A beautiful large living room with marble floors.
When you think of marble floors, you may envision a Roman temple, the Queen of England’s palace, or maybe Brad and Angelina’s summer home. Marble provides elegance, beauty, luxury, and it makes a statement. Nothing looks like real marble. If you’re building a new home or refurbishing an old home, you may think about adding the beautiful and unique look of this natural stone, but there are some things you might want to consider.
Color Matching
One of the beauties of marble can also cause the most headaches. Marble is a natural stone and the different colors and patterns that are created naturally make it very appealing. However, getting those colors and patterns to match from tile to tile can be beyond challenging. You will want to make sure all of your tiles come from the same batch. Each tile should come from the same slab to ensure that the overall pattern is similar. Marble tiles are cut down from a larger slab. Imagine disassembling an original picture into a jigsaw puzzle. Colors and patterns from each piece can compliment each other, but if you take the pieces from two different pictures, they are not going to look right. Take a look at some beautiful marble floor designs.
Installation
When marble is installed properly it can last generations. That being said, laying marble tile flooring is not a do-it-yourself project. This is the kind of project where you will want and need professional installation from a contractor with vast experience in working with marble tile. If you would like to discuss installation of marble tile, Carolina Flooring Services can direct you in your options.
Cost
Marble tile is associated with wealth and opulence. And, while these days you don’t have to be royalty to acquire marble, you can expect to pay more for marble tile than many other flooring options. You can expect to pay from $5 – $15 per square foot.
Maintenance
Most manufacturers highly recommend sealing your marble tile. If not sealed, water can permeate the stone, and liquids harsher than water can easily stain your tiles. The issue with sealing the marble tile is that it makes it susceptible to scratching. The floor will need to be resealed every six to twelve months. Marble floors require specific cleaning methods. The Marble Institute of America offers resources for care and cleaning your marble tile, as well as color selection and a wealth of other great information.
With so many flooring options available offering great alternatives to the look of marble, while being less expensive and more easily maintained, marble may not be your best choice for everyday flooring in your home. Armstrong offers some great alternatives to “real” marble tile. If you prefer a natural product and love the beauty of marble, Carolina Flooring Services can work with you on design and installation.
For all of your flooring needs, you can contact Carolina Flooring Services for an appointment or consultation.
Key Points
- Marble tile is a beautiful natural stone
- Marble tile can be expensive
- Marble tile requires professional installation
- There are great alternatives to get the look of marble tile