Limestone flooring, known for its elegant appearance created by polishing its very hard surface. Also available in tiles. It is installed by setting the tile (usually 6"x 6" to 12" x 12") in a cement bed. The cement bed is usually between 2" and 3" thick. The marble is finished by either rubbing or smoothing. The smoothing process involves grinding the tiles to a smooth finish, then polishing. Marble costs can be divided into four groups, according to the degree of color variation and structure, as follows:
Group A: Sound marbles with a smooth uniform surface requiring no waxing or filling, best suited for exterior walls, with little variation in texture and color. These are almost entirely local marbles and are strongly competitive in price.
Group B: Similar to Group A but with less favorable working qualities and a little more variation in color and texture. A few marbles in this group are imported.
Group C: Uncertain variations in working qualities, large flaws, voids, striations, and good color variation. Most imported marbles will fall in this category or Group D.
Group D: Marbles similar to Group C, but including those stones with maximum variations in working qualities, texture, and color. This group contains many of the highly colored and variegated marbles which are most prized for ornamentation..