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marble floor in a busy bathroom

13 years ago

i'm thinking of doing a basketweave pattern in marble in my first floor bath. it is the only bathroom on that floor and will get used a lot by kids, guests, etc. will the marble scratch or show wear easily? i get different answers at different tile stores. i'm going with something pretty dark with some light beige squares. also, how will it hold up in a shower floor.

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Comments (5)

berdavids
Original Author
13 years ago
follow up question - do some marble colors/patterns wear better than others? what happens if you don't seal it?
sue_b
13 years ago
Go to the Gardenweb Flooring forum and put "marble floor" in the search box and I believe there are posts there about care and wear for marble floors.
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kwortmann
13 years ago
My parents had marble in the foyer of their home. You definitely need it sealed, cleaned, and maintained regularly. Even with that, in a high traffic area it would show its wear. But, they've had it for over 20 years. Does the bathroom have a tub/shower? If so, marble could get slippery and be dangerous. But, it would definitely look cool... good luck!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Need Countertops?
rookie_2010
13 years ago
You'll see different types of wear depending on the finish. A polished finish will probably show more wear because the polish can dull in concentrated areas. A honed marble will not show as much wear and if kept sealed, shouldn't stain very easily either. Sealed marble, honed or polished will etch when in contact with acidic substances. The etching is more noticeable in a polished finish than a honed.
Also, a basketweave pattern is a small scale pattern and it shouldn't show wear as easily as a large expanse of marble would. Another good thing about it is that it will be very slip resistant from all the grout.
Sealing is easy, get something like Miracle Brand 511 Porous Plus sealer and wipe on, wipe off. Voila, marble AND grout sealed in one shot. I've slipped and fell on the wet linoleum floor in my old house and now I have one fall under my belt on the marble floor. I don't think I fell any faster or harder on the marble, lol.
Hope this helps!
corky1_2008 Harris
13 years ago
I have marble basketweave in my bathroom. I also worried that it would be slippery. The basketweave pattern makes it nonslick. I thought that I needed a mat in the shower but discovered that I don't. The small components of the basketweave eliminate the skid factor.
I cannot comment on wear as I have only had the bathrooms for 2 months.

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