Marble tile floors are some of the most elegant and appealing floor designs you can have in your home or office. They are a timeless classic floor design that still adds a modern and sophisticated touch to just about any space. The gleaming beauty and of marble floors, however, comes at quite a high cost. Depending on a variety of factors, professionally installed marble floors can cost as much as $40 per square foot.
A marble floor is clearly a substantial investment, so you want to take the best possible care of the tiles to ensure that they last long and retain their aesthetic characteristics. Here are three basic but crucial maintenance practices for marble floors.
Don’t Allow Spills to Sit
Despite their shiny surface appearance, marble is a porous stone; any liquid spills can soak deep into the tile causing permanent staining. On top of cleaning and mopping the tiles regularly, ensure that you clean off any spills immediately using a pump cloth and clean water. But ensure that you don’t wipe the spills into the tiles; blot up the stains whenever possible and rinse the surface with clean water.
Polish the Floor Regularly
Polishing a marble floor is usually a professional’s job. Have a floor cleaning and polishing service come around to your house every couple of months to clean, polish, and seal the marble tiles. Special waxes and sealants are used to give the surface a shiny coating that protects the stone from scratches and moisture damage. Click here to learn more about floor polishing.
Avoid Abrasive Cleaning Agents
Marble is a hard, crystalline form of limestone, but it is relatively soft compared to other types of flooring material such as ceramic and slate. This makes marble quite ease to erode, particularly with strong acidic solutions. Use non-abrasive cleaning agents and detergents when cleaning marble tiles. Repeated abrasion may cause wear on the tiles and can also tarnish the surface’s shiny look.
Marble floors can be tricky to maintain if you’re not sure about all the dos and don’ts. Consult with floor experts whenever you’re unsure about a particular practice or using a specific cleaning product.