Interior decoration is incomplete without proper selection of flooring. The flooring material of your house will define the class of your home. Flooring is something that will last upto the life of the house. However, it will mainly depend on your selection of flooring material. There are hundreds of flooring options available in the market like ceramic tiles, vitrified tiles, marble, granite, vinyl, etc. so it is easy to get confused which is better or more durable. Here in this article out of all the options, we are only focusing on the marble flooring. (Natural Stone)
Marble Flooring
As time goes by and home decoration trend changes, but marble flooring will always be in style, it will never going to be outdated. It is the most durable flooring material which is getting used from since way back. Marble flooring is one of the most luxurious types of stone flooring. Choosing a marble as a flooring always adds high market value to your house. It doesn’t matter whether you are redecorating your house to sell or upgrading your class also if you are buying your first house, you will have to pay fortune to enjoy luxury of marble flooring.
Composition and Aesthetics of Marble Flooring
Marble is a metamorphic rock which consists of calcite or dolomite crystals. It is a natural flooring material therefore each piece differs from the other in colour, texture and pattern and each type of marble gives its own unique look and appearance. It is extracted in large sheets called slabs. The swirls and veins appear on the marble surface due to various impurities such as clay, silt, sand, iron oxides, or chert which were originally present as grains or layers on the limestone.
Unique Colours of Marble Floor
Marble is a semi-transparent and delicate natural stone that allows light to penetrate into its surface and give out a unique brilliance to the room when installed. It is available in varieties of natural colours. i.e. White, Plain Black, Black Zebra, Green, Grey, Brown, Pink and many others.
Some of the Popular Marble Names as per the Region
Many types of marbles are known by the name of place or region from where they are available like:
- Makarana Marble
- Italian Marble
- Rajnagar White Marble
- Ambaji Green Marble
- Kesarayaji Green Marble
- Udaipur Pink Marble
- Udaipur Green Marble
- Jaisalmer Yellow Marble
- Abu black Marble
- Aandhi Marble
Makarana, Udaipur, Rajnagar, Aandhi, etc. is a town or village in Rajasthan, India. All these types of marbles are different in their colours, patterns, and overall properties as the mines and quality of stone are different at different places. Italian marble flooring is the most popular type of marble flooring nowadays.
Finishes of Marble Flooring
Marble floor is available in different finishes that all have their own characteristics. For example,
01. Polished Marble
The polished marble flooring has a smooth and glossy surface and gives reflective look. Polished finish marble is most versatile and less porous, easier to maintain than other marble finishes. However, they are very slippery.
02. Honed Finish Marble
Honed finish marble has a matte surface compared to glossy surface of the polished finish. Therefore, it is less slippery. But it is not scratch resistant if not cared properly.
03. Tumbled Finish Marble
Tumbled finish as you have seen tumbled in a drum that contains rocks, sand, or other abrasives. These create small holes and chips in the surface of the stone. It gives rustic look, natural look to your house.
Marble Flooring Installation
Marble flooring installation requires proper design and pattern as the veins in marble should get matched with other marble. Otherwise, it will look haphazard, ugly, and therefore the whole charm of marble flooring will get lost. Marble flooring is laid with white cement and yellow sand. It should be moulded on all four side edges before laying. Therefore, proper joints space should be provided due to the moulding while marble flooring installation. This moulding will help during thermal expansion and it will provide not only good bond between two stones but it will also provide space for expansion so that it doesn’t pop up or buckle under heat like ceramic or vitrified tiles.
Advantages of Marble Flooring
- It has a very smooth finish as compared to other flooring options.
- It is more suitable in hot climates as you can feel relatively cold underfoot.
- It gives a soft appearance as compared to granite.
- Marble is a translucent material. Marble flooring glows and increases radiance in the room when exposed to sunlight.
- Marble is eco-friendly material as no chemical process is involved during manufacturing. Also, it is completely degradable at the end of its life.
Disadvantages of Marble Flooring
- Marble is a natural stone therefore each type of marble piece is unique and different from another. Hence, if not skillfully done, it may look awkward and unpleasant.
- It is not suitable for very cold weather regions, as you cannot walk barefoot on it, especially in the winter season.
- Marble flooring is very expensive as compared to other flooring materials
- Marble flooring installation is very time consuming and requires skilled labours, particularly when you have to match veins of marble.
- Natural defects like veins, cracks, etc. may appear and therefore it may result in more wastage or even it may crack after installation.
- It is very difficult to change or replace marble flooring once you installed, as the same type of marble stone or colour and design is hard to find after a few years.
We have written detailed article on advantages and disadvantages of marble flooring recently.
Cleaning of Marble Flooring
Marble is more porous as compared to granite. Generally, poor quality marble flooring absorbs the liquids such as oil, wine, lemon, and vinegar and then it makes a permanent stain on the surface. Therefore, you need to clean the floor regularly.
Marble Size
Marbles sizes are available up to 10 to 15 feet in length and 5 to 8 feet in width. The large size of marbles will have naturally less number of joints.
Marble Flooring Cost
Normally, marble flooring cost depending upon the size of the marble slab, its quality, location, etc. The cost of marble flooring approximately ranges from Rs. 30 to 2000 per sq.ft.
Buying Guide for Marble
Before buying marble, people get confused as how the marble will look after polishing. To realise and to have an idea of how it will look after polishing, splash water on unpolished marble and more or less, it will give a similar look when polished. When you buy marble, sorting is required and lot to verify whether you get the same pattern, wave and colour.
Marble flooring is an excellent flooring option as it can add a unique element of beauty but it requires more maintenance than other natural stone flooring. Marble is totally a natural material; therefore, it is an eco-friendly and biodegradable flooring material. It will not cause pollution at the end of its functional life.
Also Read:
Check the Quality of Granite on Site!
Granite vs Marble – Make a Right Choice
Floor Components – All You Like to Know
