Marble flooring is a beautiful, high-end touch to any bathroom. Natural stone sales have been on the rise because homeowners realize marble tiles never need replacing so they retain their value. Marble’s color variety, refined sheen, and wide range of patterns and mosaics, enables homeowners to customize their flooring to match their style.

Spillane began installing marble flooring in both upstairs bathrooms. He was careful to choose something with wide appeal to home buyers, since the house will be put up for sale when the remodel is complete.

For the hallway bathroom he chose a 12-inch by 16-inch white marble flooring with a touch of gray. This neutral choice matches well with the classic, white subway wall tile in the tub/shower area.  Spillane made a similar tile choice for the master bathroom flooring, but the gray color is a bit darker and more prominent compared with what was laid in the hallway bathroom.

He added a touch of luxury to the master bathroom by installing the Schluter®-DITRA-HEAT floor warming system. It provides electric radiant heat that warms the marble tiles, ending the age-old complaint about cold feet.  No leveling compounds were needed, which made for a quick and easy installation. A programmable, touchscreen thermostat will be used to control this in-floor heating system.

The grout and final sealing of the bathroom floors will be completed in one more day. Spillane admits these steps in the process are not difficult tasks, but they are important and should never be rushed. The final appearance and longevity of a project is a testimony to the workmanship.

Marble tile is durable. It’s also a natural, porous material and prone to absorbing moisture and stains. To safeguard its surface, it needs to be sealed during and after instillation. Doing so will help maintain its longevity and beauty.

Take the following steps when installing marble tile:

1. Clean all tile before installation. Remove dirt and grime while setting it on the floor to review the pattern.
2. Apply a sealer. This will prevent adhesive and grout from sticking to the pores in the surface while the tiles are being fitted.
3. After the tiles are fixed on a solid bed of adhesive, and the grouting takes place, do a final clean and seal.

Remind homeowners that marble tile will need ongoing maintenance. It must be resealed and cleaned regularly and avoid contact with products that contain acidic substances including toiletry products. For cleaning, a hot, damp cloth or product made specifically for marble is recommended.