Polished vs. Honed Marble Characteristics and Styles, Care and Maintenance

Polished vs honed marble is a long controversial issue for many home renovators. If you are still not sure about the right marble surface for your properties, this article aims to give you some insights into differences between two most common marble finishes in the market honed finish and polished finish. Marble has been used to create elegant floors for thousands of years. Marble sophisticated good looks continue to make it popular today. With its striking grain patterns and creamy colors, it’s one of the most recognizable and beautiful natural building materials. There are hundreds of marble from quarries all over the world, each with its own unique personality.

Polished Marble

Polished marble is finished to a high sheen that shows off the beauty and grain of the stone. However, the finish can be slick and slippery, especially when wet. One strategy is to make liberal use of area rugs to protect from slipping. A lot of maintenance is required to keep polished marble floors looking good.

Honed Marble

Honed marble is polished, but to a much lesser degree. While the flooring won’t be as stunning, it’s a much more sensible finish. Honed marble is used especially in high traffic areas or wet rooms, such as kitchens and baths. In these areas, the slightly rougher surface texture provides better traction.

Sealing Marble

Because it’s a natural stone, marble has a porous surface. To help keep it looking beautiful, marble flooring should be refinished every six to 12 months with a quality stone sealer made for marble. It’s also one of the softer stones. High heels and dog claws are not marble’s best friends.

Marble Staining

Unfortunately, marble also has a well-deserved reputation for staining. Orange juice, harsh cleaners and any acidic substances should be cleaned up immediately. Some homeowners report that even water causes staining. The best way to live with marble flooring is to assume that, over time, the floors will develop a unique patina.

Polished vs. Honed Marble

Marble finishes are often a rather confusing element of purchasing marble. Here is a simple comparison between two most common finishes of marble in the market: polished and honed. Over the years, it has been well proven that marble flooring never loses its style. This natural and timeless beauty offers grand, elegant and luxurious characteristics, which make it very popular in all sorts of residential and commercial interior design projects.

Marble Flooring

However, marble is also one of the more expensive tile floorings in the market. As a result, it is wise for property owners, especially homeowners, to consider carefully which type of marble surface to use so as to achieve the best home design effect.

How Marble is Finished?

Honed finish usually involves chafing of silicon carbide or diamond particles to get rid of any trace of scratches and then removing a certain amount of deep-seated soil on the stone. This kind of finish leaves the marble surface with a matte, less-glossy but softer and more natural look. Polished finish, as the name suggests, involves a series of polishing by the stone polishing machine. This process transforms the marble from the rough abrasive pads to the fine diamond impregnated ones with the mirror-like shininess and fascinating radiant look.

Honed Marble Characteristics and Styles

Honed Marble surface leaves a smooth, consistent and flat surface on the ground. This finish gives a velvety and smooth touch that gives a warmth ambiance and elegant touch of the natural stone. Despite the slight lack of sheer and radiance, most homeowners choose Honed Marble because it gives softer and more delicate look in their houses.

Pieces of this natural stone can significantly add a touch of elegance to any casual environment. In addition, Honed marbles have matte surface that is less slippery when it is wet. This kid-friendliness makes it a popular option in high traffic areas within the home. Since honed is less shiny and flat, the scratches and etch marks are less visible as well.

Polished Marble Characteristics and Styles

Polished Marble finish offers a richer and more luxurious appeal. Its shiny surface is classic and sophisticated and can easily blend into any interior design project. Polished marble brings a pleasant sparkle effect. Furthermore, it comes with a huge variation of shades and colors. This versatility allows it to be used in every exquisite architectural design.

Beyond its highly refined surface, this high-end stone flooring also builds up the sense of luxury especially on open space areas, through the smooth and flawless surface. The touch of the coziness can also add comfort and approachability that most interior designers and homeowners admire. Unlike Honed finish, homeowners recommend this finish to lower traffic area of the house as polished marble is more prone to scratches and dust because of its shiny surface.

Care and Maintenance

Marble is, without a doubt, sturdy and durable. But to keep its beauty and to prolong its lifetime, it also requires careful maintenance. In fact, both honed and polished finished marble needs extra care to preserve the elegance of the stone. Honed finish requires more re-sealing than a polished one. The polishing process closes the pores of the marble stone so polished finish has a lower rate of absorption and thus less need for sealing. Polished finish is more stain resistant than honed finished but more prone to scratches and etches.

General Cleaning

For general cleaning, it is recommended to use a non-abrasive pad and use a natural, light cleaner. Use warm water and the clean cloth to gently clean dust or debris on your marble surface. In addition, since most marble is made of the same mineral, acidic substances like vinegar, coffee or salad dressing should be avoided. That is all for our quick overview between honed and marble finish. These two are the most common marble finish in the market. However, if you are interested to find out more about marble and natural stone, stay with us on Niayesh Stone Blog.

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Sources

www.diynetwork.com/how-to/rooms-and-spaces/floors/what-you-should-know-about-marble-flooring

www.diynetwork.com/how-to/rooms-and-spaces/floors/what-you-should-know-about-engineered-wood-flooring

www.floor-master.com/post/honed-marble-vs-polished-marble

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