Need recommendation for "no slip" for travertine

[macdee]

Hi, we have travertine tiles on the back patio which is great except when wet kids drip all over and then it's very slippery and dangerous. I have searched and found "no slip" products that you can use on the stone, even sealed stone which ours is. Was wondering if anybody have experience with this stuff or have any recommendations/tips? Thanks!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

I hate the thought of adding something to the stone surface that is only going to require re-treatment and may forever ruin the natural look. People have posted about using a material called shark-grip with a non-penetrating stone sealer but that's basically leaving a film of sealer and grit on the surface of the stone.

What about just buying a few pairs of those rubber water shoes that kids use at water parks and on beaches? That way you know the kids have better grip on the deck but you don't have to go through the hassle and expense of sealing.

 

[Pyrodav]

I agree with Joyful. Shark grip and sealer will discolor the tile and need constant maintenance as you will see dull high traffic areas against shiny low traffic areas.

 

[macdee]

I have put rugs out there especially in front of the doors (5 sets of French doors) but it's such a long area that water between rugs are the danger zones. Not so much my kids but even adults since we have pool parties with lots of people needing to go use the bathrooms. I didn't think it'd be a problem since it's far away enough from the pool but you know with kids, they don't always dry off before they make a run for the bathroom

So stay away from shark grip - thank you!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Was the travertine "honed and filled" or "polished"?

Here is an excellent study done in the UK on the use of natural stone products as building materials and their slip-resistance - http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr529.pdf

 

[macdee]

It's honed/filled travertine, matte finish - thought that'd be ok but then contractor sealed it and I think that added to the problem since water doesn't penetrate into the stone easily. Hubby said he found something listed at HomeDepot online that is an edging type product which will take off the sealer and edge the stone yet not change the natural color. Sounds too simple right? Anybody tried that stuff?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

It's honed/filled travertine, matte finish - thought that'd be ok but then contractor sealed it and I think that added to the problem since water doesn't penetrate into the stone easily. Hubby said he found something listed at HomeDepot online that is an edging type product which will take off the sealer and edge the stone yet not change the natural color. Sounds too simple right? Anybody tried that stuff?

Yeah, honed & filled is just one step below polished. Tumbled travertine is the rougher version that is more slip resistant. Depending on the sealer used, i doubt it added that much to the slipperiness of the finish.

Can you post link to the stuff your husband found? Others might be able to comment better if they have used a similar product.

Honestly speaking, I really don't think there's a magic bullet, one-can solution to a problem like this. Travertine is meant to be a pretty, polished looking surface. As such, it is going to be inherently slippery. Anything you do to it is only going to make marginal improvements unless you take drastic measures, like bead blasting it to roughen the surface, in which case you could wind up damaging the stone.

Your best bet may just be to invest in more carpet mats and create a long towel line from the pool to the potty that the kids must follow....

 

[macdee]

It's InvisiTread. He also found Stone Grip on the Slipdoctor website. Anybody experience either product?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Based on the MSDS's for those products, the InvisaTread is glycolic acid and the TractionWash is a neutralizing solution of sodium triphosphate (STP) and sodium silicate with surfactants. Basically what the InvisaTread will do is mildly etch the surface of the travertine making it more rough so, in essence, a chemical roughening process. The degree of roughness is controlled by how long you let the solution sit on the surface. I would make sure you fully understand the application process as it is pretty detailed and requires buckets, chemical spray spreaders and shopvacs to help quickly apply, spread and remove the chemicals. Their warning to test it out on some old tile pieces first is quite spot-on, this is not something you should try on a whim.

My main concern with this product would be uniform application as it would seem to be quite easy to over etch some areas, and others not enough. I'm almost certain this ill change the texture and polish of the travertine surface and may dull the tile permanently.

Also, you DO NOT want to get glycolic acid in the pool. Glycolic acid will be oxidized by chlorine to oxalic acid which is nephrotoxic (bad for your kidneys). While the amounts used may or may not be at toxic levels, I would always be wary of spreading chemicals around the pool.

Just my opinion. Maybe someone has some actual experience with this product.

 

[macdee]

Thank you for your input/help Joyful!

 

[Pyrodav]

I remove sealers with xylene.

 

[mvoorn]

We used the SlipDoctors product on our travertine tile (which was DANGEROUSLY slippery) and we are very happy! It made the shiny look be a bit less shiny but overall didn't discolor it or anything. It reduced the slipperiness tremendously!