Checking Quality Marble Personally

Checking quality marble personally is a good advice for those who want to save some money on their home renewing projects. Stay with us.

Checking Quality Marble Personally

Quality marble tiles do not have to come with a high price tag, if you know what to avoid when selecting them. If you know how to spot inferiorities in marble tiles, you have a better chance of selecting quality tiles at inexpensive prices to save on your tile renovation project. Just remember to buy about 10 percent more than your project calls for to make up for tile-cutting mistakes during installation. It also helps to keep a few tiles on hand for replacement as needed.

Calibration and Dimension

The thickness of tile that is its calibration offers one indication of its quality. Obviously, the thicker the marble tile the better, as marble tiles naturally contain flaws. These flaws are nice to look at, but, depending upon its application, they can also cause the tile to break if it is too thin. Besides calibration, check tile dimensions to make certain all the tiles are square. During the cutting process, cutting tools can get off track and misalign, causing slightly trapezoidal tile shapes. This is not good for creating tight and equal grout lines. Select tiles that are of the same dimensions, height, length and depth, when you want a level floor or countertop.

Cracks and Appearance

The veins, cracks and fissures in marble give it a naturally artistic appearance, but can also affect its strength. Examine the surface of marble for large fissures or cracks. And then turn the tile over to check the other side in the same place. Quality tiles do not have fissures or fractures that go all the way through the tile, but instead have a vein of color without a crack running through it. Manufacturers also apply fiberglass or epoxy mesh reinforcements on the backside of lower quality and weaker tiles to ensure that the tile does not break.

Chips and Cracks

Marble tiles with chips and cracks can indicate a weakness in the tile. While some chipping and cracking is normal, when chips and cracks appear on more than 5 percent of the tiles, the marble is too soft and can chip and crack when you cut them for installation. Carefully look at the marble tile for smoothness on all surfaces: the edges, front and back of the tile. Check for pockmarks or indications of crumbling in lower quality tiles.

Doctored Tiles

Sometimes manufacturers add fill to areas that chip or crack on tiles. If you notice dull areas when holding the tile under a light at a slight angle, especially when most of the surface has a mirror-like appearance, this typically indicates a lower quality marble. High quality marble tiles contain no holes or breaks that require the addition of fill. Avoid using acidic chemicals when cleaning marble tiles, as the material that makes up marble, calcium carbonate, disintegrates with the application of acids.

Start Checking Your Stone

You can start by looking for scratches or tiny cracks on its surface just by looking at it. If you can’t see any then look for discoloration and lack of sheen in it. You can also use a thermal infrared camera to check for tiny chips and cracks that you can’t see or by using a protimeter.

Protimeter Moisture Meter

The Protimeter is the industry’s most advanced all-in-one moisture meter. Its ergonomic design allows one-handed operation to measure moisture on and below the surface as well as ambient air humidity. An infrared thermometer which calculates the difference between dew point and surface temperature, is just one of the many advances designed to assess moisture in new/refurbishing projects and help diagnose moisture-related problems in existing buildings.

Inferior Marble Brands Remedies

In inferior marble brands chemical might be added to the surface. This is done to heal scratches and cracks look for dullness in the sheen of the marble, also acid based cleaning products can produce discoloration or dullness.

To learn more about us, click here. 

Sources

specialties.bayt.com/en/specialties/q/353071/how-can-you-inspect-a-new-marble-floor/