Need travertine guidance

[John Geneva]

I live here in Geneva, Switzerland.  We just installed 37 m2 of a dark brown travertine in our old farmhouse kitchen.  The stone came in 30 cm square tiles, which we cemented and grouted to a new stone slab floor. The grout was spread across the surface to fill the many holes in the travertine.

I am looking for a simple guide instructing me what to do next.  We want a fine polished finish.  A couple days ago I rented a rotating polisher.  The store sold me steel wool pads and an acidic liquid to spray on the travertine, instructing me to polish the travertine until the liquid dried.

We followed their instructions but discovered that the grout in the seams and holes creates enormous friction, stalling the machine and catching the steel wool pad.  It is hopeless.

My question is:  How does one finish travertine in this state?  What are our next steps?

[Mark D.]

You need a floor machine with 3 planetary heads and polishing pads for that type of machine. Run 3 pads on each head at 100 grit and work up to the buff grits in sequence. That is how the professionals do it. Next time you do this job either get filled travertine or fill it with polyester filler. It looks better than grout (my opinion) and lasts a lot longer (that's a fact). Plus, it can be colored to blend into the stone.
Mark