What Does Cultured Marble Look Like

Cultured marble is a slightly dated blanket term for manufactured marble granite and onyx.

What does cultured marble look like.

Overall as an industry we are trying to get away from the term cultured marble. Cultured marble is a manufactured product that is molded. However this kind of surface looks pretty obviously fake and it s more similar to a solid surface countertop than an engineered stone countertop. Cultured marble is made from natural ground marble calcium carbonate.

In fact some culture marble has no marble at all just pigments and fillers. Colors and patterns can look similar. It looks great on bathroom countertops and shower walls. Cultured marble has a protective gel coat that is glossy like polished marble but it also looks a bit plastic up close unlike natural marble.

This industry started out with calcium carbonate and that is the least expensive of these types of engineered materials. The surface is such that it is stain resistant and is not affected by the presence of moisture. From discrete cream veins in white carrara marble to violet red or blue veins in yellow sienna marble natural marble will show its impurities through long sinewy streaks. The final product is coated with a clear finish that can be either satin or high gloss depending on your preference.

Although blacks blues greens unique bright colors and solids are also available. Due to this process just about any shape or size can be custom made to fit your needs. Cultured marble has a larger amount of polyester resins compared with the amount of actual stone. But you can also give it a matte or honed finish if you like.

Marble can be either polished to a gloss or have a matte honed finish but never looks plastic. Unlike stone that comes from a quarry cultured marble comes from a mold cast in a factory to create the specific shape and size that is needed for a project. Yes gloss and satin finishes are available and some shops even offer different textures such as a subway tile. Many consumers don t want cultured marble in their homes because of its reputation for being an old product that cracks easily.

Cultured marble is a blend of stone particles and resins that is combined with pigments to produce a wide range of colors and realistic natural looking patterns cultured marble cultured granite and cultured onyx among them. Cultured marble mainly has marble like veined and mottled patterns in soft whites and earth tones. Quartz color palette favors whites tans and grays but any color is also possible.