Travertine holes

[SteveB]

My travertine is about a year old. Several little bubbles have broken through, and now I have some 1/4 to 1/2 wide holes. What do I fill these with to get a flush floor?

Steve

[RicodJour]

Clear epoxy either tinted to match or mixed with some crushed travertine.

R

[G Henslee]

If Traverfill is not available in your area, use grout. Either unsanded or sanded. I use unsanded.

[RicodJour]

G Henslee wrote:

I'd never run across the Traverfill name before. Sounds interesting - where do you get yours?

R

I stumbled across this post in the findstone.com forum: Q 8329: what filler should I use for holes in travertine floors. TRAVERFILL, PORTLAND CEMENT, AKiMI Unsanded Tile grout. I am told that to get a polished finish I have to use Akimi or Akemi (sp) so not sure what to do, Some of the holes are size of a quarter. dan, Reply R1: Dear Dan: I love it when people dispense free advice such as using epoxy filler (Akemi is only the brand of epoxy filler. There are other brands available) because it can be polished! The reason why I "love it" is because the use of such a product is better left to some highly trained professional. To polish the filler one should apply it into the hole leaving it "mounding", let it cure for at least 24 hours, and then grind it flush to the stone surface, hone and polish. Without meaning any offense, you probably don't even know what I am talking about! Travefill would be good, but it's hard to get and only comes in 25 Lbs. bags. Portlan cement would be good too, but you should try to match the color, not to mention that, once again, you would have to grind if flush to the surface of the stone after proper curing. Same thing applies to unsanded grout. So what, then?! :? How about color matching caulk? I love it! Just squeeze it in the hole, push it further in by using a slightly wet flexible putty knife, and then, when it begins to harden a little bit, cut if flush with the surface of the stone using a brand-new razor blade. Clean around the hole with a wet rag minding not to touch the filler, and you're done! Maurizio, Expert Panelist

[Richard J Kinch]

If you saved any scraps, you can grind up your own aggregate from it and make a matching grout with portlant cement or epoxy. Travertine is very soft stone.

[G Henslee]

It's not available here. I've used unsanded grout.