Marble in Kitchens and Bathrooms

When most people think of marble has a design element for the house, they tend to think of this as the height of luxury. And indeed, marble has been used for many thousands of years since Roman and Greek times, and is still used today. So when considering your tiling options, is marble really an option?

Strength and Scratch Resistence of Marble

While some marble can be very hard and vitreous, like granite or ceramic tile, much marble can be easily scratched and stained.

Because of its tendency to stain and scratch, marble countertops in kitchens and bathrooms is not always the most practical choice. Not only that, marble is so porous and absorbent that it will soak up stains that are almost impossible to clean.

However, with proper sealing and maintenance, marble can be made to work for countertops. Often, homeowners look at this issue holistically: marble's attractive appearance and value as a property value generator may outweigh the practical concerns.

So, marble is often a good choice for walls. But if you’re installing it on floors you need to make sure that it is resilient enough to withstand foot traffic.

The Colors of Marble

Marble is limestone that has been pressed by the earth’s pressure to produce a hard substance of crystals and beautiful lines and colors. Marble can have nearly any coloring, from blacks to white, and with a number of fantastic colors in between such as green and pink.

Grout Choices for Marble Floors

If you are installing lighter colored marble, you will want to use grout that is of a matching color or lighter in color. With most natural stone, you do not want to use dark or gray colored grout because such grout detracts from the beauty of the marble. A floor made of 12 inch square tiles, with just the right shading of grout, can take on the appearance of a single slab of marble instead of individual tiles—provided, that is the look you are aiming for.

Installation of Marble

Think twice before installing your own marble tile. Natural stone is a difficult medium to work with, and that is why there have been professionals for thousands of years who specialize precisely in this. One problem is that marble is so expensive: you really do not want to make any mistakes.

But as with any kind of tiling work, the real work concerns those pieces that must be cut. Any pieces that can be installed full size are easy enough to work with. In fact, marble counters (not floors) can be installed simply with silicone caulk squeezed onto the countertop sub strata: much easier than working with thinset mortar.

At the very least, if you are cutting your own marble you will need to buy or rent what is called a wet saw. Your ordinary Skilsaw will not be able to take on the job.