When Buying Marble – Education is Your First Step
You don't have to live in a palace to give off an aura of grandeur. Marble can do that nicely for you! But buying and installing marble comes with a number of caveats. It is a task far beyond even the most accomplished weekend handyperson.
If you are contemplating adding marble to your home décor – either as a
kitchen countertop, bathroom vanity, backsplash or flooring, seek out a dealer who specializes in stone. Choosing the right piece of marble requires skill and a dealer who is proud to be selling such a quality product. It may sound simplistic, but you want a dealer who is truly focused on the product you want to buy. A stone specialist only carries a few products, unlike a big box retailer who is selling everything under the sun. You are about to spend a great deal of money to go to anyone less than a specialist!
Educate yourself in advance. Go to the dealer's website and learn about the various kinds of marble that are available, so that you can ask the dealer the right questions in the showroom. The dealer will appreciate your interest. As well, if he or she is engaged with you, listening to your questions and concerns, chances are you've found the ideal person with whom to collaborate in making your home a little more palatial.
Why Marble?
Marble is a noble stone. Once used mostly in statues and in the homes of the rich, marble has become increasingly popular with home renovators and builders. Because it conveys enduring taste and status, it significantly increases a home's resale value. Each piece of marble is unique and there is a fascination to its endless swirls and designs, which are caused by mineral impurities such as clay, sand or iron oxides. Durable and resilient, marble is also non-allergenic. It's bacteria-resistant, a huge advantage when used in the kitchen as a countertop. As flooring, it "keeps its cool” in the hot summer months and is easily cleaned and polished. (That same coolness in a
counter top makes it ideal for working with pastry.) Depending on the type of marble, it can be more affordable than granite.
Marble will scratch. If used as a kitchen counter, then a cutting board should be used. It requires regular resealing and if uncoated, it stains easily. Red wine is its enemy. It will scorch if hot items are placed on it. Marble is softer and more porous than granite, and can scratch and stain in a way that granite usually won't. As flooring, that coolness and polished look can turn wrong if water is spilled on it – marble can be very slippery.
The
uniqueness of the marble is a drawback for some people. It is difficult to match pieces unless they all happen to have been cut from the same larger piece. However, marble is also the kind of stone that can give you delight in exactly its incongruities. It is forever pleasing and surprising to the eye and a no-lose investment for your home.