2017 Best Travertine Fillers, Types and Usage Guide

Travertine:

Travertine products are a blessing for homeowners who want luxury at an affordable price. The beautiful natural stone is available in the form of pavers, tiles, mosaics, etc. and looks timeless with its unique structure. But this beauty comes with a price of a porous structure which becomes the bane of travertine product’s existence if not treated properly. These hollow structural cavities need to be filled else dirt, dust, water and other substances might seep into the stone which leads to discoloration and even growths like weed.

Travertine Fillers:

Usually the holes in travertine stone are filled at the factories before their processing procedure of turning into tiles or pavers starts but their is also availability of unfilled travertine pavers and tiles in the market. By filling the holes the maintenance and daily cleaning of the stone becomes extremely easy. Even though there is a variety of fillers in the market out of which the best two fillers that you can use to fill your travertine are listed below: 

1. Epoxy Fillers: Epoxy fillers are the most recommended ones for filling travertine as these are manufactured just for this specific purpose. These fillers have a smooth texture and are usually colored. You can also add dye or tint to match it according to your requirement.
2. Sanded Grout Fillers: A cheaper alternative to fillers is using sanded grout. Even though the results might be satisfactory but the sandy texture is quite visible in comparison with the smooth surface of travertine.

In order to use the filler you need to follow the instructions by the manufacturer which is generally mixing the filler with a little amount of hardener.  The filler needs less than ten minutes to set in so it is advisable to make batches of filler and fill the holes accordingly. Even though the result at home is not like the factory finish but you can use the services of stone restoration professionals for a perfect filling look. These professionals make sure that the filler color matches perfectly with the travertine being treated. But if Do It Yourself is your thing then you can easily fill the holes without any external help.

Usage Guide for Fillers:

The methodology for applying the fillers is different for both epoxy and sanded grout and below here we have listed both of them.

Epoxy Filler Method: 

1. Clean the area of the hole where filler is required. Brush away the dust or debris from the surface.
2. Tape the areas around the holes to avoid getting filler on the travertine’s surface.
3. Mix the filler according to the instruction and apply it using a roller.
4. By using a putty knife or spatula smooth down the surface of the holes that were filled with the epoxy filler.
5. Remove the tape once the filler dries and pat around the hole with a dry cloth to remove excessive material.

Tips:

• Use a sponge immediately to tidy up the tiles in case of overflow of filler from the hole.
• Avoid disturbing the filler as it takes 24 hours to completely set.
• To darken the color of the filler add colored tint to it as required.

Sanded Grout Method:

With sanded grout there are a few tricks to get the required color and we will explain them one by one along with the method.

1. Mix the grout with a little amount of water to get a really thick consistency.
2. By using a grout float, force the thick mixture into the required hole.
3. Even the grout along the tile surface with the help of a grout sponge for smoothing it out. Wring the sponge continuously and  use a light hand to avoid exerting unnecessary pressure on the grout.
4. Carefully remove the excessive grout via dry cheese cloth or towel.
5. Once the grout is dry and set, seal the grout after 72 hours. Sealing is the final and most important step as grout is porous in structure which leads to seepage of dust or liquid.

Color Matching with Sanded Grout: Travertine tiles usually have many shades in a single batch so it is comparatively easier to match grout colors with them. For the light beige toned travertine tiles bone colored grout is best suited while for darker shades such as walnut or browns linen colored grout works really well. Go with the one shade light or one shade dark rule for finding the desired color.

Tips:

• Never use unsanded grout for filling travertine as it prone to crumbling.
• When filling, use a grout bag to make the whole procedure less messy.