When it comes to selecting countertops, feature walls, or flooring, classic white marble remains the top choice for many homeowners. Marble is beloved as a timeless and classic material, with many different options to select from to add a note of luxury to any room or interior. Especially in the local context, with summer all year round, marble helps keep the house cooled and comfortable.
Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure, composed primarily of the mineral Calcite and other foreign minerals, like quartzite, micas, pyrite, iron oxides, and graphite. When metamorphosis happens, the limestone recrystalises to form marble.
A natural material with low impurities level and great variety in terms of veinings, and colour. Most importantly, it has lovely natural pattern from piece to piece, which you don’t get with a lot of artificial materials or even other sort of natural stones.
With technological advancements, there are now more ways to finish stone with different brushing and polishing techniques to achieve multiple types of finishing. A few options are the leather finish, honed finish, or polished finish. But the most popular choices remain polished, which looks glossy, or honed, which appears matte.
While marble may be the most popular representation of luxury living, they do have their weaknesses. Being generally composed of calcium or magnesium carbonate, it reacts with acid. An acidic kitchen liquid like lemon juice or vinegar will cause marble etching, leaving a dull, whitish mark where it has slightly eaten away the surface, even after the marble has been sealed. Common home beverages spillage such as coke, or even various citrus juices, when left unattended can cause serious etching. Moreover, oil drips left over an extended period can sip into marble pieces due to their porousity.
But as long as you choose carefully, know what to expect, and care for white marble countertops, they can be a beautiful, functional choice for that lasts a lifetime.It is also recommended to be resealed yearly with anti-water sealant by professionals.