{"id":1269,"date":"2017-06-19T17:33:51","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T17:33:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/?p=1269"},"modified":"2017-06-19T17:33:51","modified_gmt":"2017-06-19T17:33:51","slug":"5-facts-about-marble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/19\/5-facts-about-marble\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Essential Facts About Marble"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_911\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-911\" style=\"width: 224px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Orange-floor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-911 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Orange-floor-224x300.png\" alt=\"Orange floor\" width=\"224\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Orange-floor-224x300.png 224w, http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Orange-floor.png 507w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-911\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marble Floor at the Getty Villa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Marbles\u00a0are\u00a0not necessarily \u201cSoft\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Many people say that marble is a \u201csoft stone,\u201d but really what they mean is that it has a tendency to react to acids. Actually, the minerals in marble are not the softest on the <a href=\"http:\/\/pubs.marble-institute.com\/pub\/2f75dbd6-a265-da4e-5340-c1e3dc3d0622\">Mohs scale<\/a>; it is a common misconception that stone softness has a correlation to chemical (acid) resistance.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To state these facts simply, most marbles etch when they come in contact with acids, ammonia and alcohol (etch marks look as if the shine or the finish of the stone has been removed). The wrong cleaner, tomato sauce, even the condensation on the bottom of a glass can all etch marble, so be sure to use coasters, cutting boards, trays and neutral cleaners such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/specialty\/lavenet.htm\">Lavenet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_0080.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-1274 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_0080-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"img_0080\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_0080-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_0080-768x1024.jpg 768w, http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_0080-600x800.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>(By the way, acid etch marks can be removed through restoration, call <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\">International Stoneworks<\/a> for more information.)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Marble surfaces require specialty stone cleaners<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Acid cleaners are a no no, so avoid cleaning with vinegar; also water by itself is not a cleaner. You want to use a neutral stone cleaner such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/residential\/crystal_clean.htm\">Akemi Crystal Clean<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/specialty\/lavenet.htm\">Lavenet<\/a>. If you want to disinfect your marble without etching the stone, try <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/specialty\/nabc.htm\">Sani-Tyze<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Marble is very diverse<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Not into the traditional polished or honed finishes, no problem! Try a more textured finish such as leathered, tumbled or brushed. Not to mention, marble comes in a variety of colors: everything from timeless white to bold red.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Antiqued.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-190 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Antiqued-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Antiqued\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Antiqued-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Antiqued-1024x682.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Sealing marble is a great idea<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Seal marble surfaces annually with a penetrating sealer such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/sealers\/sealnngo_s.htm\">Seal &amp; Go\u00ae S<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/sealers\/sealnngo_w.htm\">Seal &amp; Go\u00ae W<\/a>. These penetrating\/impregnator sealers do not change the appearance of the surface and do not add shine, but they do protect the stone. (If you want more shine, call a stone restorer such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/care_and_maintenance.htm\">International Stoneworks<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Sealed-Carrara.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-629\" src=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Sealed-Carrara-277x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sealed Carrara Marble\" width=\"277\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Sealed-Carrara-277x300.jpg 277w, http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Sealed-Carrara.jpg 590w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sealers help prevent oil and grease stains, so great for the kitchen. Sealers do have their limitations, though. Sealers do not prevent acid etching.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Marble maintenance<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Marble actually isn\u2019t too difficult to maintain as long as you stick with your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/specialty\/lavenet.htm\">neutral cleaners<\/a>. A knowledgeable consumer is the best consumer, so if you are considering investing in a beautiful marble surface, take the time do a little homework (like reading this blog!) and just know that if you do have a little spill with an acidic product, that it is totally fixable by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intlstoneworks.com\/care_and_maintenance.htm\">professional restorers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Bottom line, enjoy your marble countertops, floor, shower, whatever surface you have!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; 1. Marbles\u00a0are\u00a0not necessarily \u201cSoft\u201d Many people say that marble is a \u201csoft stone,\u201d but really what they mean is that it has a tendency to react to acids. Actually, the minerals in marble are not the softest on the Mohs scale; it is a common misconception that stone softness has a correlation to chemical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[39,58,62,73,235],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1269"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1276,"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269\/revisions\/1276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/intlstoneworks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}