The Geological Structure of Marble
Marble is probably one of the most popular natural stones out there. They are normally quarried and then formed into slabs and also tiles. They can serve a wide range of purposes in both commercial and residential settings. This is a type of rock which is metamorphic in nature. It is formed when a sedimentary stone gets transformed into a harder type of stone due to heat and pressure. It normally has extremely beautiful colors and has patterns which are veined. This type of marble material often gets mistakenly confused with granite. However, it is important to note that they are very different.
The Cost of Marble Flooring
These types of flooring are of the absolute premium quality and therefore they are priced with that in mind. Typically, they will fall in the high-end range of stones that are all natural. They also last a lot shorter time than slate, granite, and other types of natural stone. Normally, marble flooring will set you back by about 10 to 20 USD per square foot. There are also some marbles available in the market that cost as much as 40 USD per square foot. To give you some perspective, ceramic tiles are typically half of what marble costs. The cost of installation though is pretty similar to ceramic tiles. Studies have shown that professional installation adds another 3 to 7 USD per square foot. It is important to keep in mind that installation will cost a lot more if the layout of the floor is a complicated one. This is because it will mean that the tiles will have to be cut in different shapes as well.
Repair and maintenance
Once the material has been properly installed, routine maintenance is sort of easy. It will require the same type of sweeping and mopping with a damp cloth that you would use on a ceramic tile floor. However, marble tiles are much more porous than their ceramic counterparts. Therefore, it is never a good idea to let water become puddles and then have it stand on its surface. Standing water has the ability to get into the stone and cause discoloration.
The pH level of Marble leans towards the alkaline side. This is because it originates from sedimentary limestone. This also means another thing which is that it will have a chemical reaction every time it comes into contact with any acidic substances. Within the category of acidic substances, you will find a lot of things such as sauces, foods, beverages, and products for cleaning as well. It is kind of unfortunate that the discoloration that occurs from exposure to acidic substances is permanent. This can be avoided completely by making sure to use a sealer that is penetrating. A surface sealer should also be used after installation. In order to ensure that the optimal protection is received, this sealer for the surface needs to be applied annually.
While it is true that marble is a kind of stone, it is also a relatively soft material that can get scratched easily. It can also get scraped and chipped pretty easily given the conditions are wrong. This is even more true if the marble is polished. This is because imperfections are much more easily noticeable on the polished surfaces. This is very important to know that these scratches cannot just be wiped away. Instead the entire material will need to be replaced.
Design
From a design standpoint, marble floor tiles are really hard to beat. It has the ability to elevate the aesthetics of any space and give it a real sense of royalty that is almost impossible to achieve with any other material. It is also available in a multitude of colors and also in multicolor mixes that are just simply stunning. This will provide a lot of flexibility in terms of design possibilities and also decorative schemes. These tiles can also be cut into rectangular shapes or triangular shapes of different sizes. This is normally done in order to create a more complex type of mosaic installation.
Owing to the fact that marble tiles are a direct product of the earth, there are no two marble tiles that look exactly alike. Each marble tile is unique and there is nothing like it anywhere in the world. When we talk about the multi-colored varieties of marble tiles, the uniqueness of the tiles are a lot more pronounced. With these multicolored ones, you will have definite distinct features coming out of every tile.
Unlike other types of natural stones, marble can be polished very thoroughly and it can get a silky smooth and a shimmering look when it is treated properly. This sophisticated and glamorous look really has the ability to evoke the absolute highest type of elegance in any space.
Installation
These types of tiles are installed in pretty much the same exact way as any other natural stone tile or ceramic tile. The installation process is pretty similar to that of almost of all types of tiles and is not a particularly difficult type of installation. While it is true that installing these marble tiles can be not that difficult, it would still be the best idea to get professionals to do the job.
Marble tiles are among the most expensive of tiles that are available in the market. The last thing you would want after you have spent all that money on acquiring the tiles is to mess it all up in the installation process. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you get professionals to do the job for you. These are people who have experience and expertise in this particular field and they can do the job much more efficiently and comfortably than you ever could by yourself. You do not want to have to fix an installation job as that can be very expensive.
