When replacing or choosing a new worktop for your kitchen, marble is a top candidate. Most people gravitate towards this classic option because there are plenty of varieties, color options, and they are a stunning addition to any kitchen.
While there are plenty of positives with marble worktops, there are also a few negatives. For example, marble does not react well to acidic kitchen ingredients like lime and vinegar; this is true for sealed, high-quality marble worktops as well.
However, if you know what you are getting and learn how to maintain it properly, there are very few options that will accentuate your kitchen, like a marble worktop.
Let’s discuss marble worktops and help you learn the things you need to know about them before choosing one as your replacement or new kitchen worktop.
Marble Worktops: What You Need to Know
Marble is a natural, metamorphic stone, which means it is formed by transforming existing rocks into a new type of rock. It is formed from rock sediment that goes through immense heat and pressure to crystallize and cool into marble.
While it is plenty strong, marble is not nearly as strong as some other metamorphic rocks and has a porous characteristic that stains easily. Acidic ingredients can stain and scratch the marble surface because of the high calcium carbonate content in marble.
Many homeowners like the aged look of stained marble, while others keep up with its maintenance to ensure it remains pristine for longer. If you are looking into marble worktops for your kitchen, you may need to consider these things.
Types of Marble Finishes
Marble finish can change the way your marble looks and how you have to maintain it. There are two main types of marble finishes for kitchen worktops.
- Polished Finish
Polished finish is the dreamy marble worktop you may picture in your head when you think of a high-quality, white marble worktop. It is the most popular marble finish and has a polished, bright, glossy sheen that is less likely to stain easily.
However, the drawback is that it is more prone to scratches. Moreover, while the polished look is exceptionally brilliant on brand new worktops, it will get slightly duller over the years. If you are not a fan of this aging process, you may need to re-polish the marble over time.
- Honed Finish
The honed finish on marble has a traditional look and an almost buttery feel. It offers a low-maintenance marble worktop that has the aged look we mentioned earlier. This type of finish is resistant to scratches and can stand up to high-traffic areas such as worktops.
The marble surface goes through sanding to achieve a smooth, matte, honed finish. However, its porous nature makes it more prone to stains and requires sealing to avoid liquids and wine spills to soak into the marble.
Although, even sealing is not entirely effective, and you will eventually see slight staining as it ages, which is part of its characteristic appeal for many people. In any case, the honed finish is the best marble worktop for easy maintenance.
Other marble finishes like tumble finish and brushed finish are not entirely the best for worktops as they are either more abrasive or porous.
Cleaning Marble Worktops
With all our stain talk, it may seem like cleaning marble worktops is difficult, but this is not the case; in fact, marble worktop cleaning is surprisingly easy. Whether a stain or regular cleaning, just use warm water and regular dish soap to wipe down and dry the worktop.
If a stain is tough, consider using baking soda with warm water and leaving it overnight to pull out the stains. That’s it! Cleaning marble worktops is that simple.
Sealing Marble Worktops
Sealing is always crucial for marble worktops, but it is especially important with a honed finish to close up the exposed pores and limit stain frequency. While sealing can be done yourself, it is always recommended to have professionals seal your worktop for superior results.
If nothing, the first seal should always be handled by professionals, and you can top off the seal yourself when it is needed later. You can easily find plenty of DIY videos and content online to help you seal your marble worktops.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have a much better understanding of marble worktops, what they are made of, how to clean them, seal them, and what their overall maintenance looks like. Whether for brand new kitchens or for replacement worktops, marble is an excellent addition to any kitchen, and we highly recommend considering it for yours.
