Culturing Marble

For those homeowners who would love to have a marble kitchen countertop but are unable to make the investment right now can consider using Serpentine, which is another natural stone that closely resembles marble, for their countertops.

Serpentine or green marble as it is called closely resembles the natural marble . However, it is much less expensive. Since serpentine is magnesium silicate based unlike the natural marble , it is not sensitive to citric acid and other kitchen spills.

Another alternative to a marble kitchen countertop is cultured marble . Cultured marble is a mixture of resin, marble dust, and a catalyst. Different pigments are usually added to cultured pigments to give the kitchen countertop different colors.

For the preparation of cultured marble kitchen countertops, the matrix mixture is then poured into cultured marble molds where it is allowed to harden. It is during this stage that the different shapes for kitchen countertops are created.

Cultured marble is an affordable and stylish veneer created by master craftsmen to look exactly like natural marble . Since cultured marble is much lighter than the natural marble , it is easier to carry and install.

The advantage of cultured marble is that it can be used every where. Many home owners use cultured marble for areas apart from the kitchen countertop. Some homeowners use cultured marble as flooring while others use it to create areas of emphasis in a home.

The reason that so many homeowners use marble or other alternatives such as serpentine is because of the sophisticated elegance that marble brings to a home. Marble adds a sophisticated element to any home, and its wonderful appearance, superior engineering characteristics, and ease of maintenance makes it a natural choice for floors, wall coverings, kitchen countertops and bathtubs.

Marble is a metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite. This metamorphic process causes a complete recrystallization of the original rock into an interlocking mosaic of calcite, aragonite and/or dolomite crystals. This is the process that produces marble.

Pure white marble , which is often used in flooring and in kitchen countertops, is the result of metamorphism of very pure limestone. The characteristic swirls and veins of many colored marble varieties are usually due to various mineral impurities such as clay, silt, sand and iron oxides.

Marble is an easy to maintain stone as long as homeowners are not careless in dealing with the stone.