Hi, I recently noticed that in some spots my travertine floor (exterior and interior) has a white flakey build up in certain spots. If I broom it off, it comes back after a few days. Someone told me that this is a natural occurence of oxidation in the natural stone. Is there anything I can do about it and is it a problem? Thanks.
I don't believe it is natural oxidation. You might check for moisture under the tiles that show this buildup, especially if the rock is installed over a slab base. Travertine is an extremely porous and sometimes permeable limestone rock that when in contact with a moisture source will wick up the moisture along with dissolved sulphate or carbonate salts from the rock itself or from the mortar underneath. Efflorescence - look this up! - occurs when these wicked solutions hit the air at the surface of the floor, and the evaporation causes oversaturation, and the salts precipitate out . One test for moisture might be to put a piece of newspaper on the freshly cleaned tile, then cover the paper with a weighted piece of glass, then check the paper after a week or so. If wet, then you have a seepage problem.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.