Inspecting the Quality of Marble 

Inspecting the quality of marble is vital issue. While there is no industry standard for quality when it comes to marble, there are some ways you can watch out for lower-quality materials. Learning what makes a marble stronger, what makes it weaker and when these factors matter can help you choose the right material for your tile design.

 

Natural Stone in Construction

Stone in the past decades has been the most widely used building material, highly tied to the natural environment. The stone walls, dams, warehouses, farmhouses, paving, etc., are remarkable stone constructions and functional creations. Stone as building material was originating from rocks in the near territory, resulting an absolute harmony with the natural environment.

 

Natural Marble

Marble has brought elegance and class to homes, commercial building, castles and so on for centuries. In recent times, the love for marble has grown to furniture and now fashion accessories and clothing designs. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the product, there are many limitations to its usage, which is why we have a mixture of faux marble. It can be difficult to tell if you are looking at authentic marble, faux marble or simple a print. Modern imitative materials can replicate the exact look and functionality of marble.

 

Human-made Marble

Human-made marble has its beauty and value, but you may want to know when you’re looking at the real thing. Learning the characteristics of marble will help you identify it on sight.

 

Marble as a Metamorphic Rock

Marble is a metamorphic rock that is created when limestone is subjected to a considerable amount of heat and pressure within the earth’s crust, making it a dense and durable material. It gets its unique coloring, textures and veins from the metamorphic change that the limestone undergoes regarding its marble effect and mineral composition.

 

Re-crystallization Process of Marble

Marble undergoes a re-crystallization process wherein fossil materials, and other sundry elements and minerals are heated and pressurized, creating the stone. Marble is a natural stone which is used in the construction of residential buildings, public buildings, offices, and religious structures. Apart from the flooring, marble tiles are also used in backsplash, countertops, facades and as decorative wall cladding. For more durability, it is advisable to use good quality marble.

 

Centuries-old Elegance of Marble

Marble adds a centuries-old elegance to any home or commercial building it inhabits. But it can be difficult to tell if you are looking at authentic marble, faux marble or granite. Modern imitative materials can replicate the exact look and functionality of marble. Human-made marble has its beauty and value — but you may want to know when you’re looking at the real thing.

 

Inspecting the Quality of Marble

There are many ways and means for inspecting the quality of marble. Before buying marble tiles for your house, a homeowner must check its quality at the site. Here are some ways in which you can get a rough idea about the quality of marble.

 

Check the Coloration

While the coloration of marble can vary from pristine white to black, the natural stone comes in subtle shades of coloring rather than stark colors. Marble free of any impurities or flaws appears as a solid white. Layers in the limestone and integration with other naturally occurring minerals can create green, yellow, pink, grey, cream and bluish coloration. Bright and stark colors such as turquoise, orange or black signify granite, human-made stone — or natural marble that has been mixed with other ingredients such as cement to create a faux marble product that is easy to a custom color.

 

Look for Veins

The veins and swirls present in many marble pieces occur when various mineral impurities mix with the original limestone. From discrete white veins in grey marble to violet, red or blue veins in yellow Sienna marble, natural marble will show its impurities through long sinewy streaks.

 

The Shine and Sheen

The glossiness of true marble is one of its most desirable attributes and distinguishable characteristics — and can’t be sustainably imitated. Synthetic stones made for kitchen countertops and other household surfaces incorporate glass and other finely crushed materials with a high sheen into their compound. This can create an initial high gloss, but will not shine as clearly or brightly as highly polished natural marble. Use marble polish to get the stone’s surface to its purest and cleanest state, and to be able to see the true nature of the stone.

 

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

 

 

Calibration and Dimension

The thickness of slab and tile that is marble calibration offers one indication of its quality. Obviously, the thicker the marble slabs and tiles, 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 marble and tiles 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. It 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.

 

Finally Do the Knife Test

Authentic marble is a metaphoric rock formed by applying heat to limestone, forming crystals of calcite, a relatively soft mineral. Because of this, the surface of marble shows scratches and wear more easily than its imitators. The malleability of marble is what has made it a popular material for sculptures and custom-shaped kitchen countertops, and any real marble will become more highly individualized through aging and usage. If you see scratches or signs of wear on the surface of your stone, you are looking at real marble. If you scratch a knife across an inconspicuous area or on the underside of the slab and it shows little or no damage, you are looking at the more durable granite or manufactured stone.

Laboratory Tests

Above are the basic field tests and if you want to really check the material quality, there are certain laboratory tests like water absorption, dimensions, Mhos scale hardness, chemical resistance, specific gravity, porosity, modulus rapture, frost resistance, thermal shock, etc. In today’s global markets, it is necessary to test all materials in the laboratory, particularly for a large project.

To learn more about us, click here. 

Send your price quotes directly to our WhatsApp through this Link: https://wa.link/ord5k8

Sources

cmpstone.com.au/how-can-you-tell-the-quality-of-marble/

pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/270703/1-s2.0-S2210784315X00039/1-s2.0-S2210784315001126/main.pdf?X-Amz-Security

gharpedia.com/blog/check-quality-of-marble-at-site/