Marble is known for its beauty and elegance, but that’s not enough when you are looking to install the countertops. You should know how long the countertops will last. How long does marble last? Is a question you should ask yourself.
Natural marble countertops are tough and durable, and when properly maintained, they can last for over 100 years. Cultured marble countertops, on the other hand, need replacement every two decades.
As mentioned, the countertops won’t last this wrong out of the blue—you need to take good care of them. How do you do this? Here is a guide on how to do it:
Clean the countertops
It’s a no brainer that you should clean the countertops to keep them looking clean and polished. While this is the case, be cautious of the cleaning products you are using.
As a rule of thumb, avoid household chemicals, as many of them are known to cause more harm than good.
For best results, go for neutral cleaners containing conditioning agents. If you don’t have these cleaners, use stone soap designed specifically for marble.
When you repeatedly clean the countertops with the right cleaner, you keep your countertops looking fresh, and you add a natural luster to the stone.
It’s normal for spills to happen and when they happen, always move with haste to remove them before they stain your counters.
Avoid grit at all costs.
Grit is the leading cause of scratches on the countertops, so avoid it in your home as much as possible. Of course, you can prevent it from accumulating on your counters by cleaning the surfaces regularly, but you should take it a step further.
For example, ensure everyone removes their shoes when they are getting in the house. If you have many people living in the house, dust mop the floor daily and clean the counters.
Seal the countertop
Like granite, marble is porous, so it needs sealing to prevent water and other liquids from getting into the stone’s inner layers and staining it. For best results, seal the counters at the time of installation and at least once a year thereafter.
When you are in the stores buying the sealing product, go for the highest quality as it will provide a better seal and improve the look of your counters.
Polish the surfaces
With time, it’s common for countertops to lose their factory shine. Don’t fret when this happens or move to replace the counters. Instead, contact a professional and re-polish the counters.
Polishing will remove light marks left by cleaning agents and chemicals, but it won’t remove deep scratches, so if your counters have large, deep scratches, you may have to replace them.
You can do the polishing if you have the skills or hire a professional to help you out. When you hire professionals, they sand the stone with various grinding grits, making the surfaces flat and establishing a new finish.
When hiring the polishing professional, hire experienced ones. The last thing you want is someone to damage your countertops in the name of polishing them.
Protect the surfaces from damage
Although, properly maintained marble is durable, it’s often brittle when mishandled. So for your countertops to last for a long time, protect them from damage by always having coasters, protective mats, hard mats, and other items on the counters to prevent the surfaces from getting damaged.
Never stand or sit on the counters as you risk cracking them. If you have to reach the top shelf, don’t stand on the counters. Instead, stand on a ladder or stool.
Many people sit on the counters when they are having company in the kitchen. To prevent your guest from sitting on the counters, always have a chair in the kitchen so that when the guest tries to sit on the counters, you ask them to sit on the chair instead.
Install a high-quality stone
When you are in the store, you will come across a wide range of marble stones. Some cheap and others expensive. For your kitchen countertops Raleigh to last for long and also have an easy time maintaining it, go for a high-quality stone.
While it will be expensive at the time of purchase, the high cost is worth it.