Honed vs. Polished Marble
There’s a lot to think about when you’re getting marble installed, including whether you want your stone honed or polished. The finish you pick might add the extra layer of protection you need, along with the aesthetic you want for your home.
Keep reading to understand their differences so you can make a well-informed decision.
Find out more about our Orlando marble polishing services.
Honed vs. Polished Marble
Marble will add a high-end appearance to your home, which can increase the value of your home. Yet marble is actually a softer material, so you need to know how to care for it and whether honed or polished marble will be best for you.
Appearance
The most significant difference in appearance is the shine or lack thereof in the case of honed marble. Honed marble has very little shine to it, making it more subdued than its polished counterpart.
Your choice will depend on what type of look you’re going for. If you’re going for something that’s matte, you’ll want to pick honed marble, since polished marble has a shine to it that will look somewhat less natural.
The colors of each are a little bit different too. Honed marble has a bit of a lighter look. Polished marble reflects light better and therefore creates a greater color saturation, leading to more visible veins in the tiles or slab.
Scratches
Over time, honed marble tends to hold up a little better when it comes to scratches. When you get a polished finish, it’s more likely you’ll see a scratch leaving behind a matte mark.
On the other hand, Honed marble is already matte, so you won’t notice any scratches as easily. This is because the honed option does not have that shine that you would notice with polished marble.
Stains
Whether you have your marble on the counters or on the floor, you’ll likely spill something on it at some point. So you might want to choose an option that handles stains well—in this case, that would be polished marble.
Honed marble will soak up liquids more quickly and easily, while the polished finish will add more protection from stains. This being said, it’s not as if either of these two options will be unprotected from stains. As long as your marble is sealed properly, you’ll have a protective barrier.
It remains true, however, that polished marble does include just a little extra protection.
Lifestyle
Especially if you’re going to be walking on the marble, you’ll want to make sure that it will be safe for you to walk on. Of course, both versions are safe, but honed marble is indeed less slippery when wet.
Let it be known that a polished marble has a “mineral shine”, not a wax or coating shine. So polished marble is much less slippery than a floor that has a coating on top of it. This is often why we use aggregate in our sealers around exterior marble paver pool decks.
If you’re looking to install marble in a high-traffic area or in the bathroom, you may want to instead try honed marble instead of polished marble.
Maintenance
Polished marble is ultimately easier to maintain. This is because you will need to seal it less often, and it does not absorb stains as quickly or as easily as honed marble.
On the other hand, you will need to seal honed marble more often because it is more porous. Both are easy to clean, though, and should be cleaned right away when stained.
Conclusion
You’d want to pick out the color and type of marble that you will love for your home, especially since marble is a significant investment. When choosing between honed and polished marble, it depends on what type of look you’re going for, along with whether one will be easier for you to care for and walk on. Either way, you can rest assured knowing that marble will effectively bring a touch of elegance and luxury to your home.