The Three Biggest Risks of Installing Marble (and Why Marble Is Worth It Anyway)

Home renovations can seem intimidating when you’re just starting. You may feel like you know what you’re doing and what you want your home to look like when you start, only to run into obstacles or change your mind once you’ve begun. Making design choices based on current trends can make your home look outdated a few years down the line when it comes time to sell. How can you be sure that your renovations will help increase the value of your home? Installing marble countertops is a popular choice for kitchen and bathroom renovations, but it is not without its shortcomings. Let’s take a look at the risks that come with installing marble in your home.

The Biggest Risks of Installing Marble Countertops

Like all home renovations, there are pros and cons to installing marble countertops. Here is a list of the main factors that make installing marble risky.

Porosity

Marble is among the more porous materials that you can use for your countertops. The term “porosity” refers to how easily air or liquids can seep into the material. A higher porosity has more holes or “pores” for fluids and air to travel through. In contrast, something with a lower porosity is more resilient and better able to block unwanted moisture from entering. In terms of what this means for your countertops, marble is more prone to stains than other materials. Moisture seeps its way into tiny pores in the stone, which means that bacteria are likely to collect in the stone. It is difficult to clean out the bacteria that grows in tiny holes on the surface of a stone, and this causes staining issues with marble countertops.

Prone to Scratches

According to the Mohs Hardness Scale, marble is on the lower end of the spectrum scoring a three, making it a very soft material to work with. Marble’s softness makes it great to work with in art and architecture, which is one reason why it is so prevalent in home decorating. But the softness of the material is also part of its downfall. Because marble is so soft, it is easy to scratch and chip, making it more susceptible to damage. Chips and scratches in your marble countertops can be costly to fix and create divots in the material where mold and bacteria can collect. Scratches and chips in your countertop can also be an eyesore, making frequent repairs a priority issue.

Maintenance Costs

While there are some risks to installing marble countertops, workarounds do exist. Adding a sealing layer to your countertops will create a barrier between the marble and the atmosphere, protecting it from chips and stains. Using a seal is an excellent solution to the problems faced with a marble countertop, but it is not permanent; you will have to do regular re-seals to keep your countertops in the best shape possible. If you opt to skip the sealing step on your countertops, you will have the maintenance cost of fixing chipped and scratched countertops. While these may seem like minimal costs, the cost of regular maintenance will add up over time. Installing marble countertops is an investment, so it’s important to know what to expect in terms of promoting the longevity of your investment so that you can make an informed decision.

Why Marble Is Worth Anyway

Now that you know the risks associated with installing marble countertops let’s talk a bit about why you should use it anyway. Marble is a staple material in home decorating. There are several reasons why marble is so popular: it’s beautiful, relatively inexpensive to acquire, and classic without making your home look dated. Marble is timeless. Choosing marble countertops also allows you more freedom to cater your kitchen or bathroom to your style. There are tons of different options to choose from in terms of color and veining. More options mean that you can select a type of marble that will best match your appliances and cupboards for a uniform look and a better overall aesthetic.

Conclusion

While there are some risks involved with choosing marble as the material for your countertops, they are ultimately worth the risk. As long as you keep up with the regular sealing maintenance, your countertops will be in good shape for years to come. If you’re looking for quality marble countertop installation, or you just want to explore the possibilities of your vision, contact us at Marble Unlimited for a free quote.