It seems like every building you walk into nowadays has some sort of marble surface. Businesses may have marble floors, walls, or architectural elements. Homes may have marble décor and kitchen countertops.

The appeal of marble is historic, justified and backed by a two-millenniums long love affair with this beautiful material. From the historic Parthenon in Athens, Greece completed in 438 B.C. to the contemporary Guggenheim opened in 1997 in New York City—marble is a material that transcends time, bringing with it an air of elegance and sophistication….when properly maintained.

With such a vibrant and storied history, there’s no wonder why households and businesses around the world opt for marble countertops and foyers, when they “make it,” or seek to communicate their stability and success.  However, this versatile material is not impervious to damage.  You wouldn’t neglect to change the oil in your BMW or Porshe and expect it to last too long.  Similarly, marble requires some care, whether to address the wear of all those customers feet, or the lemonaide spill from your nephew or client, a little love and care is going to be needed.  Here are some lesser known facts about marble surfaces:

Marble needs to be maintained, else “mad”ness will settle in

There are enough facts and information about the geology of marble to fill textbooks. For the sake of brevity, though, marble is porous, making it susceptible to stains unless sealed.  Wine, juice, and oils will all leave a mark, which may not be too bad on a black negro marquina but can be devastatingly obvious on a carrara white.  Once IN it is hard to get out.  Think of how much fun you had trying to clean a test tube with a sponge in chemistry class, its virtually impossible until you have the right tool.  Similarly with marble, if you have it you want to seal it.  Inexpensive and fast this simple step will save untold anguish and grief down the road, but do not procrastinate as the day after a spill is a day late and locks in the stain.  You want to see March Madness, consider what happens when your red Hi-C is spilt over your what Carrera.  Not your client or son’s fault, you can only be mad at yourself for delaying.
MARBLELIFE® Stone Sealer 16oz is an easy-to-use product designed to protect marble from stains without the negative features of many other sealers. Hydrophobic (water-repelling), oleophobic (oil-repelling), and eco-friendly, our stone sealer will help keep your marble looking stain-free and its best.

Accept that you will see some scratches

Marble is a soft.  Sounds funny to say that of a stone, but sand under foot will create enough force to leave a scratch.  Marble is much more susceptible to damage than granite.  Belts, watches and metal jewelry can result in minor damage. Even activities as seemingly innocuous as slicing lemons can result in stone etching due to reactions caused by the acidity.  Ever wonder what happened to the marble tables at the Cheese Cake Factory?  Too many lemon wedge etches burned into the stone, leaving permanent spill marks require restoration.  Today they are either granite, faux stone, or carry a plastic covering.  They may not have the beautiful appearance of elegant stone, but they are less likely to be scratched or etched.
Honing your marble (making your surface more matte and less polished) can hide or mask scratches and etches. You can combat etching by wiping up spills quickly and cleaning with approved care products like MARBLELIFE® Marble Counter & Table Top Kits – with Buffer which are formulated to neutralize acid spills on contact.  Scratches will accumulate until you deem its time to have the surface restored, at which point a MARBLELIFE craftsman can restore it to its original glory.  So don’t get mad, relax we got you covered, even if it does scratch we can get that quality first impression back with a visit.

Marble can be pretty cost-effective

Especially if you opt for readily available varieties such as Carrara white marble.  Technology to reinforce stone to reduce its brittleness have enabled rare colorful varieties of all types to reach the market, allowing you to design with the colors you desire.

Marble has a natural heat-resistance

Even in the middle of a heat-wave, you can expect your marble countertops to stay ice-cool. In fact, in the middle east stone is used in place of carpet for this very reason.  Keep in mind, heat resistant does not mean heat-proof. You never want to place piping hot materials directly onto your marble surface as this can enhance madness with a permanent discoloration to commorate the day you otherwise learned the fact.

Despite its faults, marble is an evergreen material that remains an architectural staple.  Keep your marble looking great with expert products and care advice from City Tile in Nanaimo.