Marble is beautiful, premium, and undoubtedly an evergreen classic. From marble tabletops to tiles, the quality and feel of marble are incomparable. A marble is a stone that has undergone and survived extreme conditions of heat and pressure to get to a point where it can be used to reflect off light. The use of marble in home decor is not only a status symbol but also quite efficient, given its durability. Here is a Complete Guide to Installing and Maintaining the Marble Tiles.
Marble tiles, however, do require a lot of care and maintenance over time. They need to be cleaned every other day and need to be attended to immediately in case of a spill. Before considering installing marble tiles at home as flooring, you must understand the types of marble as well as the procedure to install and maintain these. Complete Guide to Installing and Maintaining the Marble Tiles.
Types of Marbles
Polished / Traditional: This is the general shiny marble that you see in the market. Mostly used for floors and kitchen tops, these are long-lasting and highly resistant. Marble is one such material that doesn’t wear out with damp environments and hence is best suited for kitchen countertops as well. Marbles have been gaining popularity off late due to the trendy style that this stone comes with.
Honed / Tumbled: This is a type of marble stone that does not shine. One of the key differences spotted in appearance, this one is more like the matte version of marble tiles. Mostly used for aesthetic purposes, this kind of marble has an essence of earthiness to it which helps set the mood and tone of the room. Honed Marble is available in larger sizes as opposed to polished ones. Also, even though marbles work well in wet environments, if not paid attention to, they soak up stains quite quickly (being a soft stone) and it gets etched within the natural design of the marble. Complete Guide to Installing and Maintaining the Marble Tiles.
Installation and Maintenance
When looking to install marble into your house, make sure you understand what works best for you in terms of budget, color, and the process of maintenance.
- Check the floor
The very first step is to check the strength of the floor. If the base is not sturdy enough or has irregular slopes, an additional base needs to be created to fit the marble in one’s desired manner. Sometimes, an entire layer of plywood on top of the sloppy base helps keep the floor sturdy as well as protects it from pressure.
- Understand the floor and the stone
It is extremely important to understand the layout of the marble as well as identify the central point to place the marble perfectly to avoid inefficient work at the edges. The first tile is installed in the center, which is the starting point, leading up to covering the entire floor, one tile at a time.
- Application of Mortar
It is important to have understood the first two points well to go ahead with this step. Mortar is a substance made of lime and cement which is mixed with water and sand which helps hold the tiles together as and when it hardens. Application of mortar needs to be seamless across the floor/plywood to create an even base for the tiled floor to be set.
- Tiles: Placing them and aftercare
Make sure you place tiles in a way where there is not too much yet sufficient space to help organize the tiles in a structured manner to create the desired visual effect. Post this setup, once the mortar hardens, you must seal up the gaps between tiles with natural sealers. Marble floors need to be sealed to preserve their shine and protect them from damage and depletion over the years.
- Excess mortar removal
While placing marble tiles next to each other, the mortar adhesive applied should be just the right amount to prevent oozing of excess grout from the crevices. If there is pressure applied onto the tiles when placing it in, use a knife to scrape off the extra grout. Post this step, make sure you do not walk over that stretch or else it may create a depression in the floor and lead to an uneven surface.
- Top coat or sealing
Sealing marble floors with a high quality sealant is extremely important as it is a stone that is prone to chipping and cracking easily. Grout should be applied post the application of sealant as there are chances of the grout staining the tiles. Using a foam brush, the sealant needs to be evenly spread throughout the surface so that the bubbles do not stay on and stain the precious stone. If the marble is already polished, just a slight layer of sealant helps preserve the stone the right way.
The procedure of sealing floors must take place once every year and can be a little heavy on the pocket if you are considering marble floors. This, however, does not count as a disadvantage as you can enjoy the benefit for a longer time.
How to style and incorporate Marble into your home:
As mentioned earlier, the elegance that comes with the usage of marble is unparalleled. Once you have understood the installation and maintenance, the next step is to style / design and incorporate marbles into your home depending on the mood you’re going for. Whether to put it on the floor or the walls, marble tiles fit in everywhere perfectly and bring about a certain style and class to your space. Here’s a small list to help you choose the best:
- The Bathroom
Decorating your bathroom with marble tiles will give it a rich and opulent look. Coordinating the colours with the theme you’re going for, choose from a variety of colours like white, cream, black, blue, green and red. These suit a bathroom set up well as they pertain to monochromatic / aquatic shades of colours that have rather a modernistic approach. Blue and green shades when paired with white and cream give the room a completely new look and style. When choosing tiles for flooring, looking at darker shades like black or grey is recommended.
- The Kitchen
Redecorating kitchen cabinets and walls with marble tiles is a great place to start due to the number of options present. From dark shades to neutral tones, choosing colours that are complementary rather than contrasting in nature is recommended. Any choice you make for your kitchen, will always remain timeless and classic. Be mindful while making a choice as the shades may look different in natural and artificial light. Pairing coffee coloured marble tiles with white cabinets and drawers give it a contemporary look and is best
suited for a modern kitchen layout.
- The Hall
The flooring of the hall sets the tone of the house. On choosing a lighter shade of marble as the flooring, the house will always be lit due to its reflective properties depending on the type and intensity of light. Going for darker tones like black as flooring would help establish a royal and classy approach. Shades of green like the royal emerald is also a good choice for a modern home with contrasting colours and decor that matches the walls. Even though lighter and darker shades are harder to maintain, using marble tiles on walls or flooring ensures durability and style, all at once! Complete Guide to Installing and Maintaining the Marble Tiles.
Taking a call could be putting you in a spot but we guarantee that having marble tiles at home will not disappoint you. Give your house the makeover it deserves, today. Tile suppliers in Sydney would also help you choose from a variety of colors depending on your need and style. Complete Guide to Installing and Maintaining the Marble Tiles.
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