Nothing else can match the look of marble tile in your home. Marble tile installation is performed much like ceramic tile installation with a few slight variations. Maybe you’re even thinking of installing marble yourself. It’s not that hard and it’s certainly a way to save some money and get the results you want. So how are marble tiles different from ceramic tiles?

Marble tile is a completely natural material. It is mined from natural deposits and is a form of limestone. Using marble in construction is not new. Cathedrals, temples and palaces hundreds of years old use marble on many surfaces.

The natural variation of marble gives it a character that makes each project a little different and more interesting. The color varies within the deposits and so do the tiles. The other variation that gives it character is the grain which often contains veins of a different color. The problem is that the streaks are actually small cracks. These are easy places for tiles to crack.

Cracking and breaking of marble tiles can easily occur during installation, so please be careful. But also if the base on which the tile is installed is not solid and flat, the stress on the tiles will also cause the tiles to crack, especially on marble floors. So make sure the tile base is flat and has no bending or sagging. Skip this careful preparation and the tile may crack.

Another potential problem with marble tile is called lippage. The tile is milled flat with machinery from the extracted natural slabs. The heat of grinding causes some variation in the thickness of the individual tiles. The installer must allow the variation. Lip is the variation in height of tile edges on a surface. If the edges are up and down too much, this really detracts from the appearance of the surface.

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