Travertine joints turning black

[mbeavers1]

We have had our pool almost a year now. All of our decking and coping are tumbled travertine pavers. All pock marks and joint lines are now black and don't look so good with the light color of the deck. I started to clean with a water hose and a nozzle, but when I did, the sand in the joints washes right out. Originally, the PB told me he used polymeric sand but this does not appear to be the case.

My plan is to clean all the sand out of the joints and pock marks gently with a pressure washer then refill and seal the deck. I wanted to get some expert opinions on the following:

1. Masonry sand or polymeric - Is one better than the other for preventing the mildew?

2. Seal or no seal - If I seal it, I want to use a high quality penetrating sealer that does not leave a surface sheen. I dont want the stone to get more slick. Any recommendations on a sealer brand? I talked to one here in Houston that has a pretty high opinion of his product, but Im not so sure (Texas Stone Sealers - www.texasstonesealers.com). The sealer I have used for other stuff are the Dupont (now Lacticrete) StoneTech products.

 

[Jimrahbe]

M,

Sorry, I am no help with this one.. I just wanted to say that I thought that is what the Houston area Travertine always looked like after a year of two??

Let's see what our other members have to say..

Thanks,

Jim R.

 

[mbeavers1]

Totally possible since I am just going into year 2. That is also good feedback since it will keep me from throwing money at a problem that cant be cured!

 

[JJ_Tex]

I would be tempted to try and clean it with something like this, then top it with polymeric sand. Even if you have to do it again in a few years its under $50 and shouldnt be too huge of a project.

Amazon.com: Wet and Forget 800003 Wet And Forget Moss Mold Mildew & Algae Stain Remover: Home Improvement

Amazon.com: Wet and Forget 800003 Wet And Forget Moss Mold Mildew & Algae Stain Remover: Home Improvement

www.amazon.com

 

[mbeavers1]

Gonna give this stuff a try before I pay a bunch of money to have someone clean it.

 

[jimmythegreek]

Just use a natural finish penetrating sealer. The glossy ones are just top coats. The newer poly sands aren't that sticky but hold together fairly well. If you cant pull the sand out with a toothpick its polysand. Be aware it doesn't stick well to itself. I never had good luck with just adding to the top of low areas. You really need to get the full joint opened and then reapply. It will stick well against the old on deeper vertical matches. The sealer works well to hold it all together

 

[Katodude]

So I had the same problem as you and did this in November. It is generally not recommended but I did not care. Had the deck pressure cleaned and grouted and it still looks great. Still dont know how it will hold up in the long term but for now I am thrilled with the result. Still not a weed or moldy spot (ie black) spot anywhere and we had a very wet winter.

Tired of stuff growing in between my travertine pavers

Still looks great, however, a byproduct of looking good is it shows dirt more, but the dirt is easily hosed off. It actually looks good enough where I might try the Roomba to clean it. I figure the stair avoidance feature should keep it out of the pool. Nice looking!! The tile looks like hair...

www.troublefreepool.com