NON-RESILIENT TILE: MARBLE FLOORS

The composition of marble is principally calcium carbonate in crystalline form.  The beautiful colors in marble are due to various minerals in the ground which effect this colorization.  Marble is generally porous and should be sealed.

CAUTIONS

• Avoid acids.  Acids will attack marble floors and cause pitting and in the case of extreme exposure, loss of strength.
• Avoid abrasives.  Marble is a relatively soft stone and can be permanently scratched by harsh abrasives like sand, some scouring cleansers and overly agressive floor pads, if used in a dry state.
• Avoid crystalline cleansers, such as Trisodium Phosphate - (T.S. P.).  Crystals formed in the pores of the floor upon evaporation of the cleaning solution exert a sufficient pressure to cause a spalling or chipping of the surface.
• Silicate hardeners.  Marble treated with solutions of silicates have increased surface density, hardness and gloss.  It almost non-porous and cannot be sealed unless sanded or mechanically abraded to allow the seal to adhere to the surface.  It can be a difficult task to seal or finish marble.