Hi - seeking advice.

3 years ago a builder rebuilt my house and installed a travertine wet room.

He sealed the wet room with PVA sealant and told me I should apply every year.

I have done it once last year. I lightly sanded the surface and reapplied.

This year when I did it the PVA glue dried, but every time it gets wet it sort of goes tacky. The PVA glue was the same one as I use before. I had thought maybe it had "gone off"?

I started googling what should be done. I find no mention of using pva for sealing the surface of travertine and mention of using specialist stone cleaners/sealers, so perhaps my builder hasn't known how do this properly.

Can anyone suggest how I remediate the situation? Can I remove the pva sealer and start again?

Advice greatly apprecited.

Pete

PVA???? your builder has got it soooo wrong! it should be sealed with an impregnating sealer.

Welcome to TF. PVA to seal travertine. NO. Cant advise on what to use to remove it (im sure someone will) LTP stocked by tile giant or buy online for the correct sealer/finish you want.
LTP Online

Thanks for confirming guys - my builder has put me down completely the wrong track.

Hopefully someone will come up with ideas for removing the PVA sealer

welcome!

Hi and welcome..

Warm water tends to soften the pva, use a scraper so not to damage the face of the trav.

I can't believe how wrong builders can be when it comes to tiling!

i cant believe people get builders to lay tiles

Hello Pete and welcome...

My oh my how we love builders with zero tiling knowledge..

What finish is the travertine.? is it a honed and filled surface or a tumbled unfilled type and just grouted..?

The PVA will just soften as you say when subjected to wetting and the builder should steer well clear of anything to do with tiling ever again.

Let us know the finish of the stone then we can advise a suitable remover and sealer...

Another question.. you say you sanded the floor before re-coating in pva.. how aggressive did you do this and has it scoured the surface..?

Originally Posted by Dave

Let us know the finish of the stone then we can advise a suitable remover and sealer...

The finish is filed and honed. It is a light travertine with a matt surface

Originally Posted by Dave

Another question.. you say you sanded the floor before re-coating in pva.. how aggressive did you do this and has it scoured the surface..?

There was lime scale build up on some of the edges and around the grout on the floor areas. We have very hard water here. The grout had gone grey. I removed the grout with a grout removal tool and re-grouted. Where there was limescale built up I used fine p180 sand paper to remove, and generaly lightly sand the tile faces. I also used a glass scraper (like a wide razor blade in a handle) across the face of the tiles which took off the old waxy PVA glue in places. The finish before I unfortunately resealed with PVA again was fine. No marks or scratches on it.

Advice greatly appreciated

-Pete

Ok..

Then i would use LTP Solvex to fully remove the surface coating of the PVA.. then when you ahve done this thoroughly clean down with LTP Grimex..

Make sure to neutralise with plenty of clean water and leave to dry... then seal with LTP mattstone... all instructions can be found within the pdfs of each product on the LTP site.

There are other brands out there but i am just recommending ones i use at present.

LTP Solvex

Description: LTP Solvex is a powerful non-caustic stripper that softens most types of surface sealer, which can then be removed with ease, suitable for removing most wax, oil, emulsion and polyurethane sealers. Will not discolour or damage natural stone, slate, terracotta or quarry tile surfaces. After washing and rinsing, surfaces are ideal for re-sealing.

Tips: Pick this product if you have stubborn layers of polyurethane wax, silicone wax, natural wax, paint spots, varnish.....

Technical Data Sheet (PDF)


LTP Grimex
Description: LTP Grimex is the answer to stubborn grime, old layers of wax or acrylic and even rubber sole marks on terracotta and natural stone flooring. Suitable for use on glazed and unglazed tiles, this product is excellent for renovating old quarry tiles, terracotta, slate, stone, marble and stone fireplaces.

Tips: Pick this product if you have stubborn dirt and grime, greasy films, dirty grouting, old layers of acrylic sealers and wax, rubber sole marks on glazed ceramics and porcelain, old and tired looking tiled floors, soot marks on stone fireplaces...

Technical Data Sheet (PDF)


LTP Mattstone
Description: Suitable for all wall and floor surfaces LTP Mattstone provides a natural matt finish with minimal change to surface character on travertine, quarry tiles, terracotta, slate, stone, unpolished marble, terrazzo and cement floors. Provides effective resistance to staining from coffee, wine and other domestic fluids. Maintain with LTP Waxwash on floors and LTP Stonewash on walls.

Tips: Can be used in wet areas. Suitable for interior and exterior use and on floors that have no damp proof course.

Technical Data Sheet (PDF)

The Mattstone is also available in water based now.

Hi Dave

Thanks so much for the comprehensive response - sounds exactly like what I need to do!!

Do you know how long the mattstone sealing is likely to last in a wet room before it would need doing?

cheers

-pete

If you use the right cleaners then 5 yrs easy..

Oh my! This is so unbelievable I thought at first it was a troll trying to start the whole PVA debate!!!

Thanks everyone for the advice and feedback - I have a pretty much defined route now on how to remediate my wet room

cheers

-Pete

Wow, I have only just read this. That is the first time I have ever heard of that! I hope you get it all sorted and if you need any more advice, you know where to come (not to your builder).

Good luck

I would treat the whole surface with a 320 grit Honing Powder applied with a soft nylon brush this will get all the PVA out of the pits, fissures and grout. Then lightly rub the whole surface with a 400 Grit hand diamond to close the surface tension down. Then reseal with a good quality premium water based sealer. If you are going to use LTP then use LTP Mattstone H20

KM
MLL