Why travertine looks the way it does.
Travertine is a beautiful, porous stone with natural pits. Three things wear it down over time, and each one is fixable in most cases.
Open pits.
The factory fill in travertine's natural pits wears away with foot traffic, water, and daily use. What started as a smooth surface begins to feel textured and reads patchy from across the room.
Etches from acidic spills.
Citrus, wine, coffee, and household cleaners react with the calcium in travertine and leave dull marks. These are etches, and they can be honed out and refinished.
Foot traffic and water.
Water and traffic slowly hone the finish flat. A once-polished travertine floor reads cloudy, and a honed floor loses its consistency.
Recommended finish varies by traffic pattern, lighting, and use. We will advise during the walkthrough.
The Pure Light™ approach.
travertine restoration
01. Travertine restoration is a multi-step craft. We hone the surface to remove damage, fill pits and holes with color-matched resin where the floor calls for it, polish to the finish you want, and can seal or color-enhance to protect the result.
02. Cameron Stewart is the National trainer for MB Stone restoration west of the Mississippi. Every Pure Light™ technician working travertine is certified through Pure Stone Care.
03. Cleaning is not the same service. Cleaning gets a surface presentable. Restoration brings the stone back.
Restore, surpass, or change the factory finish.
Restore.
Bring travertine back to its original factory finish. Etches honed out. Surface returned to what it was on day one.
Surpass.
For high-gloss finishes, we can polish beyond the factory reading. On marble we validate with a gloss meter; on travertine, we validate visually against a reference finish.
Change.
A polished floor can be converted to honed. A honed floor can be brought up to a subtle polish. A penetrating color-enhancing sealer can permanently deepen the natural tone for a wet look. We recommend a test area first, because the effect is permanent.
Travertine services we provide.
Travertine floor restoration
Travertine countertop restoration
Travertine shower and vanity restoration
Travertine patio and outdoor entry restoration
Pit and hole filling where the floor needs it (color-matched resin)
Honing and polishing (matte, honed, and polished finishes)
Etch removal
Water and mineral-deposit repair
Penetrating sealing
Penetrating color-enhancing sealing (permanent wet look)
Travertine transformations.
Real travertine jobs. Real Pure Light™ clients.
The Pure Light Standard™
The proof behind the standard.
700+ five-star Google reviews
~70%
Approximately 70% of our monthly jobs are repeat customers.
1 of only 2
MORE™ AntiEtch™ Certified Applicators in San Diego County.
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Travertine restoration FAQs.
Can etched travertine actually be restored, or does it need replacement?
Yes, in almost every case. Etches are honed out and the surface refinished. Replacement is a last resort.
What about the pits and holes in my travertine?
Not every travertine floor needs it. Where pits and holes have opened up, we fill them with color-matched resin as part of the restoration. Where the surface is sound, honing and polishing are enough and we will tell you so.
Do you guarantee the work?
We do not guarantee perfection on the first method, because some surfaces do not allow that honestly. We guarantee responsibility. If our first method doesn't solve it, we adjust methods until the expected result is achieved, within the realistic boundaries of the surface.
How long does a travertine restoration take?
Most residential travertine jobs finish in one to two days. We confirm the exact scope during the free in-home assessment.
Should my travertine be sealed after restoration?
In most cases, yes. A penetrating sealer protects the finish. If you want a permanent, deeper, wet-look tone, we also offer penetrating color-enhancing sealing. We always recommend a test area first, because the effect is permanent.
Get a free in-home travertine assessment.
We identify the stone with professional Stone ID kits, walk the surface with you, and give you an honest scope. No pressure.