Marble is a beautiful stone that many engineers have chosen as their material form to build a variety of buildings. Residential and commercial buildings alike adorn this elegant stone. However, there are a variety of finishes that can be put on a stone’s surface. A finish commonly found on marble surfaces is what is known as a polished finish.
What is polished marble?
Simply put, a polished finish ends up somewhere between an unpolished and a polished surface. The appearance of a polished marble surface is not as shiny as polished marble and has a matte appearance. The image above is a photo of polished marble.
The gloss is very low on the surface of the stone. The visual difference is clear when the two surfaces are placed side by side and while some people prefer the look of a polished marble countertop, the difference in the appearance of the surface brings with it some specific “needs to know.”
One of the biggest differences between polished marble and a honed slab is that the surface is more porous, which translates into different performances in specific shapes. One of the advantages of polished marble is that it is more resistant to scratches.
This makes sense because the surface is not as smooth as a polished surface, so a sharp object will only touch the peaks of the surface; leaving the valleys intact. And because the surface isn’t completely smooth when you scratch it, it’s not as noticeable and the surface isn’t as reflective.
Another advantage of polished marble is that when it gets wet, it is not as slippery as a polished surface. This makes it ideal for surfaces that accumulate moisture or get regularly wet.
Stain Protection & Cleaning
Although a honed surface has the aforementioned pros that go along with it, that is not to say that it will be the best choice for everyone. Hence, the title of this article.
One of the characteristics of a porous surface is that it allows liquids to penetrate the surface of the stone. This means spills need to be wiped up immediately. And, if the liquid is acidic, it would not hurt for you to rinse the stone thoroughly even after cleaning up the spill.
Acidic liquids can create problems for calcite-containing stones like marble. There are very particular ways to treat stains on marble.
