How do I find a matching Marble Tile stone for a Repair?

QUESTION

Hello, I am looking to replace a broken marble tile in the home we purchased 1.5 years ago. The home was built in 2007. We have had marble flooring companies come and examine the broken piece, along with visiting an exhaustive list of local tile shops. In addition to replacing this broken piece, we need to find additional pieces when we have entryways expanded to accommodate my wheelchair. The tiles we are trying to locate measure 12 x 12 with variations of beige, white, cream, tan and even some grayish areas, there are also orange, red, dark grey and white veining in the tiles throughout our home. Please help! Thank you! Laura

ANSWER

ANSWER - Like snow flakes there are no two marbles that match exactly.  That is true for any natural stone since it is nature made.  Natural stone inherently varies to some degree depending on the geological classification of the stone and where and how it was sourced and produced.   Some natural stones can be fairly consistent in its appearance.

If the marble has a lot of variation in visual characteristics, it is easier to find a replacement that fits within the established range.  The Natural Stone Institute standards stated the supply of the stone should be within the established range as demonstrated with sampling or for a repair as established with the existing marble installation.   So the replacement stone might not match exactly to any of the existing stones, but it will fit within the range of the existing stone installation.

There is no simple way to locate a replacement stone without going to all of the stone importers in a major city hub and asking the knowledgeable sales person if they can identify the type of stone it is and then to see if someone's inventory will provide an acceptable match.   Often you might have to buy a lot more of the stone and then select the one that works the best, as importers generally will not let you cull through their inventory to find one or a few stones that match best for you.

One thought on “How do I find a matching Marble Tile stone for a Repair?

  1. Ryan Tehrani says:

    I need help tile matching a St. Thomas grey marble from Mexico. I need 200 square feet. Please help. 12x12x.25 polished.

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