Marble slabs give Toronto homes beauty and a luxurious aura.
Keep reading to learn more about marble slab countertops.
Marble Slabs for Toronto Homes
We all want marble slab
countertops! Marble is the most elegant of stone accents, and it brings
elegance and grace to any room. In particular, a marble slab kitchen countertop
can become a real centrepiece, lending focus
for a room that’s often the heart of the home. Natural marble is translucent,
and it catches and reflects the light. This gives marble its distinctive
luminous glow. Nothing can match the beauty of marble slab.
Marble Decisions
The simplest decision to make is
to opt for a marble countertop. Never has marble been so accessible and so
affordable, and it adds immeasurably to the beauty of your home. But once
you’ve decided to install a marble countertop, there are several other choices
to make:
- Choosing
a Slab. Since marble is available in every colour of the rainbow and
with a wide variety of veining and patterns, choosing a slab can be quite
difficult! The best way to select your marble slab countertop is to visit a
Toronto-area stone importer’s showroom. There are a handful of excellent
showrooms in the GTA that showcase hundreds of slabs, in all colours and with
all kinds of veining. Talk to staff and ask questions about the various types
of marble. Whatever you do, don’t choose a marble slab by looking at a small
sample of the stone. All slabs are unique, and you won’t be able to envision
the countertop without seeing the entire slab. A small sample may be
predominantly blue, for example, with flecks of gold. Yet, the entire slab
might only have a small blue area, while the rest of the slab might be predominantly
gold. Veining may appear subtler or more dramatic on a small sample than it
does across the whole of the slab. Once you’ve chosen a slab, you can "tag” it
for your fabricator to order, and he/she will get to work on creating your
countertop.
- Choosing
a Finish. Learn more about where the slab came from and how it has been
finished. Most marble slabs are highly polished, which brings out the warmth
and depth of the crystals. But some marble has a honed finish, for a less
polished, matte look.
- Choosing
an Edge. Once you’ve chosen a particular slab with a specific finish,
there’s another aspect of your countertop that will affect the way it looks:
the edge. There are numerous edges available, from standard eased or square
edges to the rounded bullnose, or the more ornate ogee or cove edges. A mitred
edge can add a look of depth to your countertop; an extreme bevel can lend a
modern feel. Many fabricators will help you choose an edge or will make a
custom edge designed especially for your countertop. There are many different
combinations possible.
Caring for Marble
Marble is softer than some other
types of countertop material. Where granite scores a "7” on the Mohs scale, for
instance, marble only rates a "3” or a "4”. Marble is also more porous than
other materials, which means that it can be stained more easily than some other
countertops. However, with regular resealing, and if you wipe up acidic food
spills reasonably quickly, your marble countertop will endure for many years to
come.
Bring the natural beauty of
marble home!