Travertine cleaning and sealing in Frenchs Forest

In Frenchs Forest, travertine usually means a pool surround or an outdoor entertaining area, often added during a renovation or built with one of the newer homes. It faces a different mix of problems from beachside travertine. Gum leaves and bark fall into the pool area and leave tannin stains that soak quickly into the open holes. Chlorine or salt water splashed onto coping dries and leaves deposits, and in salt pools crystals can form inside the stone. Shaded parts of the terrace grow algae and darken. Holes lose their filler and collect debris. We look at all of these before deciding how the clean will run.

Travertine is calcium carbonate, which means pool-scale removers, grout cleaners and other acidic products etch it and leave dull patches. Our technicians reach instead for alkaline products designed for limestone and travertine, brushed across the surface and down into the holes, either manually or under a slow rotary machine, then rinsed gently. Tannin stains get a dedicated stain treatment or poultice. A cover goes over the pool before any product does, and recovered run-off never reaches the water, the garden or the bush beyond. If there is etching from past cleaning, we show you before starting, since that needs honing rather than cleaning.

Sealing follows once the travertine is completely dry. Open holes are filled to match the stone's colour, then a penetrating impregnator suited to pool chemistry goes on in thin coats, with the surplus removed so nothing forms a film. Grip and texture are unchanged, which is important where wet feet meet stone. Sealed travertine resists tannin and salt better and is easier to keep clean. You get a clear waiting time before swimming or putting furniture back, and we note the product and date. A few drops of water each summer show how the seal is holding: beading is good, soaking in means it is due.