Marble has always made it to homes and commercial units owing to its ability for offering craftsmanship, luxury, and timeless design. With rising investments in commercial as well as residential properties, particularly, in the Raleigh area, the demand for this natural stone has surged more than ever before. Marble continues to emerge as one of the most-requested stone for both remodelling and new construction ventures. At Urban Source countertops, fabricators believe that the demand for marble is likely to continue surging driven by the elegant aesthetics and distinctive veining it offers. Furthermore, the fact that this stone is equally functional due to its strong heat-resistance, makes it one of the most sought-after natural stone among conventional and contemporary consumers.
When it comes to making a significant long-term investment for a new kitchen, or a classic bathroom vanity, or may be a customized island centrepiece, consumers have to take several factors into consideration. Understanding the pluses and minuses of the natural stone will offer an upper edge to them over other counterparts with half-baked knowledge on the same. This is why, it is extremely important to understand why marble continues to hold the demand and a timeless appeal.
Let us explore the key marble pros, cons, care tips, and innovative design ideas as we delve in the Urban Source Countertops world.
Upsides of Choosing Marble as your Preferable Countertop
As marble is a metamorphic stone formed naturally over a million of years, it is able to offer unique veining patterns and colors that often cannot be replicated by other natural or engineered materials like quartz. Apart from this, there are a few other advantages of this natural stone making it the most ideal choice for modern and conventional buyers.
- Enduring Character and Beauty: The fact that no two marble slabs are alike gives homeowners an exclusive as well as unique appeal. Distinguished veining patterns enable marble to enrich rooms by accentuating the creative character to modern spaces. This is why, Raleigh-based modern-age designers are recurrently choosing marble for bar tops, and fireplace surrounds, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Natural Thermal Resistance: Marble is an exceptionally well thermal resistant stone making it an ideal choice for baking lovers. So homeowners who love to spend their day making doughs and pastries in larger batches often opt for marble countertops. In addition, the natural stone’s heat resistance also aids it in finding a place in high-use commercial cooking environments of next to fireplace installations:
- Elevates the Real Estate Value: A significant consideration in Raleigh’s competitive real estate market is the overall value of properties. Marble is often seen as premium material and knowing its worth in terms of luxury and longevity, homeowners willingly make this investment to pump up the property desirability.
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Shortcomings of Marble Countertops and Ways to Dodge Them
Natural stones including marble require several steps for overall maintenance. While it offers indisputable beauty and aesthetics, it is of supreme importance for homeowners to know how it behaves over a period of time.
- Frequent Imprints or Etches: Marble has almost instant reaction to acids as it is made of calcite. So, any exposure to certain acidic substances in kitchen like wine, lemon juice, or tomato sauce, marbles are often etched with a dull mark.
- How to Fix: Deploying steel or bamboo chopping boards, cutting trays, and sealers will lower any direct contact with bitter items, thus, preserving your marble slab for years to come.
- How to Fix: Deploying steel or bamboo chopping boards, cutting trays, and sealers will lower any direct contact with bitter items, thus, preserving your marble slab for years to come.
- Prone to Scratches and Stains: Marbles tend to engross oils or absorb pigmented liquids very quickly if sealed ineffectively. Furthermore, since they are a softer material, they get scratches quicker than any of the other harder stones like granite or quartz.
- Solution: For tackling the stains issue, well in-advance sealing is a crucial step. Experts from Urban Source countertops understand the importance of sealing the marble effectively post installation and generally guide the homeowners with a full-fledged post-installation care session. In terms of fixing the quick scratch concern, many Raleigh households use strategic placement as a key solution. They install marble on islands or bathroom and set aside harder stones for heavy-use areas.
- Solution: For tackling the stains issue, well in-advance sealing is a crucial step. Experts from Urban Source countertops understand the importance of sealing the marble effectively post installation and generally guide the homeowners with a full-fledged post-installation care session. In terms of fixing the quick scratch concern, many Raleigh households use strategic placement as a key solution. They install marble on islands or bathroom and set aside harder stones for heavy-use areas.
- High Maintenance and Associated Costs: Though offering luxury and aesthetics, marble requires consistent maintenance. And with that, comes additional expenses for several homeowners and commercial property dealers. Unlike the harder stones, marble calls for periodic sealing for keeping up the surface integrity.
- Solution: The skilled staff at Urban Source Countertops help their clients in managing these maintenance requests with consistent follow-ups and project walkthroughs for ensuring the stone’s beauty is retained for decades.
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Top Marble Countertop Care Tips
While marble might need extra care over other counterpart materials, managing it is quite straightforward when done correctly. Steps mainly recommended for marble enthusiasts in Raleigh are:
- Sealing or Fastening Facility: The frequency of sealing is based on the stone usage and type. So, Raleigh homeowners reseal kitchens and bathrooms between 6 to 18 months. With the help of professionals from Urban Source, homeowners and commercial property dealers can seal their marble countertops.
- Regular Efforts to Minimize Stains & Etches: Taking pre-emptive measures like keeping coasters below hot beverage glasses, wiping spills instantaneously, using cutting or chopping boards for food preparation rather than directly cooking on slab, and avoiding placement of hot pots on stones directly can deter damages to a larger extent.
- Systematic Repair: One expert-assisted polish can aid in restoring the marble edges and surfaces even after years of wear and tear, thus, making it look brand new.
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Modern Design Concepts for Raleigh Marble Countertops
As more consumers are appreciating natural imperfections, the stone fits well in new homes with large open kitchens, Scandinavian modern farmhouses, and aesthetic bathroom vanities. A few other design ideas zeroing on marble are:
- Waterfall Islands: Luxury custom homes are deploying marble waterfalls, with the stone extending vertically down the sides of islands for a consistent look.
- Bookmatched Veining: Two slabs creating an open-mirror pattern by book matching are ideal for fireplaces, striking islands, and shower walls.
- Functional Kitchens: Raleigh designers are amalgamating marble islands, quartz perimeter tops, and wooden cabinets for offering warm aesthetics.
- Full Height Marble Backsplashes: Modern users are opting for full length slab backsplashes over tiles, for creating a seamless visual impact and convenient cleaning.
- Honed over Polished Finishes: Honed finishes on marble are matte with a soft texture and hide etches or scratches better. So while reflective and glossy polished marble may be popular among conventional consumers, honed finishes in marble give a more modern-day appearance.
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Why Urban Source Countertops for Marble in Raleigh
Urban Source Countertops has emerged as a trusted supplier of natural and engineered stones for designers, contractors, and homeowners throughout Raleigh and neighbourhoods. The company’s collection of premium marble slabs sourced from reputable suppliers and quarries is one of the key factors building immense trust. Apart from this, one should prefer Urban Source Countertops for:
- Customized fabrication
- Expert installation
- Personalized design guidance
- Long-term care support
So before you make the final decision on your home renovation or new building construction, visit Urban Source Countertops local store or reach out on 919-879-2091.