Protecting Repairs to Cracked Travertine with Tile Doctor Aerosol Tile and Grout Sealer in Broxburn

The owner of this property in Broxburn got in touch looking for a repair to cracked Travertine floor tiles in their bathroom. The property was being put up for sale and the broken tiles would detract from what was otherwise an attractive bathroom. Apparently, there was some movement in the floor and this overtime had led to the cracking. There are several solutions to issues of this nature including lifting and replacing the broken tiles so I paid the property a visit to discuss the floor and come up with a plan for its repair.

Unfortunately, the owner didn’t have any spare tiles and the concern was any replacement would have a different look to them causing them to standout from the originals. Another concern here can be electric under floor heating which wasn’t an issue in this case but it worth bearing in mind that electric floor matt would become damaged when lifting a tile.

The option we decided upon was to fill the gaps under the floor to stop movement and then to fill, sand and colour the cracks with specialist products. This work is more detailed but is just as quick and when done right the repair is almost invisible. It’s worth noting that it is possible to effect repairs like this on natural stone tiles, had the tiles been porcelain or ceramic it wouldn’t have been possible.

I worked out a quote for the repair, which was accepted, and a date set to do the work.

Back Filling Loose Floor Tiles

To resolve the movement in the tiles I had to inject filler under the tile. I had multiple access points due to the cracking however if that isn’t possible the usual trick is to drill a shallow hole with a 2.5mm drill bit into the grout that can be backfilled later with fresh grout. A thin injection nozzle is used to get the filler under the tile and was pumped in until all the voids were filled.

Applying the filler is a tricky job and it’s important to avoid putting any unnecessary weight on the tile and ensure the tiles are as flat and level as possible. A trowel was used to press firmly and gently down on top of the tiles to make them as level as possible. Once this was done the filler was left to cure and solidify.

Repairing Cracks in Travertine Floor Tiles

Once the filler had hardened the cracks were masked up to protect the surface of the adjacent tile from excess filler. A straw-coloured epoxy filler was then applied to the crack which was a good base colour to match the beige travertine. The filler was also mixed with small amounts of paint where needed to get a better colour match. The cracks were filled just above the surface of the surrounding tile working from the centre of the crack outwards.

When the filler had hardened it was sanded down and then with masking tape removed further sanded with finer grits until smooth and level with the tile. The filler was then carefully painted to and add pattern and colour to match the surrounding Travertine where needed.

I did offer to clean, polish and seal the Travertine once the cracks had been repaired however the customer just wanted a quick repair so once dry the floor was wiped down and the repairs sprayed with quick drying, transparent Tile and Grout Sealer to add protection.

The Finished Result

Once done the tiling was solid and the cracks were gone. I aim for a seamless repair and I think you will agree from the photographs that it was achieved. Certainly, I doubt any prospective purchasers would notice it when viewing the property.

 
Source: Travertine Tile Cleaning Products and Services in Broxburn Edinburgh