I am also considering marble, haven't found a porcelain with anywhere close to the look of the real thing. Like you, I'm concerned about upkeep, esp. if the cost of special cleaners. The stuff I use on my granite kitchen counters costs $9 a bottle!

If your floors aren't stiff enough or the installers take shortcuts, the marble (or any natural stone) is likely to crack. Porcelain floors are a lot more durable in that respect.

But if you're willing to do what it takes to strengthen the floor, and make sure you keep it sealed as well as using a ph neutral cleaner, it's worth it. Nothing like real stone. But I WILL say rectiied porcelain is the closest thing to it, as ell as the closest you'll find to maintenence free.

We bought a 20 year old house with original Italian Marble Bathroom. We had a partial remodel done (vanity instead of sink, marble shower instead of bidet, kept the big tub and marble surround and marble floor and walls). When this was done we had the old marble floor refinished because the polish did not shine that much anymore especially on the floor and after 20 years of use it had some etches but now it all looks like new. We like the classic look of marble and I do not think it takes a lot to upkeep it. Our marble guy told us to clean with furniture polish (if you look at the spray bottle it tells you it is good for marble), but I have never had to use it yet. Just wipe with a damp cloth. And we followed bill vincents advice to seal the shower before using which was not difficult at all and will be done frequently. So I would say if you like marble go for it, just do not spill nailpolish remover on it...

We just finished an all-marble bath for clients. It was basketweave mosaic floor, carrara slab counter tops and shower. The slab shower is magnificent.
For myself, I did an elaborate marble floor, and relatively inexpensive ceramic subway tile for the walls and tub surround, and that looks fine, too. It's okay to mix things up, IOW.
Casey

I too am trying to decide on using a white/grey marble in our MBA.

Bill, I had read some posts over at John Bridge discussing yellowing issues with marble tiles used in showers areas. Is this something to be concerned with? We're doing a complete Kerdi shower/ditra floor, but certainly don't want to be concerned with chances of yellowing. Certainly, not planning on using any big box store marble, but what I read lead me to believe this was not a product inferiority issue, but rather a chemical composition thing that was a risk with all white marble??? Thoughts? Just when I thought I had made a choice, something more I can worry about.

Casey, I've seen some of your beautiful work on other posts. Care to share some pics of the marble bath/floor you did. Always enjoy your eye candy.

WE just put in a small ensuite that is all Calacutta and what they call Oriental White. Small 5/8 x 5/8 on the showr floor, 2 x 6 off set subway on the shower wall wtih a band of 1 x 2 around the middle and in the nooks and 18 x 18 on the floor. Oh and hte slab vanity top coming this week. Mainenance....what maintenance? Our tile guy (I've been told by many fabricators he is on e of the best in the city) said we didn't need to seal in the shower....what is is going to get stained with? Yes it will darken over time and we will seal the grout but honestly, it has been a breeze so far and looks great!
Go for it. Just make sure your shower floor is either small tile and/or honed.

We have had Thassos marble on our tub deck and surround and on our shower walls for over nine years. No problems at all with it. I have a seat in the shower where I put shampoo bottles and conditioners and they will leave a ring that I just spray with bleach and water and they're gone. I spray down the shower walls every few uses, also, due to the fact that I have allergies to mold and this keeps mold from forming in the grout lines

I wouldn't want marble on a vanity top nor the floor tho. I don't like cleaning that much and I think they would be very prone to staining due to their horizontal positions.

Bill, I had read some posts over at John Bridge discussing yellowing issues with marble tiles used in showers areas. Is this something to be concerned with?

Th yellowing is caused by iron in the stone. This is something that usually only happens with bargain basement stone. It's the difference between 4.00 a foot Carrara ad 7.00 a foot Carrara. I won't say never, but it's very rare that this happens with good stone.

We have had a tumbled marble shower,floor and top for almost 5 years and see no problems. Seal once or twice a year and use PH neutral cleaner. Quest bath has polished marble on counter top only and shines like it was new.

Bill,

Thanks.... still on the fence on this one. For what it's worth, I'm trying to chose between a carerra (sp?) marble or a silver travertine. Both are lovely stones, but vastly different. Trying to weigh the pros and cons of each. I appreciate hearing the marble yellowing is more of a stone quality issue.

And just in case for the other posters, the marble yellowing has occured in showers BEFORE use.... so it wasn't a gradual over time thing that can be prevented with some sort of sealing. My understanding is that the iron of the marble reacts with the water of the thinset.

I hope marble bathrooms aren't a bad idea. We just completed our marble and travertine bathroom and it's lovely! I understand that stone "ages" and I'm okay with that lived-in look. But, I hope that it doesn't yellow, or crack, etc!

that being said, if I could have found an acceptable ceramic/porcelain tile to use I would have gone for it. to my eye, there is nothing like using the real thing, stone, in this case

Good luck making your decision.

My understanding is that the iron of the marble reacts with the water of the thinset.

And lime

For nearly 20 years, we've lived with two travertine bathrooms done by the previous homeowners. Considering they were do-it-yourselfers, they did pretty good. One bathroom, our guest bathroom, has an antique hutch converted into a bathroom vanity with marble replacing the countertop surfaces (I love that piece), marble floors, a slab marble tub counter, marble on the walls, a marble wide windowsill, and a marble with wood trim tub surround.

The wood was probably not the best idea around a bathtub, but it has not warped and has help up pretty well. It's required repainting, of course. I am mindful to keep the wood as dry as possible.

The grand slab bathtub counter (don't know what else to call it) has held up well. We've had to replace plumbing, but the marble has held up. Maybe next year, we will have the marble polished up in there. That bathroom has light to moderate use and has, miraculously, no real etching even after 20 years. Some hard water deposits around the toilet base. The caulk (sanded caulk?) needs to be replaced around the perimeter where the marble on the walls of the shower/tub touches the marble slab counter. For what it is worth, we never put in a shower curtain there - it is a bathtub bathroom only. I think that helped preserve the marble and the wood. The marble on the windowsill was not done correctly. The windowsill had to be reworked by experts who chose to demo and replace it with something else.

Our master bathroom is all pinkish travertine. This bathroom features the travertine shower with glass doors, pinkish (really flesh colored)travertine on the walls, and the windowsills as well. Same problem in here with the travertine on the windowsills. Those sills cracked, warped, and had to be replaced.

There is a weird problem on the wall. It looks like there was some filler used in the travertine when it was sold/installed. Over time, the filler seems to have evaporated and has left a more pitted and hollowed surface. The affected area is directly above the wall mounted lights that flank the mirror. I think the heat from the lights might have contributed to it. It looks odd. I have found a tile and marble restoration person. After we finish other projects this year, I'll consider having him inspect and repolish this bathroom, too.

This second bathroom has a travertine shower. The shower is badly etched and I don't trust the pan. We have had hard water at times over the past 20 years. The hard water is not kind to the marble. Also, we certainly should have recaulked over the years. Didn't know to do that. Probably sealer too? Not sure, but we had no idea how to take care of it. There is etching of the marble, too, where we used too harsh of cleaning products. I am the most unhappy with the travertine in this shower. I don't think I want a marble or travertine shower in any remodels in the future, but for lower-use situations, like our guest bath, it still works for me. If well-trained adults are the occupants, it might work. My husband, though, tends to nuke the shower to clean it on an occasional burst of energy without my OK. I should have a bathroom that he can nuke with Lime-Away if he wants to, not something with a picky product like marble.

I have found a steam cleaner to be useful inside the shower for cleaning. Not sure if it gets the experts OK, but that is what I've been doing in recent years. I haven't needed to use the steam cleaner anywhere but in the shower.

The floor in both baths is travertine. We had a bathroom scale that left a small rust stain on the floor where the plastic glide came off its foot. I was able to rub most of it out, forgot what I used - - some sort of Helful Hint - but a bit remains. I am super-hyper about no metal in the bathroom on the floors -- no metal trash cans or step stools, for example, even if coated in plastic.

When we first moved in, people warned us that we would be slipping and sliding on marble bathroom floors. Knock on wood, no one has ever slipped on the bathroom floors. We've been mindful to not put down polishes that are meant for wall or counter marble. Polishes for floors must say floor on it. I am always worried about stepping out of the bathtub as it is rather a high ledge to get to the floor. I never step onto the marble, always onto the rug.

That's our marble story.

We have built a house, about a year ago. Our master has honed carrara marble on the walls, floors, counters and shower. We have sealed it and are very careful. We don't put anything down unless it is is on a towel or something to prevent staining. I love it and it is worth the extra care.

We have a marble top on our vanity and it is an etched nightmare. Mouthwash, toothpaste, cosmetics and other liquids have left marks (i.e., etchings) all over it. The top was sealed but sealing apparently doesn't prevent etchings. As beautiful as marble is, I wouldn't get it again due to this problem.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. Keep it coming!