Calacatta marble protection
A Calacatta slab is often the single most expensive thing in the kitchen. Our film keeps the bright white ground and the bold veining exactly as they were on installation day.
Why Calacatta marks
Calacatta is prized for its clean white background and thick veins of grey and gold. That white is exactly what makes damage obvious. A lemon wedge leaves a dull ring you can see from across the room, and a splash of red wine or turmeric can tint the stone before anyone notices.
Like every true marble, Calacatta is calcium carbonate. Acids react with it and dissolve the surface, which is called etching. Sealers slow stains but cannot stop that reaction.
Calacatta marble at a glance
Typical figures. Natural stone varies from slab to slab.
| Stone type | Metamorphic marble |
|---|---|
| Main mineral | Calcite (calcium carbonate) |
| Where it comes from | The Apuan Alps near Carrara, Tuscany |
| Hardness | About 3 on the Mohs scale |
| Porosity | Moderate, higher when honed |
| Etches with acid | Yes, quickly |
| Typical finishes | Polished or honed |
| Best film finish | Gloss for polished, satin for honed |
Living with Calacatta
Calacatta is usually specified for one reason: the veining. Designers bookmatch slabs so the pattern flows across an island or up a splashback, and a single dull patch interrupts that flow in a way it would not on a plainer stone.
Because genuine Calacatta is quarried in relatively small volumes and priced accordingly, most owners want it to look the same in ten years as it did at handover. Film is the only way to get close to that in a working kitchen, because it deals with etching, which no sealer does.
Calacatta also tends to be installed in bright, open kitchens with plenty of natural light. Etch marks show most in raking light, so a sunny Sydney kitchen makes them more visible, not less.
See it work
The same kind of everyday spills your calacatta marble will meet, on a protected benchtop. Everything stays on the surface and wipes away.
Filmed on our earlier film. The film we install today carries a 13-year warranty and a 250°C rating.
What the film does
How it works
Care
with a soft damp cloth. There is no rush, but there is no reason to leave them either.
Gentle everyday products are all the film needs.
They can dull the film’s surface over time.
The film is protection, not a chopping surface.
Choose the gloss film for a polished slab and it keeps the reflection. Satin suits honed Calacatta. We show both on your stone before you decide.
No. Calacatta Gold, Borghini, Oro and Viola are all marbles and are protected the same way.
As soon after installation as possible, before the first etch. Book us for the week after your stonemason finishes.
No. If it was sealed at installation that is fine; the film goes over it. If it was not, there is no need to seal it first.
Both come from the same region. Calacatta has a whiter background with bolder, thicker veins; Carrara is greyer with softer, finer veining. Both etch the same way. See our Carrara page.
Free estimate
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