Travertine cleaning in the Eastern Suburbs

Travertine turns up in three main settings across the region. Harbourfront homes in Point Piper, Vaucluse and Darling Point often use it around pools and on terraces that step down toward the water. Contemporary houses on the clifftops of Dover Heights and above the beaches at Tamarama and Coogee pair it with glass and render for outdoor living areas. And apartment buildings in Double Bay, Rose Bay and Coogee use it in lobbies, entry paths and balconies. Each setting collects its own mix: salt and pool scale, sunscreen and food oil, black mould in shaded corners, traffic grime packed into the natural holes, and rings under pot plants.

The common mistake is reaching for an acid. Pool-shop tile cleaners, descalers and even vinegar dissolve the surface of travertine, leaving dull, rough patches shaped like the puddle that caused them. Those etch marks are damage, not dirt, and no cleaner can remove them. We use alkaline degreasers and limestone-safe products, soft rotary brushes that reach into the pits and holes, and a low-pressure rinse that won't blow out the filler. Before we start, we walk the area with you and point out which marks are grime and which are etching, so the result matches your expectations and you know whether honing should be part of the plan.

Working beside a pool or in a shared lobby needs planning. On harbour and clifftop properties we protect the pool before any cleaner goes on, use booms or covers where needed and recover the run-off so none of it reaches the water or the stormwater drain. In apartment buildings the floor is done a section at a time, leaving residents a dry path at every stage, with times agreed with the building manager. Any holes that have lost their filler are noted for refilling, since open pits trap dirt and water. Once the stone is clean and dry, we can advise on sealing, which makes the next clean much easier.

See the full method on our travertine cleaning page.