Is Cultured Marble a Good Choice for Vanities?

Cultured Marble

• Cultured marble is a type of cast polymer -- a man-made product that is designed to produce the appearance of natural marble. It is made from a composite of crushed limestone and fiberglass resin. The material used to make cultured marble may be up to 75 percent crushed marble dust. The resulting product looks and feels like natural marble but is typically finished with a gel coat that helps maintain the gloss finish and protects the product against staining and etching.

Advantages

• Natural marble can be cut into thin slabs, or carved into a number of shapes by a skilled stone cutter, but cultured marble can be molded into an endless variety of shapes to meet virtually any need. Cultured marble can be molded into an integrated vanity top with a sink bowl, avoiding to the need cut a hole in the vanity top and fit a bowl beneath it. The material is chip resistant, mildew resistant, stain resistant and waterproof.

Maintenance

• Cultured marble vanity tops require little maintenance beyond cleaning with a soft, damp cloth and nonabrasive household cleaner. You can polish cultured marble with products that are specifically labeled for that purpose to help maintain your vanity top's luster. The resin composition of cultured marble resists staining from makeup and other cosmetics, but spills should be wiped up as soon as possible.

Considerations

• Cultured marble is tough, but it is not impervious to damage. Harsh chemicals, including peroxide that is present is some cosmetics such as hair color, can harm your vanity top. Cultured marble can scratch if cleaned with an abrasive cleanser, or if cleaned while dry. The Kitchen, Cabinets and Hardware website recommends only cleaning your cultured marble vanity top while it is wet. Unlike natural marble, scratches in a cultured marble vanity top can be repaired by a trained technician.