Serving St. Johns · Duval · Nassau Estate‑Grade Housekeeping · Finish‑Aware Exterior Cleaning · Signature Sealing & Restoration · Licensed · Insured
Natural Stone Specialists
Travertine is one of the most beautiful — and most sensitive — natural stones in Florida's landscape. Its calcium-carbonate composition reacts to acid, absorbs stains rapidly, and erodes under the wrong cleaning chemistry. Our process protects what makes travertine remarkable: the veining, warmth, and texture that drew you to it in the first place.
Serving Nocatee · Ponte Vedra · Jacksonville · St. Augustine · Amelia Island
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Florida's climate is relentless — your travertine needs a shield
Travertine is a sedimentary limestone formed by mineral-rich spring water. That same porosity that gives it character also makes it highly absorbent — water, stains, and organic growth penetrate quickly if surfaces are left unprotected. In Northeast Florida's subtropical environment, unsealed travertine faces UV degradation, salt-air exposure, irrigation mineral deposits, algae colonization, and acid rain erosion. Professional sealing creates a breathable barrier that repels contaminants while allowing trapped moisture to escape — critical in Florida's high-humidity climate. Guidance aligns with best practices published by the Natural Stone Institute.
Leaf tannins, rust, fertilizer runoff, sunscreen, and pool chemicals absorb into unsealed travertine within minutes. Impregnating sealers dramatically slow penetration, giving you time to clean before permanent staining occurs.
Florida UV breaks down the warm ivory, cream, and walnut tones that define quality travertine. Sealed surfaces maintain richer, more consistent color between maintenance cycles.
Travertine's natural pits and pores harbor organic growth in shaded, irrigated areas. Sealed surfaces resist colonization and clean more easily between professional services.
Moisture cycling — constant wet/dry under Florida sun — erodes unprotected calcium carbonate over years. Sealing reduces moisture absorption and slows the spalling and pitting cycle.
Whether it's a pool deck, patio, walkway, or driveway — each application faces different wear, exposure, and drainage conditions. We adjust our cleaning chemistry, sealer selection, and application method to match.
The most common travertine application in Northeast Florida — and the most demanding. Pool chemicals, sunscreen, standing water, and bare-foot traffic require a sealer with excellent stain resistance while maintaining slip safety. We use sealers that enhance color without creating a slick film.
Outdoor living areas often sit under partial cover, creating zones of heavy shade alongside full sun exposure. This mix drives uneven organic growth and UV wear. We match sealer sheen and protection level to each zone's exposure profile.
The first surface guests see. Walkways face concentrated foot traffic, irrigation overspray, and landscape runoff — a perfect recipe for staining and edge erosion. Sealed joints and surfaces keep these high-visibility areas looking their best between maintenance.
Travertine driveways are a hallmark of premier Northeast Florida homes. They face vehicle load, tire scuffing, oil drips, and the widest UV exposure on the property. Sealing protects against mechanical wear and chemical staining while maintaining the driveway's premium appearance.
Coping edges endure constant splash-zone chemistry, gripping hands, and direct sun. The bullnose profile needs sealer application that follows the curve evenly without pooling or dripping. We seal coping as part of a comprehensive pool deck restoration.
Vertical and horizontal faces require different application techniques. Risers need lighter coats to prevent drips; treads need consistent coverage for slip safety. We address both surfaces on every step for complete protection.
Five phases — every one is non-negotiable
Travertine is calcium carbonate — any acidic cleaner (including common household products and many pressure-wash detergents) will etch the surface permanently. We use only pH-neutral cleaners specifically formulated for natural stone, combined with controlled low-pressure rinsing to remove dirt, algae, and organic buildup without damaging the stone's finish.
We inspect every joint for sand loss, weed intrusion, and settling. Where joints are depleted, we refill with angular ASTM C144/C33 joint sand — not polymeric sand, which traps moisture against travertine and accelerates deterioration. Sand is mechanically compacted into full joint columns to stabilize each unit and restore the interlock system.
Sealer applied to wet travertine fails. Period. We verify surface moisture levels before any sealer touches the stone. In many cases we use propane torch drying on joints and damp areas to accelerate readiness — the heat also sterilizes joints against organic re-growth. The stone must be clean, dry, and free of any residue for proper sealer penetration.
We apply a premium impregnating sealer that penetrates below the surface of the travertine, lining the pores from within rather than sitting as a film on top. This approach preserves the stone's natural texture and slip resistance while providing deep, long-lasting protection. Application follows a two-coat system: a saturation coat followed by a finish coat, ensuring complete penetration and even coverage across every unit.
We walk every square foot to verify uniform coverage, check for excess pooling in natural pits, and confirm joint stability. You receive written cure-time instructions and maintenance guidance tailored to your specific travertine and sealer combination — including what to avoid during the critical first 24–48 hours.
We recommend impregnating sealers for outdoor travertine in Florida — here's why
For outdoor travertine pool decks, patios, walkways, and driveways in Northeast Florida, impregnating sealers outperform topical alternatives in longevity, appearance, and safety. We carry color-enhancing formulas that deepen the stone's natural warmth without the plastic sheen associated with topical coatings. During your estimate, we'll recommend the specific product best suited to your stone variety, installation age, and desired appearance.
Calcium carbonate demands a completely different approach
Travertine belongs to the calcium-carbonate family — it's chemically related to limestone and marble. That means it is acid-sensitive: even mildly acidic cleaners (vinegar, citrus-based products, many commercial pressure-wash detergents) will etch the surface on contact, leaving dull marks that no sealer can fix. This single characteristic dictates every step of our cleaning and sealing process.
By contrast, silicate-based stones like slate and bluestone tolerate a wider pH range and respond to different cleaning agents. Concrete pavers and poured concrete have yet another chemistry. There is no one-product-fits-all approach — and applying the wrong product to travertine can cause irreversible damage.
Key Characteristic: Travertine has natural pits and voids (called "filled" or "unfilled" depending on the grade). Unfilled travertine has open holes that collect debris and require careful cleaning before sealing. Filled travertine may have fill material that has loosened over time. We assess the fill condition on-site and address each area accordingly.
Depends on exposure, traffic, and the sealer used
Most outdoor travertine in Northeast Florida benefits from professional cleaning and re-sealing every 2–4 years. High-exposure surfaces like pool decks and driveways with heavy traffic may need attention closer to the 2-year mark, while covered patios and walkways often extend to 3–4 years.
2–3 Years
Pool decks, driveways, full-sun areas
3–4 Years
Covered patios, walkways, partial shade
Annual
Professional cleaning (between re-seals)
We provide a written maintenance schedule with every travertine sealing project so you know exactly when to plan your next service. Between sealings, annual professional cleaning extends the life of the sealer and keeps your travertine looking its best.
Most travertine properties benefit from bundling with complementary services — done together for efficiency and a better overall result.
Absolutely. In fact, first-time sealing often produces the most dramatic results because the stone has been absorbing stains and moisture since installation. We deep-clean to remove years of buildup, assess fill condition, replenish joints, and apply sealer to stone that's been properly prepared for the first time.
Not with the impregnating sealers we use. Because they penetrate below the surface rather than forming a film on top, the stone's natural texture and slip resistance remain unchanged. This is one of the primary reasons we recommend impregnating sealers over topical coatings for pool areas.
Polymeric sand hardens into a semi-rigid mass that can trap moisture against the stone's edge. In Florida's heat and rain cycles, this trapped moisture accelerates edge deterioration and can cause the polymeric material to crack and separate from the stone — requiring costly removal. Angular ASTM-grade joint sand provides excellent stability while remaining breathable.
Efflorescence — the white mineral deposits that rise to the surface — must be removed before sealing, not sealed over. We address efflorescence during our pH-neutral cleaning phase using stone-safe techniques. Once the minerals are removed and the surface is dry, sealing helps reduce future efflorescence by limiting moisture absorption.
Light foot traffic is typically safe after 24 hours. Full cure — including furniture placement, pool use, and vehicle traffic on driveways — usually requires 48–72 hours depending on temperature and humidity. We provide written cure instructions specific to the sealer applied on your project.
Our specialty is exterior hardscape sealing across Northeast Florida. For interior travertine, sealer chemistry, ventilation requirements, and application methods differ significantly. We focus on what we do best — outdoor stone — to deliver the highest-quality result on every project.
We provide professional travertine cleaning and sealing throughout three Northeast Florida counties. If you're within our service footprint, we'll come to you.
Every stone and hardscape material demands its own process. Explore our surface-specific sealing pages.
Tell us about your travertine surfaces and we'll schedule an on-site assessment. Most estimates are completed within 48 hours.
Or call (904) 466-1622 to speak with us directly.
The Gold Standard, Every Time.
Licensed · Insured · Background-Checked · Locally Owned & Operated
