Widely considered since ancient times to be one of the most luxurious and visually appealing natural stones, marble is still the material of choice for many residential and public buildings.
Its naturally elegant appearance certainly add to a room’s beauty.
However, if you’re choosing marble flooring, you’ll be aware that this stuff is not exactly cheap. So having it is not a decision to be taken lightly.
And with myriad styles, colours and patterns available to suit all kinds of rooms and interior décor, choosing a marble floor is not something you’d want to rush.
Here are some of the things to take into account:
Slip resistance
This will depend on how much foot traffic your floor is likely to have. But keep this factor in mind for obvious safety reasons. While polished floors have the least slip resistance, honed and brushed finishes, for example, will have a lot more. Remember that over-polishing your marble floor tiles will also make them more slippery.
Maintenance
As a porous natural stone, marble is quite vulnerable to damage from moisture and spillages. Therefore it needs regular treating. Bear this in mind if you are thinking about fitting a marble floor in your bathroom or kitchen, where water or other liquids are clearly more likely to come into contact with it.
Treat marble tiles with a surface finish and below-surface sealant for extra protection. You will need to reapply the former once or twice a year as part of your marble care regime.
Look out for mismatching tiles
Clearly, part of marble’s appeal lies in its unique patterns and veining. However, this also means you can easily place non-matching tiles next to one another. Lay them all out before installation for consistency – or a professional fitter can ensure there are no mismatching patterns.
Protecting your marble flooring
While we think of stone as a hard substance, marble in fact is softer than you think, and can break, chip and crack. Good, tight fitting is needed so there are no air pockets which could create weak spots. Regular marble cleaning and removal of ground-in grit and dirt will help avoid the small blemishes and scratches which daily traffic can otherwise cause. Equally, be careful when shifting bigger furniture items, and have rubber or acrylic pads under sofa, chair and table legs.
Here to help
At Royal Stone Care, we’re here to help throughout the Covid-19 lockdown. We’re able to work safely in accordance with government guidelines. And we’re natural stone care experts, able to help whether you need professional marble polishing or marble chip repair in London. Call us today to learn more.
