Marble - Samantha Jackett

Marble is commonly used for sculpture and as a building material. Marble can range in colour from snow white to grey and black, some varieties can include a shade of red, yellow, pink green or buff. The colours are caused by the presence of impurities. Marble is used as a material in statuary and monuments, as a facing stone in buildings and residences, for pillars, colonnades, paneling, wainscoting, and floor tiles. Marble was extensively used by the ancient Greeks; the Parthenon and other famous buildings were constructed of white Pentelic marble from Mt. Pentelicus in Attica, and the finest statues, e.g., the Venus de' Medici, from the remarkably lustrous Parian marble from Paros in the Cyclades. 

Here is a link from the Tile Warehouse with information on Marble Care. http://www.tilewarehouse.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/tw-stone-care-marble.pdf

Substances like shampoo and nail polish remover can cause permanent staining to marble. To stop this, the tile should be sealed using a neutral pH breathable sealer after installation. Depending on the amount people walking on the marble, the floor should be resealed every 9-18 months. Marble floors should not be cleaned with cleaning products instead warm water. 
 Stains can be removed using a peroxide soaked paper towel. Place the towel over the stain and cover it with plastic wrap. Leave it long enough for the peroxide to dissolve the stain, and then wash with warm water. After cleaning the floor with warm water, use a paper towel, because water can damage marble flooring.

The benefit of marble flooring is its natural cooling properties as marble takes a long time to heat up. It is used in countries and places where the climate is very warm. People should remove shoes when walking on the marble flooring as they can scratch and stain your floor. The benefit of marble, is that if a tile is damaged or stained, you only need to replace the damaged tiles, not the entire floor.

Marble Installation

Installing marble flooring is done in the same way as installing ceramic tile. The main difference is the marble has greater weight than the ceramic tiles. First, start with a completely clear floor. Test the floorboards to make sure they are sturdy. If they are not sturdy, the grout between the tiles could crack. If the floor needs to be stabilized. After checking for stability, you need to check to be sure your floor is level. 

A cement backer board can be screwed directly to the plywood. This will reinforce the floor, since marble tiles are relatively heavy. The tiles do not give and are prone to cracking if the floor is not sturdy. 

Then start by finding the center of the room. Measure both the length and the width, and put a chalk line down the center of each. Where these lines intersect is the center of the room. Now, the next step is very important. Lay out your marble in a test run. This is important because if you end up with a tiny piece of marble at any end, you will need to shift your center line a little to avoid having a tiny edge on one end of your floor. To keep a symmetrical look, have the starting tile straddle the centerline if needed.

Now you are ready to begin laying your marble flooring. Start with a tile near the center. Trace around the outside of this tile. Apply mortar, preferably a thin-set mortar, inside the lines you traced. Place your tile on the mortar. This is your reference point for the rest of your floor. From this tile, spread your mortar and use a trowel to notch it. When applying mortar over seams in the floorboards, apply mesh mortar tape to the seams. This prevents cracks in the grout when you are finished. After putting each tile on the mortar, place a 1/16-inch spacer between it and the next tile. This will ensure that the finished project has and evenly spaced appearance.

Once you have finished laying your tile and given the mortar time to dry, it is time to seal the marble. Sealing is best done by a professional.  

On the site www.bigbrands.net.nz Marble prices range from $49 - $59 m2

Where on the site http://tiledepot-px.rtrk.com.au Marble prices range from NZD
$79.90ea - $199 m2

- Samantha Jackett