Marble…Is it the natural stone for you?

 

I am working with a customer who has always wanted a marble bathroom floor.  I must say that marble is really beautiful but way too formal for my taste.  Also marble would require way too much maintenance for my lifestyle.   My customer was shocked when I told her that Pine-Sol was out of the question.  You cannot clean marble with Pine-Sol and maintain its beauty. 

 

Marble is considered to be a metamorphic rock.  In scientific terms, that means it is not a very hard stone and in household cleaning terms, that means it will require extra steps to keep it looking polished and shiny clean.  Since my customer is set on having marble installed in her bathroom, I decided that I would coach her with some very practical advice about marble. 

 

Remember that marble is a natural stone and being a product of nature, no two pieces are the same.  According to our local distributor, some marbles are rated as a V4 (very high variation). That means that out of every 1000 tiles, you will never see the same tile pattern repeated. That’s really cool if you stop and think how wonderful nature is. By natural design, each 12” x 12” piece will be different and unique. Of course this is the beauty of natural stone.  So be aware of the high degree of variation before you purchase marble for a certain room.  

 

Here are a few practical things you must know before you have marble installed in your home…

·         Never use harsh cleaners such as Pine-Sol or vinegar to clean your marble floor because both will dull the shiny finish. Only use a cleaner that is recommended for marble. 

·         It is a porous stone and it can etch easily which translates into easily stained and dulled. 

·         You will have to seal and often buff your marble floor to maintain its high luster and beauty.

·         Hire a professional tile installer. All natural stones require a higher degree of expertise to install.

 

I like what the World Floor Covering Association says about natural stone, “It’s beautiful. It’s evocative. It’s natural solid stone flooring — 300 million years in the making!” So my advice is to read the cleaning and maintenance instructions thoroughly before you purchase or clean your new marble floor. 

 

 

Renee LeCroy is the Flooring Expert at Don’s Carpet One in Birmingham, AL. For 18 years, she’s been the consumer’s in-store advocate, decoding the flooring industry and offering insider advice. Contact Renee via email.