What Are Some Of The Drawbacks Of Marble Flooring?

Marble is no doubt one of the best materials for flooring especially if you want to achieve a rich and luxurious look.

It is a classic option that never fails to deliver an elegant look and finish.

Despite its beauty, using marble tiles for flooring has its drawbacks. Using nonsynthetic materials like marble means they are prone to wear and tear and tear.

This means that it is not quite as strong and durable as its synthetic counterparts which are designed to last.

Marble Is Soft

Marble, like limestone, is porous and is one of the softer materials. This means that it is more susceptible to wear and tear with heavy traffic, scratching, breaking, cracking, chipping, and scraping.

Unlike strong synthetic flooring materials, marble easily breaks when you drop heavy items on it. It also absorbs moisture and liquid easily because it is porous.

Because marble is a radiant, smooth, and polished surface, any damage is noticeably clear.

If that happens, you may need to call on a stone restoration service to get your marble floors looking fresh and like new again.

Or worse still, you may need to replace and install a whole new marble floor. That can be expensive.

Marble Is Vulnerable To Acidic Substances

Marble is made of calcium carbonate minerals that react to acidic substances and results in etching.

Etching is the surface damage that usually manifests as dark discolouration in marble.

Etching is tricky to remove and might require professional restoration to bring back the marble’s natural shine and radiance.

In the home, the kitchen is full of acidic substances and items, from food to drinks to cleaning agents. Here are common household items that are high in acid content:

• Coffee
• Fruit juices
• Vinegar
• Most cleaning agents
• Alcoholic beverages
• Tomato sauce
• Ketchup

Spills must be removed and cleaned immediately to avoid severe damage.

Marble Is Prone To Water Damage

Marble is porous in nature so water or liquids can seep in and cause damage and discolouration.

Moisture and liquid can also weaken the marble’s natural components making it break or chip easily.

Applying a sealant to keep moisture off the marble can help and may be required to be done regularly.

Marble Is Slippery

Its polished and shiny surface makes marble slippery and can cause accidents if you are not careful.

Although marble gives that luxurious finish, marble may not be as safe especially in areas where the marble may get wet often, like pool decks, the kitchen, bathroom, etc.

One option to avoid slips and accidents is to used honed marble to give it more grip and make it less slippery.

Honed marble does not have the polished look though, so it is a bit of a trade-off.

Marble Is Pricey

Marble is considered a high-end material. It is more expensive than wood, vinyl and other materials.

And given its soft and porous nature, marble has a considerably shorter lifespan than other flooring materials.

This means that professional marble tile restoration is required in order to try and gain the maximum lifespan from it.

Marble Requires Professional Installation

The need for professional services or expert help in installing marble floors just adds to the hefty price tag.

Using professional services for installation is more practical though because there will be fewer mistakes and the job can be done fast.

Doing the installation yourself can end up costing even more because you may lack the knowledge and expertise.

More mistakes mean spending more on replacement materials and much more time for completion.

Marble Has High Maintenance Requirements

Keeping your marble floors looking good and all nice and shiny requires high-quality cleaning agents and professional services, unlike other flooring materials that only require minimal care.

You may need to polish more and apply sealant more often. These are just some of the necessary maintenance duties you need to pay attention to.

The good thing is SLIQUE is here to take care of your marble maintenance needs.

SLIQUE is a team of experts who are highly trained on an extensive range of treatments to ensure we can restore virtually any kind of damage or deterioration, to any kind of stone or tile surface. 

For all your marble floor maintenance and polishing needs, please call SLIQUE today on 02 9648 0395, or you can leave an inquiry on our contact page.