London builders: Marble is a glittering stone. Part two.

It is important to make the right choice of binder material for marble laying. Using cement grout or adhesive leads in some period to appearance of irremovable spots on the marble surface - absorbed saline and coloring additives. That is why it is recommended to apply special adhesive solution and plaster. If you take into account these nuances and pay attention to them in future, then not only you, but also your children and grandchildren will be able to admire the stone beauty.
Marble treatment.
As to operations characteristics, marble is practically eternal. However, it needs care and protection from aggressive environment - dust, water, salt, sand and acid. Thereto special agents are used: reinforcers, polishes, stone impregnations, cleaning solutions, mastic and even beeswax.
It concerns first of all polished floors. The main enemy of the polished surface is dirt, that is why it is necessary to take care of multistage protection system and regular surface cleaning. Wax protection coating improves decorative appearance of the stone, protects it and allows to wash the stone surface with water. For unprotected stone floors there also exist special substances that clean the dirt and at the same time create a protective film. Besides that, compositions reducing sliding even on the wet stone surface have been developed.
If stone faults are so strong, that wax preparations do not help anymore radical agents are applied - grinding with subsequent polishing. Stone surface regrinding and repolishing is carried out with the help of special equipment. Consequently the stone gains original appearance.
Prices for marble.
The times, when only rich could afford decorating their houses with marble, have gone. Technical producing and treatment methods have reduced the cost price and the marble has turned from object of luxury to one of the available goods.
The main suppliers of the "glittering stone" are Italy, Greece, Turkey. China has recently become another active marble supplier. The stone quality does not depend on the place of origin. Environment, producing and treatment technology are much more important. On the other hand, origin influences its price as it includes value of labor, custom duties and transporting costs.
When buying marble facing slabs, it is necessary to pay attention to size and quality of the surface. For slabs with polished and grinded first-class surface finish visible faults are unacceptable. The second class may have some defects: not more than two or three small defects of the corners and chips on the edges. Colored first and second class marble intended for inner decoration may have one non-through crack of tectonic origin.
It is necessary to take into account the existence of difficult for color selection marble and practically homogeneous stones. Difference in slab color is a distinctive feature of natural material. That is why the buyer should specify the level of possible color divergence beforehand and check the maximum quantity of specimen.
Standard polished ten millimeter facing slab costs from 8 to 40 pounds per m2. The main influential parameters are originality, shape, color, firmness, type of treatment. Unique stone may excel the base line in price considerably. An increase in slab thickness advances the price greatly.
Marble is a noble material: right selection, competent laying, follow-through experts' recommendations will return a hundredfold. Everyone dealing with marble will agree with Michelangelo's words: "Marble is a soul of the universe, the purest substance, created by god: it's not simply a god's symbol, but reflection of his image, god's means to reveal himself. Only with the hands of god could this noble beauty have been created".