Challenge
In an eight story luxury condo in the Tribeca neighborhood of NYC where apartments can sell for anywhere between three and eight million dollars, the travertine floors in the lobby and the elevator were in need of restoration. The grout lines were dark and prominent and foot traffic had taken a toll on the finish. There were a lot of scratches, as well.
Our Restoration Process
First, we stripped the surface to remove any coatings that had been applied to give the travertine a temporary shine (completely unnecessary if the stone has a natural polish). Then, we honed the travertine using our floor machine mounted with diamond abrasive discs. This was a multi-step wet grinding process that removed all of the surface damage.
The next step in the process was to refinish the floors, using a combination of polishing and crystallization to achieve a reflective, natural polish. First, we polished the stone using polishing compounds and a series of progressively finer grit diamond pads. Then, we crystallized the travertine. Crystallization is a process that uses abrasive-generated heat to cause a chemical reaction on the surface of the stone, resulting in an enhanced shine and increased wear resistance.
Results
See for yourself the dramatic difference between the BEFORE and AFTER images. The property manager was so pleased with the outcome of our work that he scheduled Hi-Tech Floor and Surface Care as his go-to company for quarterly floor maintenance.
To learn more, visit our Travertine Services page, and while you’re there, be sure to watch our Travertine Repair and Restoration video.
