Among all natural stone countertop choices, marble takes the highest vote. In nature, you will never find anything as good looking as marble. You will never find any other natural stone with as exquisite colors as marble.
Marble, however, is not a perfect material. Although there are good-quality brands of marble, such as products from Carrara, Italy, which are dense and not very porous, every type of marble has a weakness. As a nonfoliate metamorphic stone, marble is made up of calcium deposits and magnesium carbonate, which are reactive to acids. Acidic liquids such as lemon spills and vinegar will etch marble, leaving behind a whitish, dull mark.
But if you make a careful choice, know exactly what to expect, and take good care of your marble bathroom or kitchen countertops in California, they become a beautiful addition to your home.
In this post, we have compiled some tips on how to buy marble countertops in California, even for first time buyers!
Choose white marble, if you are concerned about stubborn stains on your counters
When people think of marble, they think of a creamy surface. Marble is however, available in a variety of colors, including slabs that are taupe, gold, green, black and red. For kitchen countertops, however, we advise our customers to stick to white marble counters. Since acidic etching leaves whitish marks, these marks would be more noticeable on any other color.
Think about how your marble counters will come together
Every marble slab is unique, so it’s best to choose specific pieces of marble that will be used for your countertops. Marble has an art—which is why we help our customers select slabs knowing exactly where each veining is going to be located on the kitchen surface. You should artfully place the markings so that it appears like a painting.
Remember to also consider how different pieces will come together before you buy marble countertops in California. If you can get long slabs without any seams, the better for you. If you have seams anyway, try to book-match your slabs so that adjacent pieces get mirrored appearances.
Take the veining patterns of your countertops into consideration
Every marble mine is different, but there is a possibility to cut out certain marble blocks in two different ways so that the end result is two different patterns. Cross cuts, or fleuri cuts, produce open flowered patterns which would look fairly random, and this makes these slabs the best pick for book-matching. Veining cuts, or striato, cuts through marble slabs in the opposite directions so that the end slabs are linear with striped appearances.
Transform the look of your marble countertops with stylish finishes
The production of marble has been affected by the massive technological wave, so that there are different finish designs available for marble. These include stylish brushing and polishes. It is possible to get an orange-peel-like texture which is sometimes referred to as leather, river-wash or brushed finishes
The most popular finishes however, is polished, which can look glossy sometimes, or honed, and matte at times. If you are worried about acid etching, go for a honed finish.
Curved edges on your marble counters
Besides the natural beauty of marble, there is a reason why it has a historic legacy: Marble is easy to fabricate. With the modern computer numerical controls, it is possible to decorate your marble countertops into anything.
There are various edge profiles you can choose from, but most of our customers prefer a sim
ply eased edge, which will take the sharpness away from any straight 90-degree corners. Natural stones such as marble are brittle, therefore if you hit a marble surface with a hard object, it will chip. With curved edges, chipping is highly unlikely.
It’s also possible to engrave the edges of your marble countertops with pattern of your choice.
Before you buy marble countertops in California, it is important to accept that they will patina over time. If you have visited a bakery or pizza place to see how marble patinas, and you love it, then this is the best surface for you.
Block Tops Inc. is the premier provider of marble countertops in Anaheim, California. Call us today to get a free no-obligation estimate for marble slabs.