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Heaven Sent Floor Care has been serving the North Texas are for over 16 years. During this period, Ken Albrecht, has had the pleasure of helping clients with their travertine floor maintenance and restoration process.
During the interview, Ken mentioned one of the major problems he witnesses both homeowners and businesses alike complain about is their travertine floors acquire holes and cracks. Almost without exception any hole smaller than a half dollar can be repaired and blended in with the adjoining surface. Ken pointed out when it comes to filling tiny pin holes, the success rate is much slimmer. He explained, the polyester resin has to have enough depth and circumference to bond properly with the travertine tile. Ken commented that Heaven Sent Floor Care does not use a grout based filler on holes except when grinding floors flat and large areas are involved. A polyester resin based repair is much more durable. On tumbled travertine a grout based fill is more appropriate because of the matte finish. Ken recalled in all his years of repairing travertine holes for Dallas Metroplex homeowners and mixing the tint; this is an art few have taken the time to learn in the industry.
Mr. Albrecht went on to explain that repairing cracks is not as straight forward a process. He cited factors such as are both sides of the crack must be level. If not, the areas must be ground flat to provide an acceptable result. On a polished travertine surface crack repairs do not do as well especially where there is a fairly large amount of natural light. Pier and beam installations often suffer from problems with underlayment issues and are not a good candidate for travertine crack repairs. Factors such as the age and corresponding wear on the travertine tile will influence how much work is required for the repair. Replacement of the travertine tiles affected may be the best course of action for many.
Heaven Sent Floor Care has encountered countless homeowners and handyman efforts of filling both cracks and holes with a cement based grout. Ken explained this makes the floor look tacky. The repair kits on the Internet and home improvement stores utilize a grout based filler. There is a steep learning curve associated with this repair process. Homeowners who take a great deal of pride in their home and travertine surfaces, may find that it is preferred to call a trained artisan to repair and maintain their travertine tile surfaces versus the DIY route.
Release ID: 201603