Why Choose Marble And How To Maintain It?

Marble occurs in huge deposits allowing it to be economically mined on a large scale. It also allows for different sizes and forms of marble. It can be obtained in crushed form to use it as an aggregate in highways, railroad beds, constructing foundations, and for different kinds of constructions.

Dimension stone is also produced by sawing marble into portions of particular dimensions. These pieces are utilized in monuments, buildings, sculptures, paving, and other projects.

USES

Marble has been used as a building material for centuries and is suitable for many applications. It can be used for both structural and decorative purposes. Let’s see some of its applications –

Bathroom

In spite of its porous characteristics marble can be used in wet areas but with good quality sealant. It can be used in bathtubs, floor tiles, sinks, as a vanity countertop making a nice niece out of it, basically on any surface. However specially for wet areas the sealer needs to be maintained and re-sealed every few years, adding additional cost to maintenance.

KItchen

In the kitchen too marble has been a popular choice for countertop, flooring tile and kitchen backsplash. In India generally dark colored marbles are preferred to avoid stains from spices.

Living Room

Living rooms can also have marble in the form of flooring, decorative items, fireplace surrounding etc..

Furniture

A lot of modern furniture designs uses marble like in tables, seating, and storage cabinets.

Sculpture

Marble is best preferred for sculpting sculptures due to its elegance and soft nature. It makes marble easy to carve intricate details.

Monuments and Religious places

Marble was considered the stone of emperors and Gods; hence, it found place in many notable monuments, cathedrals, and other historical places. Many Indian temples also use Marble.

DISADVANTAGES

Although marble is an ideal building material in so many ways, it has few constrictions too. Like-

Weathering and Erosion

Marble specially placed outdoors can deteriorate due to wind rain and thermal change. It mainly happens due to harmful pollutants in the atmosphere, which react with carbonate in marble. The surface can also erode due to regular use. So avoid using marble on the facade.

Loss of Polish

With time and weathering, the surface polish of a marble becomes dull, and also loss of crisp-edged details in decorative carved areas takes place. Thus try not using marble in areas with heavy footfall, like commercial zone.

Staining

Discoloration of marble, whether general or localized, is called staining. It can happen due to marble coming in contact with elements like grease/oil, dyes, inks, organic stains, metallic stains and dust, soot, or pollution.

MAINTENANCE

However, these problems can be handled if marble is maintained correctly. With proper care, marble can have a new look for a longer time. Few things that we can take care of are….

Regular cleaning

Regular cleaning will avoid the accumulation of dust and other harmful substances on the surface, keeping it safe from discoloration. Any spill on the surface should be instantly cleaned. For cleaning, soft dry mops should be used.

Avoid Scratches and Rust

No metal objects or rusty metals should be kept on marble for prolonged periods. It may leave scratches or orange/brown stains on the surface.

Avoid moisture

Some marble may contain Iron which will rust in contact with moisture turning the marble yellow.

Avoid vacuum

Vacuuming can easily scratch marble floors.

Choose cleanser carefully

The cleanser should have a neutral PH to avoid etching. The acidic cleanser should be avoided. Better to use a cleaner specifically for marble surfaces.

So this was all about marble. Starting from marble formation, we have discussed its characteristics, types, form, uses, setbacks, and ways to maintain marble for longer. I hope this will help you to make an informed decision from selecting a marble to taking care of it. And at Wishkarma you can checkout amazing good quality marble products.