MARBLE INSTALLATION IN DUBAI

Choosing the right marble

Marble varies far more than most finishes. White marbles such as Carrara, Calacatta and Statuario have fine or bold grey veining and suit bright, modern interiors. Crema Marfil and Botticino bring warm beige and cream. Emperador and Nero Marquina give dark, high-contrast floors. Each has a different hardness, porosity and price, and slabs from the same quarry vary from lot to lot.

We help you pick from the supplier’s full slabs, not only small samples, and we reserve slabs from the same lot so colour and veining stay consistent across a room. For large areas we dry-lay the tiles first so the pattern flows from one room to the next.

Preparation decides how long marble lasts

Most failures in stone floors begin below the stone. We check levels, flatness and moisture in the screed before fixing, because marble over an uneven or damp base will crack, stain or lift. Light marbles are fixed with white adhesive so grey cement does not show through, and stone that is sensitive to moisture is fixed with an adhesive system suited to it. Wet areas get a waterproofing membrane before any stone goes down.

We also check what the structure and the building allow. Marble is heavy: 20 mm stone weighs about 54 kg per square metre before adhesive. Many apartment buildings also require an acoustic underlay under hard floors. We confirm both with the building management before we start.

Pattern matching, joints and finishing

Good marble work is visible in the joints and in how the veins run. We set out from the centre of the room or the main sightline, keep joints tight and even, and use book-matched or sequenced layouts on feature walls where the design calls for them. After fixing and grouting we polish or hone the surface, depending on whether you want a glossy or a softer, matte look, and then seal it.

Marble in bathrooms, kitchens and on stairs

• Bathrooms: waterproofed substrate, slip-resistant honed finish for floors, polished stone for walls and vanity tops
• Kitchens: sealed countertops and splashbacks, with templating on site for accurate sink and hob cut-outs
• Staircases: treads, risers and nosings cut to match, with anti-slip finishing where required
• Lobbies and corridors: durable, diamond-polished floors laid with a tight, consistent joint

What affects the cost of marble installation

Two costs sit inside every marble job: the stone and the installation. The stone price varies widely by type and grade. The installation cost depends on:

• The area, and how much of it is cut, shaped or book-matched
• The condition of the substrate: levelling, screed repair and waterproofing
• The size of the tiles or slabs, and whether the lift can carry them
• Wastage, which is higher for patterned and diagonal layouts
• Finishing: polishing, honing, crystallisation and sealing

Looking after marble

Marble is calcium-based, so acids such as lemon, vinegar and many bathroom cleaners etch the surface. Use a pH-neutral stone cleaner, wipe spills quickly and avoid abrasive pads. We seal every installation and tell you when to reseal. If a floor loses its shine or picks up scratches over the years, it can be re-polished on site without lifting the stone.