sealing travertine

[fich375]

First off, I wanted to thank all of you for your professional advice and to John for an awesome sight. You have made my tiling experience easier. I just installed 12x12 travertine in my shower tub. Everyone here has an opinion on which sealer to use. But no one mentions to NOT seal it. After doing a google search, I came across this guy named Maurizio Bertoli at marblecleaning who states that you do not need to seal it. It's a waste of money (I tried to post the url but it wouldn't let me). Is this true or is he FOS? Thank you again.

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[GeorgeT]

Rocco -

As with many things in life there are many different opinions on a given subject and sealing or not sealing is one of them.

Travertine can be a hard, dense stone that will hardly absorb anything... and then there are some travertines that are very absorbent. The grout in between the tiles can also be absorbent. If the installation does not get to dry out after use this moisture can provide a home for mildew or mold. Sealers help prevent the water from soaking in in the first place.
If the shower is well maintained and if it is allowed to dry between uses and if the travertine used is fairly dense, then you would not neccesarily have to seal... thats alot of ifs.
Sealers also act as oil repellents. Some bath and shower products have oils that can soak in and stain. A sealer can help prevent that.

Bottom line is, a lot of us have very strong ideas and opinions about the care and protection of stone...and they are often very different ..... chances are if you ask the same question of five different stone professionals you could get five different answers...

[fich375]

Thanks George. I decided to seal it. It can't hurt. Besides, the labor and money spent on the tile, it's well worth sealing just for peace of mind. Thanks again. :cheers:

[Davestone]

Be careful as the travertine won't absorb much at all, you don't want it sitting on top and drying.

[fich375]

Holy crap Dave you were right. My wife and I sealed it lastnight. The first coat absorbed it decently but the second coat didn't absorb much. We waited about 3 minutes after wiping on with a sponge and wiped it off with a towel. The thing I didn't like was the streaking from where it ran down the tiles but hitting that tile with the sealer again blended it in. Thanks for the replies.