Travertine Paver Sealing

Travertine pavers are often used to give any outdoor path or area an elegant design. These thick stones make beautiful pathways, hallways, and outdoor patios and make an extremely durable option. Over the years, travertine pavers have indeed become a staple in aesthetics and landscaping.

To protect travertine pavers, it’s a great idea to have them sealed. This gives them an extra layer of protection against weather, mildew, and weeds. It can also improve their external appearance and keep them looking good for longer.

Sealing travertine pavers protects them against corrosion as well. Given your investment in installing them, you can increase their longevity and prevent signs of wear and tear. If you place your pavers in an area that is regularly exposed to water, sealing them can help protect against water damage. Sealing travertine pavers can also shield them against food and beverages stains.

Don’t neglect your travertine pavers. Whether it’s your travertine pool deck, travertine driveway or your back porch, it’s important to seal and maintain them. Give us a call today to see how we can help.

How the Sealer Works

We use a special sealant to form a protective layer over the stone surface. Sealing your travertine pavers begins with cleaning them. Your pavers need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove hidden dirt and organic material. Mold/ Mildew/ Algae and lichen are treated as well. Our Clean Image Cleaning System uses pressurized Hot water and a Vacuum to recover the soils and organic material. The surface is also rinsed to remove any remaining cleaning residues. The cleaning agent we use doesn’t damage your pavers.Cleaning the pavers is important as you do not want to seal soils into the stone.

There are 2 methods of installing Travertine Pavers, sand set and mud set. Pavers that are sand set are set onto a base that has been compacted. The surrounding pavers (soldiers) are mud set, or you may have a concrete retaining curb. Pavers that are mud set are bonded directly to a concrete slab. This type of install may or may not then have the joints grouted. There are advantages to both types of installs. With Sand set installation, depending on the joint width, we typically will use a fine sand and “wet sand” the joints. This wet sanding carries sand under any small gaps under the paver and in between the pavers. This helps solidify the installation before sealing.

There are a couple options for sealing your Travertine Pavers. The most popular is the sealer that leaves a protective layer on top of the stone. The other type is an impregnating sealer and goes into the stone. We use Seal N Lock for our protective sealer and it does a great job at consolidating the stone as it seeps into the pores. The sealer acts as a joint stabilizer as it hardens the sand between the joints. Travertine colors will be enriched due to the enhancing qualities of the sealer and increase the level of shine. Typically 3 coats are applied for maximum protection.

Cleaning Your Sealed Travertine

It’s important that you clean your pavers so that they continue to look good. Dirty pavers will grow mold and attract bacteria. To prevent this and keep your pavers looking new, here are two common cleaning questions and their answers.

1. Can I Pressure Wash My Pavers?

Never use a pressure washer on your travertine pavers if you can help it. A pressure washer should only be used in extreme cases, and if you absolutely have to use it, turn it to the lightest setting. Pressure washing may damage the coating sealer, and on unsealed Travertine may erode out the softer minerals creating more holes.

If you really want to scrub your pavers, we recommend soap and water. Using fiber brushes and a mild cleaning agent will do the trick. Apply your detergent, scrub as needed and use your garden hose to rinse. Using a blower or broom to remove most of the dry soils first will make the cleaning much easier.

2. How Do I Remove Stains?

If your pavers are sealed, they shouldn’t stain easily. If they do get stained though, mix 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. You can add a bit of your regular cleaning detergent as well.. Let it work for 10 minutes before wiping or rinsing away. Most stains our Customers encounter are from trees dropping their seeds, fruit and other organic material that sits and decays on the travertine. When sealed it is all on top of the sealer and cleans easily.

What Happens if I Don’t Seal Travertine?

Although travertine pavers are beautiful, that doesn’t mean they won’t be damaged. Acidic substances, oils, tree fallout, pool chemistry, plant stainig or harsh weather can severely damage the pavers over time. Without any sealant, you’re leaving the travertine open to stains that can infiltrate the pores. Without sealing, your pavers won’t last as long and they won’t retain their aesthetic for nearly as long.

We recommend sealing travertine pavers to retain their natural stone surface and look. Protecting them from staining and from weather damage also means easy maintenance for the years to come.

Why Hire a Professional?

Travertine pavers are built to be durable, but they can be easily damaged if a sealer is not correctly applied. Travertine pavers are porous so unless a sealer is properly applied, it could just go right through without providing any extra protection.

It’s important that a sealer is applied correctly by an experienced professional. Applying a DIY sealer to your travertine may seem like a great way to save money, but you may damage your pavers which could cost you even more.

When you hire experts, you benefit from their years of experience in the industry. Sealing travertine pavers correctly is a difficult process and takes years to master. Rather than risking your pavers, hire a professional to take care of the work. Sit back, relax, and know that your pavers are in good hands.

Give us a call today so we can help to protect or restore your travertine pavers.