Stone Burnishing Archives - Berkshire Tile Doctor

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Renovation Newbury

Restoring the Appearance of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Newbury

This project is a great example of how to restore the appearance of high-quality stone flooring — in this case, a Travertine tiled kitchen floor in Newbury. Tile Doctor has developed a specialist burnishing system that uses diamond floor pads to achieve outstanding results. We have found that liquid cleaning products alone are not as effective, and in fact, some household cleaners can cause damage if used incorrectly.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor Before Cleaning Newbury

The client in Newbury was struggling to keep their pitted Travertine floor clean. The tiles had become exceptionally dull and dirty, with soil ingrained in the pores and pits of the stone. I was asked to restore the floor’s appearance, so I visited the property to survey the condition and carry out a test clean. This involved burnishing a small area of the stone and cleaning the grout to demonstrate the achievable results.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Test Clean Newbury

The Travertine tiles and grout responded very well to the test, clearly showing how much dirt had built up since the floor was last restored. Pleased with the improvement, the client approved my detailed quotation, and we scheduled a date for the full renovation.

Burnishing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

As mentioned, burnishing is the most effective method for restoring Travertine. It not only cleans the surface but also tightens the pores in the stone, producing a natural sheen even before sealing. The process involves using diamond-encrusted pads of varying grits in sequence with a rotary floor buffer. Coarser pads remove ingrained dirt and surface buildup, while finer pads gradually refine the stone to create a smooth, polished finish.

The burnishing process begins with a coarse 400-grit pad, applied with water for lubrication and worked over each tile several times. The slurry is then rinsed away and extracted with an industrial wet vacuum. This is followed by the 800- and 1500-grit pads, each applied in the same way, with rinsing and vacuuming after every stage.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor During Cleaning Newbury

Once the burnishing was complete, I turned my attention to the grout. A strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean was applied along the grout lines and scrubbed in with a stiff brush to remove embedded soil. The residue was again rinsed and extracted using the wet vacuum.

The final stage of polishing involved a very fine 3500-grit pad, applied dry with just a little water misted onto the surface. This step produces a deep, durable polish on the Travertine, enhancing its natural beauty.

Sealing a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor

After allowing the floor to dry overnight, I returned the next day to complete the sealing. Moisture readings confirmed that the stone was suitably dry and ready for treatment. I applied Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a premium impregnating sealer that also enhances the warm brown tones of the Travertine. This type of sealer penetrates the pores of the stone, providing maximum protection by preventing dirt from becoming trapped within. Instead, contaminants remain on the surface, where they can be easily wiped away.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Newbury

Once complete, the Travertine floor looked dramatically cleaner, brighter, and more refined—much to the client’s delight. Before leaving, I provided aftercare advice and recommended Tile Doctor Stone Soap as a maintenance cleaner to help preserve the finish and keep the floor looking its best.

Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor After Cleaning Sealing Newbury

Professional Renovation of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen in Berkshire

Restoring the Appearance of a Travertine Tiled Kitchen Floor in Newbury Read More »

Tired Limestone Patio Renovated in Wargrave in Reading

Earlier this summer I received an enquiry from a homeowner in Wargrave near Twyford regarding their Limestone patio which was “looking tired”. The patio had been laid around five years prior and during that time the UK weather had degraded its appearance significantly resulting in ingrained dirt and algae.

Limestone Patio Before Cleaning Wargrave Reading

The client tried pressure washing themselves over the years however the stone needed more work to return its former glory. The client was on the High Street in Wargrave which is notoriously difficult to park especially if you have a large van like myself.

Limestone Patio Before Cleaning Wargrave Reading

A quote was provided, materials were ordered, and a date was booked in. The client had seen a recent work history of mine where I had restored a marble table, having one herself in similar condition she asked if anything could be done. Confident we could dramatically improve it that was also booked in to be restored on the same day. If you have been though my website you will see I have restored several stone tables in the past and I’ll detail the restoration of this one as well in a future article.

Deep Cleaning a Tired Limestone Patio

Usually, I use a van mounted high pressure cleaning system to help clean exterior stone, however due to the parking issue this wasn’t going to be an option. The alternative was to initially clean the stone using a combination of cleaning products and abrasive burnishing pads, similar to how I would tackle internal Limestone.

The outside elements had certainly taken its toll on this patio, fortunately Tile Doctor have a wide variety of products that help us resolve numerous issues with stone. In this case I decided to start with Tile Doctor Patio and Driveway Cleaner. This is a very strong product that I normally wouldn’t recommend for use on Limestone however its very effective at removing algae, lichens and black spot which was exactly what this patio needed.

I applied the patio cleaner diluted 50/50 with water to a small area, allowing dwell time before scrubbing with a mechanical scrubbing machine. The dirty slurry was rinsed down and vacuumed away. Once I was happy the contamination was eliminated, I ran a series of burnishing pads across the stone, starting with a coarse 400 grit burnishing pad, followed by 800, and finely a fine 1500 grit pad which gradually closed the pores, and restored the appearance of the stone. This is a messy process which generates a lot of slurry which is removed after each pad with the wet vacuum.

Sealing a Limestone Tiled Patio

I offered the option to seal the stone, however on this occasion the client said she would rather me come back every one or two years to repeat the process. The drainage wasn’t particularly good on this patio installation and water tends to pool on the stone for long periods of time, so they were concerned the seal wouldn’t last over the upcoming autumn and winter.

Limestone Patio After Renovation Wargrave Reading

Should they have wished to go ahead and seal the stone I would have used either Tile Doctor Ultra-Seal for a natural look or Tile Doctor Colour Grow to enhance the colours of the stone.