Need help asap - Is marble a bad choice for shower seat top?

15 years ago

In our newly built shower we have crema marfil/emperador(?) marble basket weave floor and porcelain crema marble loking wall tile. Naturally, I was thinking about creama marfil marble for the shower seat, but my contractor says it could crack under the weight of a person and therefore not a good choice. His advice is to use an engineered stone.

Is this a valid concern? I do trust his opinion in general but this time I think partially it has to do with the fact that local granite/marble fabricators don't come over for shower seat installation so if i picked marble he would have to install it but it doesn't sound like he wants to.

And if not marble and not engineered stone, than what else can we use in there?

In addition, if someone knows of a good fabricator who would come over to install just a shower seat top and a shower stoop in North NJ please let me know

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Comments (5)

sweeby
15 years ago
I can't comment with any knowledge on the cracking issue, but I can say that Crema Marfil marble is prone to etching, so I would never use it for a shower seat. On your floor, the little pieces combined with the darker Emparador will disguise any staining and etching to some degree, but a sheet of marble in a place where you're likely to set shampoo bottles...

I'd use the bulletproof porcelain instead. There are seat 'frames' that most professional tile stores will carry, and you tile installer can just tile over that base to form a sturdy and good-looking seat.
bill_vincent
15 years ago
Is this a valid concern?

No, it's not. Crema Marfil, until it's set, is one of the worst stones to deal with, because the faults that run through it are so bad, that many times, the stone will crack just from its own weight. Once it's set, though, it's just as tough as any other stone. Sweeby's right about etching, though.
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vineyard
15 years ago
In our last home, we used Brecchia Oniciata marble slabs on the tub deck, which was in the middle of the bathroom and open on 3 sides. I sat on the marble all the time and it had a candelabra and bubble bath bottles on it as well...no problems whatsoever.

In our almost-complete new construction home, we went with Crema Marfil slabs on the tub deck, shower seat, shower shelf niches and shower thresholds. No experience with cracking and they're completely installed, so as Bill says, I don't think there will be any problems since it's set already. Don't know about etching yet, but we won't be placing any items on the shower seat anyway.

It's personal preference, but I would opt to do slab in any material over tile for the shower seat, for both looks and comfort. We had emperador marble tiles on the tub deck and shower seat in a previous home and although it was nice, I do love the slabs so much better. YMMV!
annab6
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you for such quick responses. Sweeby, the seat is already built and everything is tiled, just missing the seat top. Is the frame you are talking about needed for building the seat or for tiling a seat that is already built?

Bill, thanks for the information about the cracking. Are there any tips on how it should be handled to prevent cracking during installation? Also, if the contractor has never installed one, should i even pursue this further with him? I know he's installed corian but that could be entirely different.

As far as etching, what if get it honed? shouldn't it minimize the etching problem? Staining can be a problem since it is so light. What about sealers? the tile store sold me a marble and grout sealer that is supposed to last for a long time.
bill_vincent
15 years ago
Are there any tips on how it should be handled to prevent cracking during installation?

VERY CAREFULLY!! :-) Seriously, try and distribute the weight of the stone evenly by choosing carefully where you place your hands when picking it up. If it's a good size piece, you might even consider putting a piece of 1/2" plywood under it as a "carrier" until it's time to actually put it in place, and even then carry it to its final destination with that plywood.

As far as etching, what if get it honed? shouldn't it minimize the etching problem?

It should minimize how badly it shows up.

What sealer did they sell you? Specifically?

Need help asap - Is marble a bad choice for shower seat top?

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Need help asap - Is marble a bad choice for shower seat top?

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sweeby

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