We Brought Back Life to This Travertine Vanity Top, Thanks to a Stone Honing Service in Brentwood, TN

January 13, 2018

A young couple had spent a long time saving up money to buy a big and comfortable house in one of the best neighborhoods in town. They knew exactly what they wanted, so when they came across a two-story house with a huge backyard on a quiet street, they knew it was the one.


The house was old, but spacious. They knew they would have to tear down a couple of walls and completely renovate some rooms to bring them up to their expectations. In the end, they had the time, patience, and money to turn that old house into the modern home they had always wanted to have. But would have never imagined that a stone honing service in Brentwood, TN would be key in achieving that.

The house had character, and there were certain things they absolutely fell in love with and didn't want to get rid of. One of them was the travertine vanity top in the master bathroom. The wife could never quite explain what she saw in it—she just knew that she liked it and wanted to keep it. On the other hand, the husband wasn't so thrilled. After all, they were spending thousands of dollars renovating the whole house, including the master bathroom. It bothered him to have an old, dull travertine vanity top standing out like a sore thumb when they could replace it with a newer one.

In an effort to keep her travertine vanity top, the wife Googled, "how to renovate travertine" and stumbled upon our site. There, she discovered it was not only possible to bring travertine surfaces back to life, but she also looked through before and after images to get an idea of what her surface could look like if they hired us. After showing her husband the images, they both agreed to contact us to book a free, in home evaluation.


The Evaluation Day

Once the couple contacted us, we scheduled the in-home evaluation for the next available date. Our expert made his way to the house and examined the master bathroom, where he quickly identified the problems—and the solution.

He explained how the travertine vanity top needed to be deeply cleaned to remove the dirt that had slowly accumulated on its surface over the years. Also, the old caulk on the backsplash would have to be removed and replaced in order to avoid future problems, as conventional latex- or silicone-based caulk tends to crack, peel, and eventually get moldy. Finally, he recommended his multistage honing, polishing, and sealing procedure. This would not only get rid of the etch marks that had formed due to using the wrong type of cleaners, but it would also help the travertine vanity top regain its former shine.

The Restoration Day

The day finally arrived. Our expert quickly moved all nearby objects and protected adjacent surfaces so he could get to work on the travertine vanity top without damaging anything.

First, he began by cleaning the surface in order to remove any dust or dirt that was on it. To do that, he used stone-safe cleaners and a high-speed scrubber. He also used a vapor steam cleaner on more troublesome spots. It is essential that the stone be completely clean before any other procedures are done, as dirt can interfere with them. Then, he removed the old caulk from the vanity top's backsplash and replaced it with Stainmaster Epoxy Grout. What's special about Stainmaster Epoxy Grout is that it lasts longer than regular caulk because it's non-porous. That means it is completely waterproof and perfect for moist areas like bathrooms, as it prevents mold, mildew, and stains.

Once the caulking procedure was done and the travertine vanity top was completely clean, he began the honing process. The process consisted of removing the stone's outer or superficial layer with the use of grit pads. This is done to get rid of all the etch marks and stains, which ultimately gives the stone its original appearance back. Our technician started with a low-grit pad and gradually increased the level of grit before polishing the stone with a low-speed buffer and special polishing powders to achieve a beautiful sheen.

Finally, he added a layer of impregnating sealant. This sealant oozes into the surface, sealing the pores of the stone from within in order to protect the surface of the stone.

The Results

After the cleaning, honing, polishing, and sealing procedures were finished, the travertine vanity top perfectly matched the rest of the newly renovated bathroom. The surface was squeaky clean and looked brand new with its gorgeous finish. The couple was amazed when they saw the results. The husband was glad that he had listened to his wife and decided to keep the travertine vanity, and his wife was pleasantly surprised to see how we brought the old travertine stone back to life.

Before leaving, our expert carefully gave the couple a few handy tips so they could keep their travertine vanity top is the best possible condition:

• Clean the travertine vanity top with stone-safe, pH-neutral cleaners.
• Dust the surface regularly to avoid scratches.
• Check the sealant every three months. This is done by simply placing a few drops of water on the surface. If the water beads, the sealant is working properly. If it's absorbed by the stone, the surface might need to be resealed.

A Stone Honing Service Near You!

As you could tell from this couple's experience, bringing a stone surface back to life is possible with our services. If you happen to have a similar problem and are interested in our services, just give us a call at (615) 649-5929 or feel free to fill out the "Request a Quote" form found on this page to schedule a free evaluation. Also, be sure to follow our work and take advantage of our latest promotions by subscribing to our newsletter.

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