Are Marble Floors Good Value
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- Admin
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- marble, marble flooring, are marble floors good value, pros and cons of marble
- Posted date:
- 10-08-2021
If you are thinking of Investing in Marble Flooring, you may be considering: Are Marble Floors Good Value? We look at why marble flooring is great value for money and what are the properties that make marble floors so popular.
What is marble flooring?
Marble is an incredibly popular material that is taken from quarries and then cut into various shapes such as tiles and slabs for use in properties.
Usually found in commercial and residential buildings, you can find marble being used as flooring, for walls, and as the surface of countertops.
The marble itself is a metamorphic rock that is created when a sedimentary stone, such as coal or chalk, is put under extreme pressure and heat. This transforms the stone into marble, a much harder material with its distinct colours and flowing patterns.
Marble is sometimes confused with granite, but they can easily be told apart by their surface patterns. Granite usually has a patchy, spotted and mosaic-like pattern, whereas marble has a distinctive wavy flowing veined look.
Types of Marble Flooring
Levadia black marble: This rare type of marble is found in Greece. The marble has a distinctive deep black colour with small grey "veins" flowing through the material. It is rarely used, but whenever it is, it makes a really dazzling impact.
This type of marble is sometimes called silver beige marble. It is quarried in Turkey and can be recognised by its greyish colour and silver streaks.
Found and quarried in Spain, this type of marble can be purchased in various different shades of brown. This marble sometimes has veining but not always.
Also located and quarried in Spain, this marble has a large variety of variations in its colour. The marble's most common colour is a yellowish beige tone with veins that can sometimes be very faint but other times incredibly bold.
This is the most expensive and rare marble of them all. It has very thick and dark veins which pattern over a radiant white background. Sometimes there can even be gold found within the veins. This marble is only found and quarried in Italy.
This is the most common variety of marble you will come across when shopping for marble products. It is taken from the quarries located in the Carrara region in Italy. The marble itself is an off-white colour with very soft grey veins flowing through the stone. As the material is moderately economical, you will find that it is commonly used for flooring.
Positive's of Marble Floor Tiles
Versatile
Marble tiles are incredibly versatile. They can be used for many purposes around your home.
Not only can they be used as floor tiles, but they can also be fitted into the wall or as the surface of a countertop. Marble tiles are great at complimenting one and another, so don't be afraid to experiment with their usage.
Unique Appearance
Marble's unique appearance is unlike any other stone on the market. All marble is natural, which gives marble its famous non-uniform appearance.
Marble cannot be recreated artificially, so you know that every time you see marble floorings or countertops, it's completely real.
Easy To Install
Compared to other types of stone flooring, marble tiles have incredibly easy installation. There is no cutting or sawing involved.
All you need to do is place each individual tile where you want it to be. This makes the whole process of installation a lot less of a headache.
It's Beauty
Another big selling point for marble is the material's sheer beauty. Marble tiles are incredibly beautiful and have an air of elegance around them which are sure to make any room you use them in feel just that bit more sophisticated. Marble is also never going to go out of style.
Marble flooring has been used for thousands and thousands of years and is still just as popular today. So you won't have to worry about redecorating any time soon.
Increase Property Value
Getting marble into your house and installed may be a costly endeavour, but it can also boost the property value of your home.
If you are considering putting your house up for sale at some point in the future, then marble is a great selling point just because of how luxurious and desirable it is.
Natural Shine
As previously mentioned, marble has a stunning appearance. But did you also know that marble has a natural translucence?
This means light can pierce through the material slightly. This is what gives marble that dazzling glow. Marble tiles can be made even more wonderful to look at by giving the marble a high level of polish. This will give the marble an elegant glossy look which is highly desirable.
Conducts Heat
Finally, did you know that because marble is such a great conductor of heat, marble tiles have the ability to have underfloor heating installed underneath?
Not only is this really helpful in the winter months when usually your stone flooring may be cold, but it's also another element that can boost the property price of your home.
Negatives of Marble floor Tiles
What many people don't realise about marble is that it is a very soft stone. This comes with a whole host of issues. Marble needs to be resealed regularly to ensure that it remains as waterproof as possible.
Your new marble floor can become stained otherwise. Also, marble can easily become etched by acidic liquids such as cleaning products. This means that the top layer of the stone will be worn away by the acid, and you will be left with a dull spot on your flooring.
Not Compatible with all cleaning products
This means you need to be very careful about which materials you are using on your floor to ensure that it is kept in the best condition possible. If you are planning on using your marble tiles in your bathroom, then you first ask for a sample selection of tiles so you can test out your bathroom cleaning products.
This is so you don't ruin your tiles through etching immediately once your marble tiles are installed and have time to find a cleaning product that will work well on marble.
Continous Upkeep
If you are worried about upkeep, then perhaps marble isn't the right type of flooring for you. Marble floors need to be sealed regularly to ensure that the marble is waterproof.
Marble is naturally porous, meaning that any liquid spilt on the stone will quickly be absorbed and may stain if the floor is not sealed. Sealing is important as it would be a shame to ruin a brand new expensive marble floor with some kind of stain.
Repairs can be costly
You should also keep in mind that marble is not the most durable flooring option. Dropping a heavy item on the floor can cause the marble to crack, and repairs can be quite pricey. So before you purchase, think about who will be using your flooring. If you have children who are likely to drop items or make clumsy mistakes, then perhaps marble isn't the right decision for your home right now.
Expensive
The biggest negative to getting marble tiles in your house is simply the cost. Marble is one of the most expensive stones you can purchase for your home. So before you go ordering tiles and considering all the extra perks, first think about whether you can actually afford the material.
Potential of Rust
Finally, as we are sure you know, marble contains many different minerals within its structure. This means there is a chance that your marble slabs or tiles could potentially rust. This situation is more likely to arise if you are using your marble in a bathroom where there will frequently be moisture in the air.
How much does marble flooring cost?
Marble is considered to be a premium material in architecture. This means that you will pay more for marble than you will for other residential materials such as wood or other stones.
On average, marble will cost between £10 to £25 per square foot. That is just for the material itself and is assuming that you are not purchasing specialist marble, which can increase the price up to £50 per square foot or even higher.
If you need your marble flooring professionally installed, then, of course, you will be paying extra here too.
If the room where you plan to use your marble flooring is an odd shape or has a complicated layout, then this will also boost the cost of your flooring as the marble will have to be specially cut just for your room rather than just using the standard square or rectangular tiles.
Marble flooring Maintenance and Repair
Though there are many ways you will need to maintain your marble floor, the maintenance itself is not hard work. Firstly, try to sweep your marble floor at least once a day.
This is a way of removing small dirt or sand particles that sit on top of the marble and may erode the material's surface.
Like we mentioned earlier, try not to use acidic liquids to wash your marble flooring. The acid will react with the surface of your marble and force some of the marble to wear away.
This will create dull spots on your floor, which can be permanent. This can be avoided by using a chemical penetrating sealer when sealing your marble flooring.
Marble Flooring Specialists In London
Are you looking for marble flooring specialists in London? We offer our marble flooring services for Westminster, Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith, Fulham, Richmond Upon Thames, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Islington, Barnet and throughout London.
Contact our experts today for marble floor cleaning, restoration and polishing. Follow the links below for more details about our services.