It would be difficult to find a more beautiful stone than marble. This is why it has been used for centuries in so many different applications. For a long time, there were many commercial uses for marble, but not as many in personal residences. Part of this had to do with the cost of materials.
Smooth, glassy marble is often seen on vanity tops or shower walls, but is not as often chosen for kitchen applications due to its reaction to acids. The amount of acid in an orange or other fruit can cause etching that will ruin the face of the pit. Sealants don’t work to protect kitchen countertops, which is why most homeowners prefer to let marble pass in the kitchen.
tumbled marble
Many types of stone are tumbled to smooth their surfaces and round off sharp edges. The process is carried out in a rubber-lined rotating barrel. Stones, abrasive material and water are placed inside the barrel to be repeatedly rolled for a preset period. Silicon carbide is the standard for abrasive material. The harder the stones are initially, the longer the process takes.
Flat natural stones like marble are great for turning. Depending on the size of the glass, the stones can be as large as a 12″ floor tile or as small as a 2″ square. Generally some small pieces will be produced from the larger stones as fractures break during tumbling. The results are stones of many different sizes that work well for lining a concrete floor, pool deck, sidewalk, or other foot traffic area.
These stones create interesting designs for walls and highlight areas that draw attention to some other feature in the home or office. The range of marble colors is only limited by the installer’s imagination.
The effects of the fall can be very pronounced or just a slight variation from the stones as they were in the beginning. An old stone is turned for a short time, while a shiny mirror-like finish requires the dryer to run much longer. The grain size of the abrasives used also influences the finished stones.
Some of the places to use tumbled stones:
• As a ground cover that leaves a previous surface but is placed close enough to serve as a walkway
• As highlights around ponds or landscaping areas
• As wall accents such as backsplashes
• As tub surrounds and bathroom walls
• Around the fireplace
• In custom tiled areas
Marble is an excellent pool deck, as long as it’s not too smooth a finish. Boulders that leave a profile on the face of the stone are best. A good installation would have used marble with rounded edges as a bull’s-edge around the pool. Another nice touch is to use the rounded marble for the steps leading down to the pool. The softer tiles are generally used for facing inside the pool.
Marble and similar stones do not heat up as much as concrete in the sun, so a marble surface is more comfortable for swimmers and sunbathers’ bare feet.
Common Places to Find Marble
One of the most common uses of marble in the home is as a window sill because it is a large and attractive place to place plants and home décor items. Marble is also found quite often in churches for window sills.
Residentially, small floors like those in an entry foyer or small bathroom are traditional places to find marble. Most authorities agree that marble is not a suggested product for use in high traffic areas such as public commercial buildings.
Walls and vertical surfaces are much better places to use marble because it doesn’t take the abuse it causes underfoot and there’s less chance of acid getting on it and causing damage. Commercially, it is common to see marble in elevators, surrounding entrance and exit doors. This sometimes continues outside, where marble is used to highlight areas on the exterior walls.
There are many types of stone that are used in areas similar to marble. Some of them are harder and do not react to acids, but none are more beautiful than marble. It will add another dimension to any room where it is installed.