Mouldy Travertine Tiled Shower Renovated in Sheffield
I was asked to call into a property in the Sheffield suburb of Totley to renovate a troublesome Travertine tiled shower enclosure. The customer simply couldn’t keep the shower clean and the travertine was just getting dirtier and dirtier. I could see from the pictures that the stone tiles were becoming stained with the use of shampoo and soaps, also there was evidence of mould build-up which had led to some of the grout turning black.
Once I was on site, I could see that any sealant that may have been present on the Travertine had broken down and worn off leaving the pores in the stone vulnerable to dirt etc. Once dirt has become ingrained you will find it very difficult to get rid of it using normal household cleaners. I discussed with the client the best course of action, we chatted about the cost and they were happy to go ahead with the work. The work would take less than a day to complete.
Cleaning a Travertine Tiled Shower Enclosure
I started by applying Tile Doctors Oxy-Gel which is a Tile and Grout cleaning product in a Gel form that allows it to cling to walls without running off. This means you can leave it working on the Tile and Grout for as long as you want. Thirty minutes is normally enough to clean most stone and lift the underlying dirt. The Oxy-Gel was then scrubbed in by hand and rinsed off with water. The first clean, removed most of the dirt and grime, however the really stained areas were treated twice.
Once the stone was clean, I turned my attention to the mould stained silicone seal between the tile and shower tray. I worked carefully to remove the existing silicone with a sharp knife to ensure neither the tile or shower tray was damaged. After cleaning up the area and making sure it was dry new Limestone coloured silicone was inserted to match the grout. It’s important to use good quality silicone as the cheaper ones tend to discolour fast.
Sealing a Travertine Tiled Shower
Once the tiles were fully dry, I set about sealing the Travertine and Grout using two coats of Tile Doctor Ultra Seal. This is a premium, no-sheen, natural-look, sealer which is formulated to provide maximum stain protection, it is also an excellent grout sealer. The natural colours of the now clean Travertine tiles were able to shine through and any water now runs off the wall instead of collecting in the pores of the stone.
As you can imagine my client was delighted with the result. To ensure they stopped using the household cleaners applied previously we left them with some free Tile Doctor Aqua-Pro shower cleaner and instruction on how to keep the shower area looking great. This product is pH neutral so will not prematurely erode the sealer which happens with stronger supermarket products.
Source: Travertine Tile Cleaning, Restoration and Sealing Service in Sheffield, South Yorkshire