What is the DCOF? That will tell you of the grout joints will help or not.

You don't want polished marble because the first time it etches it will definitely show.

Hi, each piece on the tile is about 2”x2”.

That should be small enough to avoid slipping after you grout the tile.

I had considered polished marble for my shower floor, but when it was pointed out to me that marble is not ideal for that use, I changed selections. I was told that grouting it will make it ok as far as slipping. I was more concerned with the general maintenance.

What exactly would be the ‘general maintenance’ of polished marble floors?

I understood that marble floor ( I was only looking in the shower floor ) would need to be sealed periodically which isn't a big deal. I think in general though marble is less friendly or durable wih respect to cleaners and soaps and the like.

As I stated, I have polished marble basketweave mosaic in my master bathroom. The shower floor is the problem--it becomes etched and is difficult to keep clean unless you use some very strong liquids. I have a professional tile cleaner come once a year to clean it as well as the caulking and grout on both the walls (porcelain tile) and floor. Unfortunately we have very hard water which discolors grout, stone and any sort of tile.

However, the floor outside the shower is just fine. It was sealed on installation about 15 years ago, and I never have done it again. I just clean it with water and a marble cleaner. No undue maintenance required.

If you're using it in a room that gets a lot of use, then you might want to reconsider. If it's your master bath, and you and your partner are careful, it shouldn't be a problem.

Diane - It’s been a couple of years since you posted about your marble mosaic tile in your bathroom, so I’m not sure you will see this… Do you know what causes the etching in the shower? I am about to give the green light for a polished thassos jumbo basketweave marble tile with Carrara dot (with white grout, no less!) for the main floor and the shower floor in my primary bath remodel. I am having serious second thoughts, even though I love it, and I am almost out of time to find a substitute. I will have Calacatta marble vanities, tub cap and bench, and finding a floor and wall tile for both the room and the shower that doesn’t compete with the beautiful Calacatta counters has been difficult. Based on what you posted previously, it sounds as if this polished thassos basketweave would be a huge mistake, unless I could know in advance what causes the etching and how to avoid it. Is it hard water? We have moderately hard water. Or soap and other products? Simply everything that touches the floor?

I'm so sorry to tell you but the answer is yes, yes, and yes. Anything liquid--soap, hard water, shampoo, etc. can etch marble. I have light gray grout but in the shower it's turned white due to the chemicals my marble/shower guy uses to clean it. You can't avoid the etching with marble--it's a chemical reaction where anything even slightly acidic erodes the top layer of the stone. It looks worse with polished stone since the etching is dull and it contrasts with the polished parts.

I love the way it looks too, and as I mentioned, the floor outside of the shower is fine except around the toilet. I wouldn't do it again, I'd find a porcelain tile to use on the bathroom floor, including the shower.

Thanks, Diane. You have confirmed my doubts. Darn it! I am searching for a porcelain floor tile that will coordinate with the honed calacatta marble counters. (I just haven’t seen a quartz that I want in my own bathroom.) With marble counters, I know that we’ll need to keep a stack of microfiber cloths nearby to wipe up every drop.
I need to find tile that doesn’t have too much movement, which will compete with the calacatta. That’s why the jumbo thassos marble basketweave with the gray dot would look gorgeous… but, sadly, it is not to be.
Thanks, again, Diane!

You're welcome, mabsy. Sorry for being the bearer of bad news, but better to know ahead of time so you can make alternate plans, if necessary.

Regarding marble counter tops, I have Calacatta in my master bathroom and Danby in my kitchen, and I do not baby them. I do not wipe up every drop with microfiber or any other cloths; I just clean them with a mild cleanser and then dry them right away. I would recommend getting them honed instead of polished, so you don't see the etches as much. Floors get much more abuse than counter tops, thus my aversion to the marble mosaic floors, and less so about the counter tops.

My mother put a beautiful polished green marble tile on their bathroom floor back in the early 1980s. She regretted it immediately the first time a male used the toilet.

I was taught at a young age to never use polished marble for bathroom floors!

Another issues we have seen on these forums is people who use a cleaning service and cleaners who forget what product they are supposed to use and end up etching/staining the marble, sometimes quite badly.

Thanks Diana and Chipsa - I obviously lost my common sense during this process of doing my own home remodel. Now I need to find porcelain or ceramic floor tiles that will complement my gorgeous calacatta counters, and still look elevated and beautiful. Nothing will compare to the gorgeous thassos basketweave.