Archive for the 'Stain Problems' Category

Removing Stone Enhancer

Posted in Answers to Granite Questions..., Answers to Travertine Questions..., Regarding Other Kinds Of Stone..., Stain Problems on January 31st, 2007

I just had my bathroom redone. I have travertine and natural riverbed stone. I had gotten two different kinds of sealer for the workers to use. One was a stone enhancer to be used in only a few places. The other was a matte finish to be used everywhere else. They put the stone enhancer over everything. I need to know if there is anyway to remove it from the stone I don’t want it on. – Margie

Hello Margie

Yes, to remove most stone enhancers you can use Acetone and a green scrub pad. This is the safest procedure. However, it does not work, let me know and I will find a more aggressive product for you to try.

Travertine Grease Spots and Holes

Posted in Answers to Travertine Questions..., Other Issues, Stain Problems on October 30th, 2006

Hi Tom,
We have grease spots on the travertine tiles in the kitchen. and we have some holes were the “fill” is gone. The 18″-tile floor is three years old.

Thanks,
Erika

Hello Erika,

There are several responses on the website about cleaning grease spots but if they have been there for a while on travertine, I afraid you are out of luck. You can try a poultice solution with some bleach to lesson the intensity but you will not be able to remove the stain. For a poultice solution, find you local tile store and ask them for a product. Also, any treatment you do will most likely be noticeable in comparison to the rest of the tile. It has the same affect as cleaning pen off of leather or vinyl. So, you will have to replace the tiles if you want the stains completely gone.

For the holes, just buy some non-sanded hydraulic white cement and fill the voids. You could use a non-sanded grout but it will crack and sag a little if the voids are over 1/8″ wide. Non-sanded grout is an ok solution if you are not a perfectionist.

Best wishes,
Tom Cordova