About marble
Marble has been around for hundreds of years. An extremely hard natural stone, it remains a staple choice for kitchen worktops, fireplaces, sculptures and floors. You’ll almost certainly have noticed it used for impressive looking patterned floors in hotels and stately homes.
What is marble?
A metamorphic rock, marble is formed under extreme heat and compression. Like granite, this contributes to the rock’s outstanding hardness and makes it well suited to areas of high footfall. Marble is often described as having a veined appearance, which is a result of crystalline structures which are formed during the metamorphic process. These veins run right through the marble, so regardless of the shape or direction of cut it always has the potential to look great. As a result of its incredible hardness, marble can be polished to a mirror like finish and, whilst it can be susceptible to wear, when professionally maintained it lasts for decades.
How to care for marble floor
Like limestone and granite, marble has an alkali composition. Despite the rock’s extremely solid composition it remains just as vulnerable to acid as any alkali-based rock. Don’t be fooled by it’s physically-tough surface, spillages should always be cleaned up as soon as possible! If not sealed properly marble is porous, meaning it’s doubly important to keep it as dry as possible. Don’t panic, just give it a quick wipe down after use and it’ll last for ages.
The main thing to remember here is just keep it sealed and maintain that seal. A professional application a couple of times a year should be sufficient to keep the surface uniform and looking great. If this isn’t done the surface can lose it’s shine. Whilst marble is a very hard surface, dropping heavy or spiked objects onto it will damage the sealant and possibly the marble too! If this kind of damage occurs it’s important to get a professional to take a look as soon as possible. Whilst it’s possible to repair minor chips and scrapes, action should always be taken to avoid the damage spreading, keep it dry in the meantime. Care should be taken to only use the most appropriate sealer, polish and cleaning products. Using the wrong chemicals can do more harm than good, so if in any doubt contact a professional.
