Pressed cement tiles and marble grit
Marble grit floors are characterized by very high resistance, as well as long durability over time. Marble grit, thanks to its particular composition, is able to constitute the most suitable material for rooms particularly subject to trampling and wear.
Furthermore, marble grit floors are classified as water-repellent to any type of liquid, as well as being reluctant to absorb common dirt and stains, such as wine, oil, coffee. On an aesthetic level, marble grit floors play a winning role, since they are available in different colours, furthermore, their surface can be subjected to smoothing and polishing, so as to restore the ancient splendor, even in cases where the floor is worn and shabby.
There are numerous types of variations for this flooring.
Pressed concrete marble tiles with marble flakes
This type of floor maintains the same characteristics and quality of pressed cement tiles with marble flakes. In this case the marble is in large flakes inside the tiles.
There are also many types of this type of floor.
Botticino marble
Botticino marble is a particular type of compact (pure) micritic limestone of beige colour, extracted in the quarries of Botticino, Nuvolento, Nuvolera, Rezzato and Serle in the province of Brescia.
The chromatic variety of Botticino Classico marble originates from the different concentration and pattern of inclusions of organic and inorganic origin in the homogeneous background paste composed of fine, carbonate and predominantly calcareous mud, which takes the name of micrite.
The extreme compactness, porosity and low absorption values make it suitable for external use and determine its mechanical characteristics such as resistance to compression, bending and wear.
Due to its indisputable beauty and great resistance qualities, Botticino marble is also widely used in architecture and interior design and is considered a highly prized marble worldwide.
The extreme compactness, with low absorption and porosity values, makes Botticino Marble suitable for outdoor use and determines its mechanical characteristics such as resistance to compression, bending and wear. Due to its indisputable beauty and great resistance qualities, it is therefore considered a valuable marble.
Travertine marble
Travertine is an extremely elegant stone with timeless charm, which helps to make any type of environment exclusive and refined; it is undoubtedly more suitable for homes with an antique flavour, however its use should not be precluded in all those rooms where it is pleasant to highlight the contrast between modern and classic. Its color mainly depends on the type of oxides present in the material and can range from milky white to hazelnut, through various shades of yellow and even red.
It is a fairly resistant and docile stone, which is used both for flooring and for covering vertical surfaces (even for the facades of entire buildings in a modern style) and in both external and internal environments; it also lends itself to being sculpted and therefore it is possible to use it for the creation of decorative elements such as balustrades, handrails or fireplaces.
Travertine is a hard and porous material so it can be easily subject to nicks and scratches and tends to absorb liquids; for these reasons, although it is used mainly for rooms that require more likely to be placed in living rooms and halls. It is also suitable for entrance rooms, especially if of a certain importance and with a representative function, while, like all stones, it is not recommended in bedrooms as it is not a particularly "hot" material.
As regards surface finishes, some are more suitable for installation in outdoor environments: bush-hammered and so-called "cobbled" travertine are ideal from this point of view also because they have anti-slip properties, so they are often used as a covering for walkways and even poolside. Classic and antique travertine help to enhance the spatial characteristics of the environments where they are installed and are therefore more suitable for interiors, although they can also be used externally. Travertine floors can then be subjected to particular smoothing and polishing (or waxing) treatments which make them waterproof and therefore easier to maintain and clean, or to grouting treatments which fill the characteristic pores of the stone obtaining the same effect; even in these cases, however, it is always necessary to use small precautions by always using soft cloths and specific neutral detergents.
Pearl of Sicily
The undisputed protagonist in the family of Sicilian marbles is Perlato di Sicilia.
A variety which, due to its high technical and aesthetic characteristics, can boast of having been the marble used for the construction of the new Central Station of Milan, as well as being also present inside St. Peter's Basilica.
The name Perlato di Sicilia derives from the splendid appearance of this marble which makes the environment in which it is used unique. Mainly composed of fossiliferous limestone, it has a light ivory brown arabesque color with a range of more or less dark shades and characteristic patches of pure calcite which recall the wonderful mother-of-pearl appearance of the inside of the shells. The yellow-brownish veins are the effect of the concentration of clay minerals and iron oxides, while the brown specks are due to the presence of microfossils which, imprisoned in the marble, make it incredibly elegant and precious.
It has exceptional impact resistance together with equally excellent resistance to both high and low temperatures.
White Carrara marble
Carrara White Marble is characterized by a homogeneous ground paste with brilliant granules with a color ranging from white to greyish with shaded gray veins that cross it discontinuously. The various qualities of the material are differentiated based on the color of the ground paste: basically White Carrara Marble C (with a lighter background) and White Carrara Marble CD (with a darker background). This material lightens as time passes by losing the water that has accumulated inside it through capillarity.
The variation in the background color and veining has given rise to other types of white marble in the Carrara area, all materials with spectacular qualities. When the background is light, the Carrara marble is practically white, with gray or almost absent veins. It is called Statuario, the marble of Michelangelo and Canova, for example, which represents 5% of what is extracted. If the background tends to be ivory and the veins range from gray to yellow, almost tending towards green, also arranging themselves in clear bands, we are in the presence of Calacatta.
If these veins have a reticular shape and structure, they are called Arabesque Marbles because they recall the decorations that characterize Arab art. When the background is dark grey, at times almost blue, we are in the presence of the Bardiglio.
Carrara Marble is a material suitable for both flooring and stairs, for tops, for coverings and for any other use such as funerary art.
Bianco di Carrara is also successfully used to preserve food. In fact, the basins are obtained from the marble, which, when rubbed with garlic, are used to store the layers of pork lard and the salt with various aromas (pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, sage, rosemary), which become the famous lard of Colonnaded. The mortars for crushing basil, garlic and pine nuts for the Genoese pesto are also made of Carrara marble.
Already the Romans, whose quarries are still visible, made extensive use of it by transporting it by sea departing from the port of Luni and therefore called it Luni Stone.
In the medieval period it was above all the Comacine masters who spread its use in central-northern Italy, especially in the construction of cathedrals. During the Renaissance Michelangelo came to personally choose the blocks for the creation of his sculptures in the quarry.
Therefore the fame of White Carrara Marble shows no sign of decreasing and the best demonstration of its qualities is to be found in more than two thousand years of architecture and sculptures, whose beauty and elegance are enhanced precisely by the use of White Carrara Marble.
Marquina black marble
It is a deep, fine-grained black marble speckled with the remains of white fossils and crossed by more evident white veins which occasionally turn towards green. The brilliance and depth of the black and the contrasts with the white give a special elegance and somewhat aggressive refinement to this type of marble. It is mined near the city of Marquina in northern Spain, about fifty kilometers from Bilbao.
Nero Marquina marble is one of the most famous and appreciated natural stones from Spain. It enjoys good technical characteristics, which is why it is used for any type of application, in particular we can find it in flooring (especially internal), stairs, cladding and roofing.
It is often used for interior decoration, such as in fireplaces, designer furniture, bathrooms (sinks - shower trays) and kitchen countertops. In Spain it is commonly used in traditional outdoor flooring. However, it is a refined and luxurious marble, with an impressive look. It can be used alone, but also combines perfectly with other colored or white marbles.
It can accept most types of finishes, however it is certainly the polish that most enhances the beautiful dark black color of Nero Marquina.
Sicilian red marble
Marble with dark red background and sparse white veins. Available in the following finishes: polished, honed and brushed.
Emperador Marble
The Emperador Dark also in its Gold variant is one of the most famous Spanish natural stones at an international level, we can find it in different types of applications, it is appreciated and used in particular in interior decoration, where it is common to find incredible applications of Emperador in fireplaces, furniture, bathroom designs and kitchen countertops.
Emperador Dark is also used in coverings or floors even in combination with other materials, in fact its bright and variegated brown color can be perfectly combined with lighter natural stones (such as white or light beige colored stones) or with different stones colored (such as red, blue and others).
Emperador technically would not be a marble but a breccia of a considerably variable dark brown colour, with fine grain and some lighter and irregular tones crossed by veins. It has some occasional signs of small calcite. The main variations normally depend on the different shades it can have (lighter or darker), but also on the quantity of calcite, usually the shade of brown is very bright and the depth of the color varies based on the shade of the light, generally remaining a dark marble.
This material is also best enhanced by polishing.
Marfil cream marble
Crema Marfil marble is perhaps the most famous and internationally recognized Spanish marble.
It is used in various environments, in particular in external use for: coverings, floors and decorations.
It is a marble with great beauty that is also highly appreciated for internal use. In fact, it can also be used in coverings, as well as in various other applications such as the design of bathrooms (shower trays and tubs), fireplaces, kitchen worktops, furniture and others.
Thanks to its beautiful color and uniform background, it is a stone that pairs perfectly with dark or colored natural stones.
Technically, Crema Marfil is not exactly marble, but a limestone of a substantially yellow or beige color, on a uniform background. Crema Marfil is characterized by the presence of irregular veins, fossil signs and a low absorption power.
This marble is one of the most used in the world and has been explored to its maximum potential, in terms of finishes and applications, as well as polished, it can be used: satin, honed, brushed and more.
Grey, pink, black and yellow granite
The most important property that distinguishes it is undoubtedly its hardness, as it is a material that is not easy to work with, unlike marble. Furthermore, granite is characterized by its high resistance to wear and abrasion from acidic agents such as detergents, fruit and other household products which generally tend to attack and ruin marble surfaces.
Therefore granite is highly recommended for the creation of kitchen worktops and bathroom surfaces, but also for internal flooring. In these cases, therefore, the material is polished using abrasive brushes, to obtain a refined finish with a mirror effect, perfect for interior settings. But granite is also used in the construction of monuments or external paving given its properties of resistance to wear and compression. In the latter cases, the most suitable process is rougher, such as bush-hammering.
Green Alps marble
Verde Alpi is a marble of variable shades that alternates dark, almost black, green areas with lighter ocher areas. It is a uniform marble that is quarried in Italy. It is used both indoors and outdoors with particular attention to those areas with harsh climates. Ideal for floorings and coverings, turnings and sculptures.
This type of marble is extracted in Val d'Aosta and was used inside the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence.
Pitch stone
Even in this case we are not in the presence of real marble, however the effect of pitch stone is immediately attributable to the aesthetic effects of marble, consequently we decided to also include this splendid type of flooring.
Rare but beautiful, warm and fascinating, the pitch stone presents itself in its morphological characteristics as a soft, crumbly limestone and therefore easy to wear and easy to break, but the heart of the pitch stone, the Crema Pece, is a hard limestone, by the brown color alone and by veins that blend with the fossils that marked its birth and above all by the possibility of polishing it to a mirror as if it were marble. Pitch stone is a soft limestone impregnated, in different percentages, with bitumen. This morphological origin makes it particularly unique for the chromatic variation that characterizes it; cutting and shaping is easy. Also called "asphaltic rock", it takes on a color ranging from gray to dark brown; it is also enhanced by the presence of fossils and veins. The most popular use of this stone has always been oriented towards sculpting particular stone elements such as frames, shelves and balconies and for the creation of stair steps, tiles, flooring and also for the decoration of building facades. A unique material that is striking to the eye, but also to the touch, triggering pleasant sensations: rediscovered in recent times by architects and interior designers who have found a way to enhance the characteristics of this natural product. Currently this stone is extracted in smaller quantities than in the past, it is marketed in slabs with a thickness of two and three centimeters and in single pieces suitable for the creation of particular elements.
in addition to the classic flooring tiles, there are also slabs for wall coverings, stair steps, inlay elements to combine with other materials and also particular objects such as sinks, washbasin tops, etc.
This material is also used in the restoration and sculpture sector.
As regards the characteristic color, it can be stated that, if exposed outside, this stone tends to lighten due to the evaporation of the oils present inside it.
To revive the shade, it is possible to dip the surfaces with products recommended by the manufacturers or professionals.
Marble blue jeans
Blue Jeans The blue background of this Turkish material is enriched with charm due to the continuous and very lively veins of white and orange. Possible creations: Internal and external floors and coverings. Stairs, tables. Sinks, kitchen tops, shower trays. Finishes: Polished, honed, brushed, sandblasted, bushhammered, waterjet and brushed, flamed.
Statuary Marble
Bianco Statuario is a marble used for fine ornamental works. Its structure composed of crystalline white limestone and gray veins make Bianco Statuario marble a material of the highest international level. Bianco Statuario marble is used for very elegant settings and luxury settings. In fact, it is one of the most valuable and expensive marbles on the market.
It is a white veined marble used both internally and externally. It allows standard finishes such as sanding, polishing and brushing.
Marmo di calcatta
Calacatta Marble, one of the Apuan marbles, extracted from the Carrarese mountains, but also in Versilia and Garfagnana.
Fine-grained marble, with a white saccharide background, pale and shaded veins, ranging from light yellow to grey, sometimes tending towards green. There are many varieties of Calacatta and it is the grain that defines its quality.
A very valuable material, it is usually used in interiors, floors and coverings, bathroom furniture, frames and other design elements.
Thassos white marble
Thassos white marble is a marble extracted in Greece, characterized by a very fine grain and an absolute white background, without any type of veining.
It is an extremely elegant, refined and sober floor. Ideal for those who love white and do not want veining.
Thanks to its qualities it can be used in all environments, in fact, thanks to its durability and resistance to humidity, it can be safely used in the design of bathrooms and luxurious kitchens.
It is not difficult to see it applied in sculpture, thanks to its elegant color, but above all the absence of veins.
It is enhanced by sanding and polishing and is recommended for use in internal environments.
Obviously there are numerous other types of marble from all parts of the world, satisfying all tastes and particularities required.
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