Louisiana is famous for many wonderful things; jazz, jambalaya and Mardi Gras come to mind. But as we know, Louisiana weather is not always wonderful. It can be hot and muggy, pouring rain, or blowing with gale-force wind – sometimes all in the same day! That’s why, when you’re shopping for marble accents for your home, you’ll want to select a stone supplier that maintains a marble slab warehouse.

Many companies allow homeowners, designers and builders to view their stone slabs in an outdoor yard. There are two problems with this type of shopping. Firstly, seeing a slab outdoors may mislead you about what it will look like once it is installed in your kitchen or bathroom. The glare of the sun, overcast skies or even dust may obscure or distort the appearance of the stone. Secondly, you are making an important purchase for your home, one that will last a lifetime. In order to make a good decision, you need to be able to shop in comfort. Spending a day in the sun or wind can be draining, uncomfortable and exhausting, and you’re more likely to make a hasty decision when you’re shopping in these types of conditions. What you want is a well-lit warehouse or showroom where you can view marble slabs indoors, in air-conditioned comfort and take all the time you need. Premier stone suppliers in Louisiana maintain this type of showroom. Omni Surfaces in Lafayette, for example, boasts a 15,000 square-foot display area that’s fully air-conditioned and chock-full of marble slabs from around the world.

Marble 101

Before going out to look at marble, learn some basic facts about it. The word “marble” comes from the ancient Greek for “gleaming stone”, and from ancient times onwards, marble has been associated with elegance, wealth and grace. Fine art such as Michelangelo’s David and architecture like the Taj Mahal made use of marble because of its beauty and its luxurious associations. Throughout the centuries, marble was available only to the very wealthy because extracting it was a work-intensive and difficult process. Fortunately, technologies first developed in the 1980s have greatly improved the efficiency of marble quarrying and processing. Because of these advances, marble has never been so affordable. Now you, too, can add the elegance of natural marble stone to your living environment.

Marble is a metamorphic rock that is formed when limestone is subjected to tremendous pressure over a long period of time. It’s composed mainly of calcite or dolomite, but additional minerals mixed in with the limestone give rise to a huge variety of colored marble. You may choose classic white and grey Carrara or Calacatta marble from Italy, deep chocolate brown Emperador marble from Spain or exotic blue marble from Brazil. Each marble slab is unique – a work of art created by Mother Nature!

In addition to being beautiful and affordable, marble also adds resale value to your home. Better stone suppliers pre-seal the marble slabs, and you need only reseal it at periodic intervals, – a simple process you can do yourself. And you can also choose the finish and the edge you desire, customizing your unique countertop, floor, wall, or other stone accent even more. Durable marble will give you years of natural stone beauty with proper care.

Visit a Louisiana stone slab warehouse today and fall in love with marble!