; please see evidence of quarry tiles we have also cleaned.