Need advice on travertine floor

[Chris Brown]

Started a travertine job today with many scratches. Floor is nice and flat. Started with 50 grit resin,then 120,220,400. Swirl marks appeared when useing 220-400. No marks with 50-120. I have not had this problem before. Have to fix the floor tomorrow. Should I go back to 50-120 grit or is there another solution. All recommendations welcome. Thanks

 

[Mikey P]

Sanded grout?

 

[Cameron DeMille]

the problem is with starting with 50 grit. no reason to go that low unless you were spot refinishing. I never start below 120 unless I grind, with the exception of the very few jobs where I need to take out a deep spot. Going over it with 50's in the beginning, especially if you do a lot of passes, makes it much, much harder to get the scratches out as you go up.

forget the 50s, you don't need those, just go back to your 2nd step

What is your setup, exactly. Machine, weights, weighted plate, what diamonds from where, are you using risers, how many passes with each grit, etc? List it all out and I can tell you how to fix it.

 

[Chris Brown]

No. None sanded.

 

[Chris Brown]

Thanks for the reply Cameron. Ok my set up is 17" Hawk brute with 2-25 lbs horse shoe weights. I am using the ultra resin pads from MB stone. I am using risers. Three pads per grit. Installer hired me to hone the floor. He removed all lippage and there are many scratches and picture framing along all edges. Home owner wants the floor enhanced. I made 8 passes per grit with 50 percent overlap. I plan on using stone pro enhancer. Thanks for the help.

 

[Cameron DeMille]

last 2 questions:
1. how many pads per grit are you using on the drive plate?
2. are you using a weighted drive plate or light duty

 

[Chris Brown]

3-3" pads per grit. Using light duty drive plate.

 

[SuperDave212]

since the installer removed lippage might have been bad scratches not normally wear and tear scratches....220 metal, drop to 120 resin.... but if you developed scratches after 220 resin...diamonds might be bad with wrong size stray grits in them....

 

[Old Coastie]

Super Dave is right. Don't go from metal to resin without backing up, unless you just love re-doing it all over.

 

[Chris Brown]

Thanks for all of the advice.

 

[clean image]

Experience you need to gain.

So you can take control of the job.

Your should not be taking direction from installer and homeowner. You need to be asking the end user, the person who is paying you, what the goals are.

This scenario plays all the time

I will assume this is a SE, FF, butt install, 18"

The installer hand sands the lip page, because he doesn't know how to mud set, or he offered a cheap option. Now he, THE INSTALLER HAS A PROBLEM , he created and wants you to fix.

With out writing a book, you first need to determine how bad your bird baths are? How damage are the recessed tiles?

What is customers goals? Finish wise. If it's hi-polish, your gonna see everything

Why does customer want floor enhanced? What does she really want?

Enhancing can cause more problems: like turning bone colors grout in to express color...making floor look like shit.. I know, I have been to fix these.

 

[Chris Brown]

Carl,experience that I need to gain is right. I have never seen anything like this floor. And yes it is 18" tile that was hand sanded. Finally finished honing floor. Just need to do all edges, clean and enhance. As far as grout lines go they are razor thin. Installer enhanced a few tiles and customer really likes the look so that's why I am enhancing. This floor has been a royal pain butt am gaining invaluable experience. Thanks for your input.

 

[Chris Brown]

Carl,experience that I need to gain is right. I have never seen anything like this floor. And yes it is 18" tile that was hand sanded. Finally finished honing floor. Just need to do all edges, clean and enhance. As far as grout lines go they are razor thin. Installer enhanced a few tiles and customer really likes the look so that's why I am enhancing. This floor has been a royal pain but am gaining invaluable experience. Thanks for your input.