Marble Tiles

An easy way to add thousands to the value of your home is the addition of marble tile. Marble is quarried all over the world including in the United States. The most popular marble sources are in Belgium, Greece, and Italy. Marble tiles made from marble that comes from these locations is often more expensive than say marble tile that originates in Tennessee. However, even though you might be paying high marble tiles prices, it does not necessarily mean you are getting better marble. Marble can be used in many areas of the home but it is most popular in marble floor tiles. There are many advantages to using marble floor tile over other flooring options like travertine floor tiles or slate tile. Marble tiles for sale come in many different styles and sizes. This article will try to inform you about the benefits, uses, and availability of marble tiles.

Perhaps the best benefit of marble tiles installation in your home is the fact that for hundreds of dollars worth of work you can increase the value of your home by thousands of dollars. Marble has a sophisticated and regal quality to it and it makes any home seem more luxurious. Another benefit is that marble tiles are easy to clean. You can vacuum, sweep, mop, or just wipe down marble. Whatever method is easiest for you, it is appropriate for cleaning marble floors. Getting the marble tile grout clean is somewhat more work, but well worth it because clean grout mean more beautiful marble tile.  Many homeowners will like to hear that marble tile floors will help with energy costs. Marble is a poor heat conductor, which means that it will not absorb heat from sunlight shining on it, and instead stays cool. Since heat is not trapped in the floor, it is easier to keep your house cool and you spend less money on cooling costs. Marble is of course a natural material and in today’s society where being green is becoming more and more important, marble is a nice way to use natural materials in the construction of your home rather than synthetic ones.

One thing that I consider a benefit that others might think is a negative aspect is that no two marble tiles are exactly alike.  Marble has these veins of color running though it that change from tile to tile and make each one unique.  I like the fact that my marble tile floor has character and looks slightly different from each angle.  Other possible downsides to marble tile are the fact that it can chip, scratch, and stain easily.  All of these issues are easily remedied.  If a tile happens to crack then you can clean the broken piece with acetone and then glue it back in place with epoxy glue.  Stains can be cleaned easily with polishing agents and a layer of sealant can prevent staining and scratching in the first place. 

By the most marble tile is used for marble tile flooring, but marble tiles can be used in lots of other places too. Marble tiles for bathrooms can be used in a variety of ways. You can have marble tile floors in the bathroom, marbles tiles for shower walls, tub surrounds, or vanity tops. Bathrooms are great places to utilize marble because they get dirty easily and marble tiles are easy to clean. Another room in the house that uses marble tile a lot is the kitchen. Kitchen designers often use marble tiles for countertops or back splashes. Again, the easiness of keeping them clean is a draw. Another reason marble might be used in modern kitchens is that it comes in a variety of colors and you can pick out tile to match almost any color scheme. Marble is also used in furniture such as tables. It is not uncommon to see a breakfast nook table with a marble tile top. My home also uses marble tile in the fireplace surround. Marble can be used almost anywhere in any home.

Marble comes one of two ways, glazed or unglazed. Unglazed tiles are scratch resistant but more susceptible to staining. The glaze resists stains and gives the marble a very smooth and hard surface. Glazed tiles can come with many finishes including high gloss, matte, satin, or dull. Marble tiles come in s a variety of shapes and sizes. The most common floor tile size is twelve inches by twelve inches square. Floor tiles also come as large as 18 by 18. You can also get very small mosaic tiles that come already arranged on a webbed backing so that they are easy to install. Small one inch marble tiles are very popular for bathroom floors and walls.  You can get all of these materials from a discount flooring warehouse.