Before you try anything: always speak to a professional before cleaning, treating or applying any product to your stone. Every slab is different, and the wrong product can cause permanent damage. Contact us or a qualified stone restorer first.
Quick answer
Fine scratches on honed travertine are softened by re-honing with fine diamond pads, best done by a restorer. There is no product that hides scratches in stone for long: waxes and "scratch fillers" fill them briefly and wear off.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Grey or dark line: may be a metal mark. Try a cream cleaner first.
- Fine white line, smooth to the touch: a light scratch.
- Line that catches a fingernail: a deep scratch needing honing.
What you need
- Non-scratch cream cleaner
- A stone restorer
Step by step
Rule out metal marks
Rub the line with a non-scratch cream cleaner and a damp cloth. Grey lines from pots and cutlery often disappear completely.
Assess depth
Look at the scratch at a low angle and run a fingernail across it.
Book a professional
A stone restorer can refill open holes, re-hone the surface and blend repairs into the surrounding stone.
Prevent new ones
Use boards and felt pads under decor, and lift rather than slide heavy items.
What not to use on travertine
- Sandpaper and hardware-store abrasives.
- Coloured waxes or "scratch cover" products, which build up and attract dirt.
- Polishing powder on honed travertine.
When to call a professional
Call a restorer for scratches you can feel, clusters of scratches on an island or table, and anything on onyx. A stone restorer can refill open holes, re-hone the surface and blend repairs into the surrounding stone.
Understanding scratches on travertine
Travertine is soft, and its fills are softer still, so tables and benchtops pick up scuffs and scratches with ordinary use.
Most travertine is honed, so damage usually shows as darker rings, lighter dull patches or fills that look different from the stone around them.
A stone restorer can refill open holes, re-hone the surface and blend repairs into the surrounding stone.
Good to know
Scratches on travertine tables often show most in the fills, which are softer than the stone.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is ivory, beige, walnut and silver travertine, vein cut or cross cut, repairing it fixes today's mark; protecting it stops the next one. Our clear Stone Protection Film sits over the surface, so acids cannot etch it and liquids cannot soak in, and its self-healing top layer shrugs off fine everyday marks. Most travertine is honed and filled, so the Matte/Satin film is the usual match: it keeps the natural, low-sheen look. It is installed across Sydney with a 10-year written warranty.
How we protect travertine · Honed vs polished stone · Scratches on every surface