hey there,

I just got a pallet of 60x40cm classic light honed and filled Travertine for my bathroom floors and walls. They are grade A quality so not tons of filler, but there is some. The finish on these is matt.

Now I'd like to give them a bit of a sheen or a polish, not anything mirror like but a bit of a reflection.

I've been reading up as much as I can and checking youtube videos.

I've found an angle grinder with RPM going from 500 to 3000 on eBay, as well 100mm velcro backed diamond polishing pads (various grits). The lads on youtube seem to use these tools for walls, with a spray bottle of water to keep the dust down.

Is this a job worth attempting? Would it work on honed and filled travertine? I can imagine the filler won't shine the same way as the stone. Since the tiles are already honed smooth, I thought of starting from 400 grit going up to 600 or 800. Does that sound right? What kind of speed on the angle grinder?

Will I need some kind of polishing powder for the final buffing stage?

The tiles are new and not yet laid - what would be the best order to do the job? Lay stone, polish, seal, grout, seal again? Or seal and grout, then polish and reseal?

Was gonna get LTP Matt Stone or LTP colour intensifier, would I now need a sealer specifically meant for polished stone or will the matt sealer still be OK?

Many thanks!

why not try a gloss sealer

This would work on an odd tile or two but for a full crate then it is madness by hand machine.. You will be able to get the finish consistent enough to not stand out..

Why did you not just buy polished to start with..?.. Another option is a topical sealer that will give a sheen finish but will need re-doing every so often.

gloss sealers are basically an acrylic top layer over the stone right? Would it look as nice as manual polish? For some reason the LTP ironwax gloss isn't recommended for wet areas..

Most topical sealers are not for wet area's.. very slippy..

OK but gloss sealer would be OK on shower etc walls? which one would you recommend Dave?

Found a video of someone doing a hand job

If it's just a sheen I'm after would I be mad to do it on an angle grinder?

am i the only one thinking it would of been easier if he took the towel rail off.

OK but gloss sealer would be OK on shower etc walls? which one would you recommend Dave?

Personally i think these sealers are high maintenance on stone installations... I am not saying your idea of hand polishing will not work but it will tedious and you will need a better machine than one of budget ones from Ebay..

Google Flex polishers and look at them..

Ok thanks for the answers Dave. If i did try to polish the walls, would it be best to do it before or after sealing and grouting? And would LTP matt stone or colour intensifier still be ok?

i would seal before and after grouting.bothe the above will be fine

Originally Posted by joun

Ok thanks for the answers Dave. If i did try to polish the walls, would it be best to do it before or after sealing and grouting? And would LTP matt stone or colour intensifier still be ok?

You will have to polish before installation.. Then seal once you have the desired finish.. Mattstone for polished tiles..