How to Repair Cracks in Travertine Floor Tile

If you had installed the best quality travertine tile a few years ago but now find a few cracks here and there, then you are not alone! Many homeowners face the same problem. This does not have anything to do with the way you maintain your travertine surfaces. Travertine floorings, countertops and showers become dull over time and develop cracks due to a number of inevitable factors. If you are wondering about replacing the entire tile, then you need to stop right there! We will guide you to a revolutionary method on how to repair cracks on travertine tile.

Most contractors advise to reinstall the entire flooring when you complain about some cracks on the tile. The reason being they are unaware of some new and advanced products that can not only repair the cracks, but also deliver a seamless looking surface without much hassle.

But before you read about the procedures necessary for an efficient travertine floor tile restoration, you need to know the common issues with travertine stone, so that you understand the procedures well.

Common Problems with Travertine Tile:

• Travertine, being a natural stone, is highly porous. The porosity factor enables water to penetrate deep within leading to unhygienic conditions. Any food or liquid spills on the surface penetrates deep within the stone leading to mold and mildew formation.
• Another issue with travertine is that it chips off due to heavy impact. Water gets collected in the pits, leading to mold formation. The chips and cracks can also hurt someone walking barefoot and also ruin the aesthetics of your surface.
• Etching is caused on the surface due to use of acidic cleaners. This etching can be removed only by polishing travertine floor.

So, as you know that cracks can easily form on a travertine flooring, you should also know how to fix them easily. This will prevent unnecessary maintenance expenses.

What Happens if you Ignore the Cracks on your Travertine Tile?

• A cracked travertine tile might have sharp or rough edges which can hurt anyone walking barefoot.
• Cracked tile looks dirty, stained and spoils the aesthetic beauty of your homes and interiors..
• Cracked travertine floor tile has a tendency to store dirty water. This stagnant water becomes an excellent breeding ground for mold and mildew. If not eliminated immediately, mold and mildew will spread on your entire surface and lead to respiratory problems and eye infections.
• Certain contractors demand for a spare tile to do the repair and it is often difficult to source an extra matching tile later. Sometimes, even in the presence of a matching tile, the pigment does not match, which leads to a color mismatch.

Before you begin with repairing the cracks with a travertine crack sealer, you should first clean the tile surface well to eliminate all the stains and mold that may be hiding deep within the edges and corners of the cracks. Cleaning the tile thoroughly also makes the cracks more visible, which may, otherwise, be blocked by dirt or mold.

How to Clean Travertine Tile Properly Before Repairing the Cracks?

Travertine stone should be cleaned with heavy duty cleaners, which are tough on stains and gentle on the surface. There are many acidic cleaners available in the market that cause etching on the surface. Cleaning natural stone should be done by cleaners that penetrate deep inside the surface and eliminate mold and stains from within. Travertine is porous and tends to absorb liquids and food spills leading to deep-rooted mold formation and tough staining. A good cleaner should have the capability of knocking off these stains at the root level.

We recommend you to use Imperia Deep Clean for deep-rooted cleaning. This deep-penetrating cleaner will knock off the germs, mold and stains that may be prevalent at the root level, in the cracks and also on the top surface. This alkaline cleaner does not cause any etching and performs a thorough sanitization of the surface.

How to Repair Cracks in Travertine Floor Tile?

After cleaning, the travertine tile cracks will be visible more clearly. Now you can fix these cracks with our powerful travertine crack sealer. Cracks and chips occur on travertine stone due to heavy impact. These can be restored and repaired using our powerful adhesive. It does not pop off from the surface and also imparts a sleek and natural appearance to the tile. Many contractors use adhesives in different colors to repair the cracks, which eventually destroy the look completely. Our epoxy resin adhesive that can be color coated and matched with your tile color.

Our adhesive is Sentura – a two part pigmented solvent based flexible epoxy/resin. Some people use low quality adhesives for cracked tile repair, but these too do not render that seamless finish like Sentura does with its sleek appearance. Low quality adhesives are not long lasting and durable like Sentura which repairs your cracks forever. Sentura can be color-matched in more than 40 options, enabling you to get a uniform looking tile surface and repair your cracks seamlessly.

Here is How you can Use Sentura:

Please follow the instructions given below to perform a tile repair job without replacing tile using Sentura:

Materials:

• Sentura Part A
• Sentura Part B
• Empty Container
• Spatula for mixing

Instructions:

• Remove all part A product and remove all part B product in the empty container.
• Mix thoroughly in the empty container.
• Put mixed material into the applicator bag.
• Fill all the cracks and voids with Sentura.
• Use water to smooth Sentura.
• If there is a loose tile, apply Sentura to fix it.

Important Tips About Sentura:

• Sentura comes only in white color. It can be pigmented with Caponi in more than 40 colors to match your surface color as closely as possible. Caponi is a 2 part pigmented titanium solvent epoxy/resin sealer, which is used to seal all the grout lines.
• Sentura is also the best caulk replacer. Many people use Caulk for sealing shower corners. But caulk tends to peel off in wet settings and cracks in dry conditions. Sentura never pops out from the surface and protects the tile and grout from bacteria, stains and mold while delivering a lush natural look. It has a sleek appearance which does not damage the integrity of the stone like caulk does with its bulky lines.

Sentura is better than any other product available in the market currently. Not only Sentura, pFOkUS has an entire range of tile, grout, stone and glass restoration products. All our products such as tile and grout cleaning products, grout repair products, tile sealing and tile polishing products are highly efficient for restoring your flooring. One of the leading stone restoration companies in the United States – D’Sapone only uses cleaners and sealers designed by us to get that awesome look.