Update: Natural vs. Man-Made Marble

When doing a renovation of your home or commercial space, you have many decisions to make during the process. One important thing to remember when making all of these decisions is how you can get the most bang for your buck. This means picking materials that will last a lifetime, but still fit in with your design.

If you’ve already decided that you want a natural stone in your space, marble is a great choice. It is beautiful, unique and completely on trend in whatever space you add it to. Once you’ve chosen marble, you may begin to wonder whether you should go with natural marble or a man-made marble. 

Here’s a look at how natural stone is made:

Here are the key differences between natural vs. man-made marble:

Price

• Natural Marble: Natural marble is a high-end product with a high-end price. Things such as quarrying, cutting and availability are what makes this item so expensive. Prices range from $40-$100 per square foot and usually have a cutting price of up to $15 per square foot.

• Man-Made Marble: Cultured (man-made) marble is less expensive since it isn’t found in a quarry and is just a mix of elements that are poured into a mold.

Maintenance

• Natural Marble: Having natural marble in your home can be high maintenance. Since it is a porous stone, it requires a lot of care and upkeep. Marble can become cracked, chipped, and discolored which is why experts say you should have it resealed every 6 months. Avoid spilling any type of oils or using any household cleaners that are not specifically made for the marble.

• Man-Made Marble: Cultured marble on the other hand, is not a porous material therefore, it does not require as much upkeep and maintenance. The process of creating this marble has been designed to keep out the absorption of oils and staining or discoloration. Standard household cleaners are fine to use on cultured marble.

Selection

• Natural Marble: Choosing natural marble is a process of finding available marble in the yard. When visiting the marble yard, decisions such as color, size, and slice thickness need to be made.

• Man-Made Marble: Choosing cultured marble is a creative process. Cultured marble is poured to the specification of the client and can be customized according to what the client would like as far as color and grain preferences. The options with cultured marble are endless.

Installation

• Natural Marble: Natural marble is a very hard substance, but it is brittle. Installing this marble requires muscle power and if not installed properly can end in curling, discoloration, cracking and vein “popping” of the marble.

• Man-Made Marble: Installing cultured marble is a different and less fragile process than installing natural marble. The cutting and adjusting of the marble can be done on site and single piece surfaces can be created for an easier installation.

Questions on what marble would work best for your project?

Contact us and our experts would love to help you out!