Cultured marble and real marble, both sound the same as marble products, but they are two completely different things. Each one is different. They are manufactured differently and installed, maintained and repaired differently. The only real similarity is that they both have marble in their names.
What is Cultured Marble?
Cultured Marble is a man-made product that contains dyes, marble dust and resins. Once made, it's coated with a high-gloss clear gel to protect it. Because of the way it is made, artificial marble is more closely related to Hi-Macs solid surfaces. It is often called artificial marble.
What is real marble?
Real marble is created by nature. People have nothing to do with it. All humans do is dig it out of the earth, cut it, polish it, and install it in different projects.
How can I tell the difference between artificial marble and real marble?
1. The cultured marble item integrates the sink and backsplash. (all one-piece design). The real marble project has a freestanding backsplash and separate sink.
2. Cultured marble can mimic real marble, but it has a flat appearance and lacks depth. Protective gloss can even make it look like plastic. The look of real marble will have depth.
3. Cultured marble is manufactured to a recipe in a factory so that each piece has a consistent appearance. No two pieces of real marble are exactly alike.
4. Cultured marble is considered an affordable product while real marble is considered a luxury.
5. Cultured marble never needs to be sealed. real marble.
6. The protective coating on the cultured marble gives it a high shine. Marble may have a high sheen, but it may also have a dull matte finish, giving it a softer look.
While engineered marble is very different from real marble, they are cleaned and cared for in much the same way, using non-abrasive, pH-neutral cleaners. Look for cleaners that clearly state that they are for cleaning cultured marble or real marble, depending on what you have. Both materials can be etched by harsh, abrasive chemicals and cleaning products. Both can withstand nicks, scratches and cracks. While they can all be damaged in similar ways, the tools and processes used to fix them are different.
