unfilled honed travertine - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

**enduro** · 22-05-2008

Had a job the last couple of days, unfilled travertine, and the guy would not let me lay it until i had sealed it, i explained that it would need to be grouted to fill all the holes with grout then seal. And if i sealed first the grout might come loose in the holes...But the customer said the guy in Homebase said that's how it should be done...Why wont customers take tilers advice

**pjc** · 22-05-2008

Enduro they are clever guys at Homebase not do it all but know it all they have to do 5 years training as tilers before they take them on lol

**whitebeam** · 22-05-2008

Sorry I thought you said trained for five minutes then realised it was five years, Must scoot off and get some first class advise then

**wetdec** · 22-05-2008

Sheds know best ........t****rs

tiler

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Turkish · 22-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by enduro

Had a job the last couple of days, unfilled travertine, and the guy would not let me lay it until i had sealed it, i explained that it would need to be grouted to fill all the holes with grout then seal. And if i sealed first the grout might come loose in the holes...But the customer said the guy in Homebase said that's how it should be done...Why wont customers take tilers advice

Does that go for all unfilled Travertine then cos i`m sure i`ve seen advice on here about sealing it first, twice in fact before laying??

Turkish

**sibs** · 23-05-2008

I layed unfilled travertine in someone's house as part of my training course and we most definitely did not seal it first. Defeats the whole object of the exercise.
Enduro you can go one of two ways.... either do as your customer says and let him take the consequences or tell him to let you get on with it your way or find someone else if he thinks b&q know your job better than you.

Good luck with that one..... I hope you talk him round!

**sWe** · 23-05-2008

Oh dear... That beats the ****ing tard of a customer I had a while ago who followed me around with a spirit level

Told him to either let me do my thing without him acting like a complete ******, or to get another tiler. He chose the former.

Seriously, when customers do that kind of stuff, ask them who they trust more:
Some peon who can't differentiate between filled and unfilled trav, or the guy who does it for a living, every day. Atleast get a liability waiver if they persist.

**wetdec** · 23-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turkish

Does that go for all unfilled Travertine then cos i`m sure i`ve seen advice on here about sealing it first, twice in fact before laying??

Turkish

The Americans do this. Its why you should never seal before you grout, if you do the sealer reduces the grip the grout has. They seal them a couple of times making sure holes are filled then pick the grout out of the holes.

The biggest problem occuring with travertine floors is popping due to deflection, this generally happens on honed trav but if laying unfilled and sealing before grouting you are asking for trouble.

An alternative to picking out would be on Chiaro use Mapei Jasmin on Noce use Mapei grey then sponge the holes deep when you wipe off

Unfilled Travetine

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