| Pros of Marble Bathroom Floors | Cons of Marble Bathroom Floors |
| Timeless and elegant look. | Expensive. |
| Work well with light to enhance the space. | Easily scratched. |
| Natural material. | Stain really easily. |
| Easy daily maintenance. | Porous (not well-suited to bathrooms). |
| Widely desirable, so it increases property values. | Have to seal and re-seal to protect marble. |
| Work really well with radiant heating. | Installing marble tiles is a complex job that requires expertise. |
| The veined pattern makes it tricky to line up the design. | |
| Can be extremely slippery. | |
| Can get very cold. |
Marble bathroom floors are stylish, enhance light, and raise house values. Marble is natural with a unique look. It is easy to clean and conducts radiant heat well. Marble is expensive and hard to install. It scratches and stains easily and is porous, needing regular sealing. Marble is cold and slippery.
Marble Bathroom Floor Pros
Timeless and Elegant Look
Gone are the days when you are forced to look at your bland linoleum or discolored tiles in your bathroom in disdain.
Installing marble flooring in your bathroom is an incredible way to really elevate the space. Marble is a timeless material, so your bathroom will always be elegant and in style. It blends sleek and subtle modernity with the historical and powerful marks of Ancient Greece.
There is also a variety available when it comes to marble color and designs, so you are sure to find one that matches the rest of the fittings in your bathroom, as well as the overall aesthetic of your home.
Works With Light to Enhance Space
So, marble tiles in your bathroom are a great way to add sophistication, but their appearance also assists with enhancing the space in the bathroom.
The tiles are able to reflect any natural or synthetic light in a way that creates the illusion of space and airiness in a room, similar to mirrors. This is great for smaller bathrooms as the marble can really help enhance the space and make it appear as if it is much bigger than it is.
Light marble will especially do this well as light colors are also known to create the illusion of space. Your bathroom will feel calm and airy.
Natural Material
A part of marble’s appeal is that it is made of a natural material. If you are one who does not really like the idea of having synthetic materials in your bathroom or the potential chemicals that they can give off, then marble is a good choice for you as it is a natural stone.
As these bathroom tiles come from natural stone straight from the earth, each piece is going to look slightly different; the designs won’t be uniform like they are on manufactured tiles like porcelain and ceramic. You will definitely be the talk of your friends as you will have a bathroom floor that cannot be reproduced.
Easy Daily Maintenance
Marble that is kept in overall good condition should not require heavy daily maintenance on your part. You can easily get rid of everyday dirt and soap build-up with regular sweeping and mopping. For those tiles that seem to be slightly dirtier, then wiping with a damp cloth can easily rectify the situation.
You really won’t be spending more than 10 minutes wiping down the bathroom floor in order for it to be shiny and clean. Just make sure that you ring out your mop before you begin to clean the floor, as you should not allow puddles of water to accumulate over the tiles as they are very porous.
Desirable Flooring Material
“I would hate to have marble in my bathroom,” said no one ever. Marble is an extremely desirable flooring material—its elegance and timelessness really increase its appeal to the average consumer.
Having marble flooring in your bathroom will really elevate the space entirely, making it look a lot more expensive and elegant. Installing this natural stone on your bathroom floor is, therefore, a sure way to increase the value of your property.
Buyers will definitely pay top dollar for a classic bathroom with a timeless marble floor as it is not only aesthetically valuable, but it is more durable and resilient than other flooring options.
Works Well With Radiant Heating Systems
A great benefit of having marble bathroom floors is that their composition allows them to conduct heat effectively, so you won’t be compromising your bathroom’s warmth for its sophisticated style (provided you supply a source of heat for the marble to conduct).
Marble is known to be a good conductor of heat, so it will work really well with your radiant heating system. You will be able to eliminate the coldness that is synonymous with marble tiles. It will definitely come in handy on those cold winter mornings.
Marble Bathroom Floor Cons
Marble Is Expensive
We all know that having marble anywhere in your home will come at a hefty price. Having it installed as your bathroom flooring is no different.
You should be prepared to pay anywhere from $10 to $40 per square foot of marble, depending on the specialty of the marble itself.
Add this to the cost of installing the marble (which can run quite high as marble tiles are quite difficult to install) and you might be paying a small fortune, even if your bathroom is on the smaller side.
You will be paying so much for this material as not only is it exceptionally beautiful, but the process of converting the material from its natural state to the usable slab takes considerable time and effort, which increases its price.
It is also a material that won’t be found forever, so you are paying for the rareness and exclusivity of the stone.
Easily Scratched
One unfortunate characteristic of marble bathroom flooring is that they can be quite easily scratched, especially if it is glossy and smooth. The last thing anyone wants is for their expensive and stunning tile to become etched and old-looking.
These scratches can be caused by the cleaning detergents you use (if they are very acidic they can almost “eat through'” the tile and etch it) but they can also be caused by everyday walking and movement in the bathroom.
Avoid wearing Stiletto heels or sports cleats in your bathroom to eliminate the risk of scratching your marble floor. If you have free-standing bathroom storage, try not to drag it across the tiles as you will end up damaging the beautiful bathroom floor.
You will really want to take every precaution necessary as scratched marble cannot really be repaired, only replaced, and matching the pattern of your existing tiles will be difficult, if not impossible.
Stains Readily
Marble bathroom flooring can be really beautiful and easily transforms a space into a classic and airy oasis. However, you do need to keep in mind that this natural stone tile can stain relatively easily.
Marble itself is quite alkaline, so when it comes into contact with acidic substances (such as your strong cleaning products and detergents), the chemical reaction will cause a stain on the tiles, which will likely be permanent.
Your best way to avoid this is by using a pH-neutral detergent and hot water when cleaning your tiles. Avoid using an overly wet mop, and use a damp microfiber cloth (amazon link) instead.
Porous
You will quite easily have puddles of water all over the floor as you get out of the shower or bathtub, or even while washing your hands. On marble, this is not only dangerous but also harmful to the tiles.
Marble tile is quite porous, meaning that any water can be absorbed into the tile, which will affect the quality of its appearance. This is really not a good trait to have, especially when installed as a bathroom floor.
You will need to be quite mindful and try your best to clean up any excess water or even spilled beauty products from the floor immediately to avoid it filtering into the tile and staining it, therefore ruining your bathroom floor.
Requires Sealing and Re-Sealing
Another drawback of marble bathroom floors is that you will need to do yearly maintenance on them in order to keep them in tip-top shape and avoid any discoloration and scratches.
Sealing your marble floor can help prevent scratches, stains, and water absorption. However, you will need to seal it immediately after installation and repeat the process at least once a year to reap the full rewards of it.
The sealing process is not very difficult and can be done by yourself, so you won’t necessarily have to hire a professional to do it unless you have the means to. The sealing solution is technically a translucent topcoat that provides an extra layer of protection to your precious bathroom floor.
Difficult to Install
When it comes to installing marble into your bathroom floors, it is a task better left to the professionals as doing it yourself can be really tricky.
Marble is quite a fragile material, so it can break quite easily when manipulated. You will potentially waste a lot of costly material when cutting the tiles to size. You really won’t want this to happen often as marble tiles do not come cheap.
Marble flooring installation also requires special techniques to adhere it to the floor, so you are better off hiring someone who really knows what they are doing. It won’t be cheap but it will definitely be worth it.
Matching the Pattern Can Be Difficult
As I have already explained, individual marble tiles are essentially different from one another as the material comes straight from the ground. While this does ensure you won’t ever have quite the same flooring as your neighbor, the veined pattern of the marble will make it difficult to line the seams up in a way that looks flawless and continuous.
It also makes it nearly impossible to find replacement tiles when you need to swap out a scratched or chipped tile. Therefore, it is always recommended to buy a decent amount of spare tiles when you make your initial purchase to ensure you will have the same design available if it becomes necessary.
Some Types of Marble Get Very Slippery
Another setback, which is quite a big one when it comes to marble bathroom flooring, is that some types of marble can be quite slippery. This is the case with polished marble, as the surface will be extremely smooth and therefore susceptible to slippage.
This is really not what you want in a bathroom, and particularly a shower, where water will only add fuel to the fire, so you will really want to take extra precautions to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the space. Buying a few slip-proof rugs and mats is an affordable and easy way to combat this.
The SONORO Kate Bathroom Rug (amazon link) is a really budget-friendly choice that comes in a variety of colors so you are sure to find one that matches your bathroom.
You can also apply an anti-slip treatment to your tiles which will give them extra grip and reduce the possibility of slipping on the floor.
For more tips, check out my article on how to make marble floors less slippery.
Can Get Very Cold
One characteristic of marble that is less than desirable is that it can get very cold quite easily. This can be quite uncomfortable in your bathroom, especially when getting in and out of the shower or bathtub. While this can be enjoyable in the warmer months, winter will definitely not be looked forward to.
Luckily, this is an easy fix as adding a few fluffy rugs and mats to the space can cozy it up. Place these under your sink, at the foot of your shower and bathtub, and even by your toilet, and you are sure to keep your feet toasty at all times.
These tiles are also extremely compatible with radiant heat so that will definitely help you warm up the tiles in no time.
Sources
https://www.thespruce.com/marble-flooring-pros-and-cons-1314701
https://ohsospotless.com/how-to-clean-marble-floors/
https://www.crddesignbuild.com/blog/installing-marble-bathroom-tiles-pros-and-cons