Maintain your marble tiles’ substance and beauty with these tips.

For most people, marble tiles embody an accent of beauty and class. As such, the choice for marble flooring is a popular one in homes, offices, and other venues. Its unlimited color choices make it a compelling and attractive decorative element in your home. Keep your marble functional and beautiful with these guidelines.

Set a good foundation with proper installation of marble tiles.

Your marble flooring will only serve its purpose with a proper installation. A common problem with poor installation is lippage, where one stone tile edge is elevated or higher compared to the rest of the tiles. This can cause a hazard to people who will be walking on your marble floor and can also invite a higher risk of damage. This installation can be a DIY project but a professional service can ensure a safer and more correct installation process.

Experiment with other materials for an additional touch of elegance.

Marble tiles are not just for marble flooring finishes. Your interior designer can get on board with your fetish for marble and help you in creating an ambience in your home or office. The mixture of marble and metallic elements, for example, add a touch of class. You can get chairs that have metallic coatings of gold and silver and match it up with marble floors and tabletops in the kitchen. The toilet and bath is also a popular place for using marble. Aside from using it for your floor, you can also use parts of the tiles for your divider between the toilet and the shower area.

Know the weaknesses of your marble flooring.

Marble is classified as a form of calcareous stone, a group of natural stones that has calcium carbonate as a primary component including onyx and limestone. The materials you use for cleaning granite, for example, will be a disaster for a marble floor. The weakness or Achilles’ heel of marble tiles include rusting of its iron elements and reactions with some chemicals. Some people advise against using marble for children’s bathrooms because of this reason. You might have to run some tests against the marble tile surface of common household items so that you can steer clear of unpleasant rusting and adverse chemical reactions of the stone. To detect if your floor tile is predominantly marble (as some tiles are not 100% pure marble), you can do an eyedropper test. Get 4 ounces of 10% muriatic acid or vinegar solution on an eyedropper and apply on your test tile surface. You will know that it’s legitimate marble if the solution bubbles or makes a fizzing sound.

Use a sealant.

Additionally, you can place in a sealant product to serve as a protective layer on the tiles once it is in place. Spills, stains, and dirt are much less when there is a sealant in place. Just make sure that you apply the right amount. Too much of the sealant product can also break the stone or transform the surface entirely. There are two main types of sealant products: the topical sealers used on floors and walls, and the impregnators used on marble table tops in kitchens and living rooms.

Have a provision or schedule for maintenance and refinishing.

Over time, your marble flooring can eventually get dull despite its top form. This is where refinishing and maintenance work for your marble tiles can come in handy. Cleaning with a gentle soap solution, mop, and water, works well for weekly or daily maintenance of your marble floor. It will make your marble flooring last longer until its due for a refinishing job. Make it a habit to check for cracks so that you can easily deal with it and avoid causing damage underneath.

As a space owner, it is important to go beyond the exterior and not just join in the hype of marble flooring enthusiasts. In reality, there are a lot of myths surrounding the maintenance of marble. Knowing facts from fiction will help you get value for your flooring investment. It’s important to note that it’s not just a lovely choice of flooring material. It is also a natural stone that has its own unique brand of care and maintenance that you are perfectly capable of implementing in your space.