When "easy maintenance" is far from it

"Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo" (akioohtori)
06/06/2018 at 11:42 • Filed to: None

Random showroom bathroom

So... in my last post I mentioned we were heavily considering doing our shower in marble. This is because of who I a as a person, always letting my projects get away from me. (See: that time I wanted a dining room table and ended up having one custom built out of African hardwood.)

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Luckily! I was talked out of this recent boondogle because, as it turns out, marble is actually a really terrible surface to have in a bathroom!

The new bathroom layout

Apparently it, and all natural stone, is super porous and requires constant maintenance? This was first mentioned to me by a stone vendor (which coincidentally didn’t have much marble on offer). I ended up googling it and... did not like what I saw.

This little gem was my favorite:

Water is the enemy of marble, especially polished marble. Water carries soap and other particulates into the stone and dries leaving them behind to become soap scum. The resulting moisture left behind by water can allow mold and mildew to grow on the surface and weaken the sealer.

Every Six Months:

Look closely at the surface for water absorption. If you have dark tiles that once were light, especially in high water exposure areas, it is time to apply a sealer. It is best to allow drying time before sealing. Drying can be help along with heating and dehumidifying methods. (Allow sealed areas to cure for a minimum of 2 days (Optimum 5) prior to use.

Look man... I am a lazy SOB and “maintenance” is something I do only on my cars. So... yeah no. Also the idea of having to work on my twice a year and have it out of commission for around two weeks a year is... no.

So yeah... not sure what we’re going to do now. Default is to do the same subway tile throughout. We’re also looking at doing large hex tile (3"+) but as we’re doing 1" hex on the floor (that is what is already there) We’re concerned about clashing...

DISCUSSION (16)

crowmolly > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 11:48

Apparently it, and all natural stone, is super porous and requires constant maintenance?

YES.

I have a marble bathroom vanity top and it stains from water.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > crowmolly
06/06/2018 at 11:50

Yikes. That is a hard pass. (also sounds like yours may need re-sealed?)

punkgoose17 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 11:50

I vote for the same subway tile throughout.

crowmolly > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 11:51

Maybe, but it did it from the beginning. Even carefully sealed.

It was the only vanity that fit so I had no real choice (odd size).

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > punkgoose17
06/06/2018 at 11:51

I’m concerned it will be OVERWHELMINGLY WHITE but then we can probably fix a lot of that with paint and fixtures.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 11:54

Bathrooms suck to do. A room in a house where moisture is always present is really not ideal.

I’m just finishing off my upstairs bathroom.

Kinja'd!!!

Not amazing, but way, way better than it was.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > crowmolly
06/06/2018 at 11:54

Can confirm, marble countertop sucks

Wacko > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:10

I did my bathroom floor and wall with porcelain that looks like marble.

Then I did my shower base with ceramic 1.5 inch square tiles.

BJ > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:19

For the walls, I would also vote for the matching subway tile. Simple almost always looks good.

You could just add a line of contrast tiles to break it up, at any height you like. This could be a thick line of porcelain, some big hex tiles, or a sliver of skinny tiles.

MrDakka > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:19

Marble is usually just metamorphic limestone, which is a shit rock anyway to begin with (mostly calcium carbonate and dissolves in water).

Get quartz slabs/tiles, it’s pretty much nonporous, just as hard as granite, and best of all, low maintenance.

random001 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:23

If you were looking at carrera marble, like the most common type, because you liked the look, there are porcelain tiles that you will swear are marble out there, they are cheaper, and basically maintenance free.

M.T. Blake > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:27

We used a lot of travertine and granite. Tan floor, black polished countertop, light yellow walls. 200sq ft of tile. Never again. Pain in the ass. Was still over $7000 and we did the majority ourselves.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > random001
06/06/2018 at 12:29

Good point! I don’t love the printed tiles. Like... if I bought a house with them I’d be totally cool with it, but putting them in I am less good with. Also I’m not confident in their ability to stand the test of time. I do like the price!

random001 > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:31

Ok, well, if you look at the nice (read, higher quality, but more expensive) versions, then you should be able to find the ones that are produced from a slurry, not printed, so the veining goes all the way through.

Also, porcelain tiles are damn near indestructible.

Read this.

Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo > random001
06/06/2018 at 12:37

This is good stuff. Thanks!

Bman76 (hates WS6 hoods, is on his phone and has 4 burners now) > Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
06/06/2018 at 12:42

Porcelain tile is the answer, there’s a reason we use it in school bathrooms (except when we use epoxy).