Anyone want to talk me into or out of the white? Should it be honed or polished?

Anyone have something more creamy, but still white, like French Vanilla?

Help!

stone maintenance guide:
http://www.findstone.com/stoneguide.htm
"Polished marble is ideal for vertical application but requires a high level of maintenance when used as flooring especially in high traffic situations. Non-reflective finishes perform well as flooring with minimal maintenance once treated with recommended sealers. Kitchen use should be carefully evaluated due to oil absorption. "

http://www.countertopspecialty.com/cleaning-marble.html
" Marble is a stone, of course, but not nearly as dense or hard as granite. Marble will wear well and last forever, however it is porous and sensitive to acidic substances (juice, wine, coffee) so it can stain or etch (dull the polish) rather easily . . . even when sealed."

http://www.marblecleaning.org/phpkb/question.php?ID=864
"

All throughout the Mediterranean basin marble is a very popular stone as a kitchen countertop and everybody enjoys it. (Limestone is not so popular, but certain types of limestone could be acceptable in relation of what follows.) In Northern Europe and all throughout North America , many like the way it looks, but nobody enjoys it!

How's that?

For the simple reason that In Southern Europe they never install a polished marble countertop (or a polished marble floor, for that matter). They start from a hone-finished surface and then they start using and abusing it and only care for it with a good-quality stone cleaner (like MB-5). The "worse" it gets, the better they like it! It's considered "aging." It's like a pair of old blue jeans, if you know what I mean: a highly sought "lived-in" look.
While the looks of an old pair of jeans is very much appreciated in Northern Europe or in North America , too, the same principle does not seem to apply to stone. Most people over here expect their stone to look like brand-new all the time, and any "change" is not considered "aging", but a damage that needs to be rectified."

It is not pure white; mine has large, faint veins of tan and gray running through it. I'm having mine done in a "satin" finish, which is more polished than honed, but not nearly as reflective. I did that b/c when honed, the veining was too subtle to notice the way I wanted it. You may prefer it more being honed and less veiny.

I found it at Dente in NJ.

It IS beautiful but when the light is just so across it, you see every single mark. And no matter how careful I am (and I AM!), there is a new blotch or ring or other mark every few weeks -- often from something I never even saw was there.

I love love love my marble counters. They're incredibly beautiful and feel wonderful. Yes, they will etch from acids, so we're careful but not perfect. Our marble does have some etch spots but I defy you to come into my kitchen and find them!

Mnhockeymom has the most extraordinary Calacatta marble in her kitchen, and she used it extensively in the space. She gave you the best advice -- do a search on this forum and you will get REAL LIFE advice from folks like me, and her, and many others who have it in our working kitchens. It is not a perfect stone and it's not for everyone. But it's perfect for me. I come down to the kitchen in the mornings and drink my first cup of Joe with the Renaissance masters, and there's hardly a morning that I still don't touch my marble once or twice with my fingertips.

One particularly groggy morning I prepared a small pot of two cups of coffee and then went upstairs for a couple of minutes. When I returned I realized that I hadn't put the *&$! coffee pot under the drip-thing, and the freshly brewed and hot java had poured all over my beautiful counters. And Brittamay, I'm here to tell ya that THERE ARE NO STAINS ON OUR MARBLE.

Have you noticed any staining on your marble? HA!!!! ;-)

Glad to hear that you used 511 Porous Plus - I use it on ALL
of my projects - with NO problems or call backs!!! Good for You!!!

The Danby is a really nice dense material for use, and has
been used here in the US for centuries.

I suggest that any marble that is used in a kitchen be honed
and sealed. We don't get a huge call for it out here in AZ,
but when we do, I make sure that customers are well aware that
staining can happen - just like in any other product, and that
they need to take care in cleaning and maintenance.

Brittamy - do your research, listen with an open mind, then follow your heart...

my .02 cents

kevin

Kevin M. Padden MIA SFA
Fabricator, Trainer & Consultant to the Natural Stone Industry
www.azschoolofrock.com

I used StoneTech's BulletProof Sealer - applying about 5 or so times over two days. The secret is to apply the sealer until the marble no longer "wets" or soaks in any more sealer as evidenced by grey or darkened areas on the marble.

HTH,
MaryT

Ctlady -- stop being so careful and you can' even things out! Or go ahead and hone it intentioanlly and then seal it again.

Pb, keep spreading those tales and those of us who have marble will continue to enjoy it and be able to keep it more unique. My only complaint is that I'm seeing it in every magazine now. Go away! LOL

What's involved in having it honed onsite? Does it generate the kind of fine dust that granite grinding does? It's a very small piece (only 3 feet wide) -- can I do it myself somehow (rent something?) Or is there a food-safe acid I can apply that would evenly etch it out? Does anyone know? I really dislike the blotchy look of the current etching effect and should clearly have gone honed to begin with...

I'm glad your marble doesn't stain but we wouldn't be happy with the matte finish.

So I chose a white marble. It's not as breathtaking as marble, but it is etchproof and stainproof. Also, it has a warmer tone to it than most of the white marbles out there.

I'm so excited, because assuming all goes as planned, my honed white marble is getting installed on my island tomorrow. I can't wait!

Here's the bad news: It took quite a while, and the piece I was working on was only 2 inches square! Using this technique to self-hone an entire counter would be quite ambitious. Perhaps there is an electrical sander that would be appropriate and make the job less onerous.

pdxgal - Good luck with your marble! I'm sure it will be beautiful. Be sure to post pics!

Anyway, as others have reported, there's been no staining and we have been not in the least careful with it. But I was surprised that my plastic bottle of Ecover (natural) dish liquid has left numerous etch marks. Does this mean it's not a neutral pH cleaner? I don't know. I don't like the feel of the etching, so I had ruled it out as a counter material.

But this post gives me the idea to intentionally etch it in a big area and see what it's like when it's all over. Those first few imperfections are possibly more troubling than once it's all worn in. I have to remember that the first marble I fell in love with was in Italian ruins, lying around the ground. Those certainly haven't been cared for in the past 2000 years or so!

Honed carrara marble island..jpg

But what I'm especially enamored with is your wood floors !!!
Please tell me more about them. They look like walnut, are they? Prefinished (name please) or stained and finished in place, stain color if any, type of finish, etc, etc. Thanks, and enjoy your move-in day!

Were your oak floors original with new pieces tied into the old? What actual stain did you use? It looks fantastic!! I have original 1940s oak in my house and we just bought salvage to match for the kitchen. I am hoping to stain the whole thing a color just like yours after it is sanded. Do you have red or white oak?

Sorry for the hijack :)

I would want one 12' countertop span of honed marble, have an old house and can live with patina. But there seems to be some marbles that are truly better suited for kitchen use than others. Crema marfil, for instance, is said to be softer, more stain prone and does not seem to be used in kitchen slabs. One poster has it in the bathroom and hates it, some like it okay.

I am looking for something with a beigier tone than Carerra, but I am told the Calacattas I have seen and loved with more gold veining are triple and quadruple the price. I've considered limestone as well, but I am drawn to the interest that the veining of marble has, especially for such a long, linear application. So, any any suggestions for a type I should look for? From what you all might have experienced or been told, are there any to stay away from?

I have a fabricator I like, but he is throwing me too many possibilities, and I am trying to narrow down any that I really should not be considering. Is there such a list, or is each slab its own peculiar thing, and thus too hard to generalize by material name?

Cost was a shocker to me. The first two quotes for roughly 70 sf of counter (large L-shaped island plus one small counter) came in at about $13,000, which is around $180/sf. That was more than the copper counter we saw at HD Expo! At that point even my enthusiasm wavered a bit.

However...we found another fabricator through our interior designer (whom we are not using on the kitchen project) whose business is apparently is slow and who is willing to be aggressive on pricing. We just got his quote back at $8500!! That's for 3 cm with doubled edges and a simple bevel edge treatment, two undermount sinks. Keep your fingers crossed that this is not a mistake as that is a price I would take without any qualms.