Italian marble flooring

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Flooring plays one of the vital roles in decorating home and matching the theme of your living room, bedroom and other rooms. Most of them ignore this and focus on every other detail in the room. Flooring is a part of beautiful room and you need to choose them wise. The marble stone that is quarried in Italy known as Italian marble. Corrara is a place in Italy, known as marble and granite capital of the world. Marble is made from metamorphic rock formation of sedimentary carbonate rocks, distinguished by veins of various minerals deposits, such as quartz, clay, iron oxides, sand and silt and other sediments from the metamorphism of limestone. The materials are naturally fused together under intense pressure to create marble, producing one-of-kind patterns of swirls in a range of colours and hues from whites and creams to reds, grays, pinks, blues and greens.
Marble is natural stone used in structures for centuries not only for artwork and architecture but also for their durability, longevity and performance.
Marble is quite impressive, dramatic visual attractiveness and instant elegance. Marble is extensively used for sculpture, as building material in interior and exterior design and in many other applications. The word ‘Marble’ is colloquially used to refer the stones that are capable of taking polish. Italian marble for structural purpose is considered the material of choice for the elite. Most of the Italian marble slabs are resin impregnated.
Marble stone have remarkable beauty and infect this stone is great to gaze upon. The smoothness of marble is so remarkable that many famous sculptures have been formed from this magnificent stone. When it comes to use these stones for interior design ideas, there are virtually limit less possibilities. Now-a-days, people like to use marble stones in their kitchens, counter tops, dinning tables. Some people beautify a wall with marble stone. Bathroom is also beautifying by using this beautiful stone. In addition to marble stone is used on columns, tile, bathtubs, windows sills and fireplace mantels. This will add elegance and sophistication in to your home. The possibilities that can be achieved by using this stone are virtually limitless and will be great addition to homes.
In past years, Italian marble stone for structural purposes was considered the material of choice for the elite. This to the fact that marble stone was chiefly mined in Italy and exported abroad, making it quite expensive. Present days, quality marble stone is also mined in China, India, Mexico, Spain, Oman, Kazakhstan and Vietnam etc.
Most marbles sold as Italian are actually not from Italy. A large number of these sandstone and sedimentation stones come from Oman, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam and so on. Of course, some like Statuario do come from Italy. The market sells all of them as Italian marble. When purchasing marble, do not forget to notice its edges or look at its underside. Often a thin nylon net is glued to the rear surface of the marble, giving the weak stone additional support. At other times, local hard stone is glued to protect the edges. It is matter of great concern that how most foreign stones have one side pre -polished. This is not because they wanted to impress you or that it is an expensive stone, but as the stone, invariably crumbles into small pieces during transportation, the vendor has to patch it up by applying epoxy compounds with matching colour pigments. Polishing the marble stone becomes a compulsion rather than a choice, as the epoxy compound ‘filling’ hides the stones natural texture and colour. Having said so much about the weakness of the stone, some additional reinforcement, epoxy raisin filling and some precautions, you could achieve high standards of durability.
Precautions for durability of marble stone:
1. It is better not to use very large pieces of stone. Up to 4 sq ft is safe for most stones, but you would need additional reinforcement for stones above that size.
2. Have a double stone thickness at the edges of counters and stairs.
3. Blunt the top edge by a taper or a half round to ensure it is not chipped.
4. Make sure the marble stone is perfectly levelled when fixing or else it tends to crack.
5. Avoid using marble stone in wet and heavy traffic areas like bathrooms, kitchens, balconies if you are concerned about its life cycle cost and durability.
6. Spilled coffee or tea left overnight gets absorbed in these soft stones and would be difficult to remove even after grinding.
In general, views, which are available from many quarter, concerned for marble stone states that from the durability point of view, Indian stones are far superior to their foreign counterparts but having problem of same colour range. They are easier to maintain and last much longer. However, the Italian marble stones are excellent for making sculptures because of its white pureness and crystal like appearance and are available in the same colour range.
There are so many types/ huge variety of Italian marbles is available such as Bianco Pi, Italian Botticino, Perlato Sicilia and Perlato Royal, Verde Alpi, Statuary, Calcuttas, Carrere Venation, Damascus Red and Breech De Vendome etc out of these we provide description of some marble stone as given below:
Bianco Pi marble stone
Bianco Pi Marble Stone comes from Carrara and is famous in Italy. This is the unique marble stone in Carrara has been used from long time. This marble stone available from Carrara deposits is excellent for making sculptures because of its white pureness and crystal like appearance. It has not so much the rate of absorbency in the white Carrara. This problem can be controlled with good quality impregnator sealer but its chemical make up. There is quite a bit of iron mineral with this particular type of stone and if for any chance the water finds its way (even slightly) behind it (through the seams) it will turn yellow because of consequent oxidation of the iron (rust). Many white marbles have inherently this problem.
Italian Botticino marble stone
It is an excellent compact limestone, very hard and dense. It is very good to hone finish that will serve for long time. It is not so good for polish finishing.
Perlato Sicilia and Perlato Royal marble stone
Perlato Sicilia and Perlato Royal marble stones are compact limestone that is quarried in the island of Sicily, in Italy. These stones are very hard and dense and these take a very high polish. These stones show several fossil through out its texture. It is usually a class ‘B’ (the best) or ‘C’ marble.
Verde Alpi
Most green marble are serpentine (Magnesium silicate). The only green ophicalcity is the Italian Verde Alpi. The main component is still serpentine with the addition of gabbros and calcite. Ophicalcity can come in a color different from green- Russo Levant Cipollino.
Benefits of marble
When marble stone with high quality used in home structure and design and efficiently laid, increase the outlook and market value of your house.
n The use of marble enhances décor, give artistic look with unique beauty.
n If marble stone is properly cared, it is highly durable and has long life as any other building material.
n Like other natural stone, marble is hypoallergenic.
n Marble stone flooring provides more hygienic surface than the other material.
n Marble stone flooring is easy to clean thoroughly, improve indoor air quality as it dose not catch allergens materials like carpet.
n Marble stone flooring remains cooler in warmer and hot summer months than many other types of flooring.  
Some negative implications of marble:
n If not cared properly, marble surface get scratches.
n During lying of marble flooring, it is very difficult to arrange matching tiles.
n Do not place hot items directly on the marble floor surface otherwise surface become scorched.
n Marble stone flooring requires routine resealing/ polishing to retain its beauty.
n Uncoated Marble stone flooring get stains easily and become darker.
n Food spills should be wiped up immediately otherwise Marble stone flooring get stain on the surface.
How to clean marble floors:
n Dust mop and damp mop the marble floor at least once a day. You can also use a vacuum cleaner. Just be careful not to scratch the floor.
n Since most stone flooring is porous, be sure to blot any spills immediately.
n Do not use cleaning products that contain any acid content like lemon juice, vinegar or ammonia based cleaners. Acid corrodes the marble stone and takes away the luster of the stone.
n Never drag heavy objects across the marble floors. This will scratch or chip the slabs.
Note
1. If there is improper installation of marble stone then marble stone will not give any décor or artistic look or unique beauty beside the best quality of marble stone.
2. To prevent stains, get the stone sealed with impregnating sealer, especially for Italian marble. n