Flamed marble finish is a process in which the surface to be treated is hit by a very high temperature by means of a blowtorch. This marble finish is able to highlight the marble surface texture and the natural color of the stone, giving the surface of the flamed marble a rough and irregular appearance.
During flamed marble finish, the surface of the stone undergoes a thermal shock consisting first of all by the rapid passage of a torch fitted with a blowtorch (with temperatures ranging between 2,500°C and 3,000°C) and immediately afterwards by cooling with water. This sudden thermal shock (acting thermally on elements such as silicon and quartz) gives rise to an expansion phenomenon which slightly flakes the surface making it rough and with a unique chromatic effect.
The machinery used to make flamed marble is called a flaming machine and consists of a bridge that runs on rails and where the torch fed with propane gas and oxygen for the blowtorch is located.
Flamed marble finish can only be carried out on stones capable of withstanding strong thermal shocks, that is some types of marble and almost all granites. As far as granite is concerned, in fact, this stone finish is particularly suitable for this material since it is an igneous rock with a high quartz content, which allows to make the flamed marble finish even more incisive.
Therefore, most granites can be flamed, even with a minimum starting thickness of 1.5 cm. Marble flaming on yellow granites is not recommended as the very high temperatures can alter their color making them appear reddish.
Finally, flamed marble lends itself to being combined with other marble treatment techniques, eg. Brushed and flamed marble or grooved and flamed marble.
Flamed marble finish, like other marble stone finishes such as bush hammering and brushing, also give the stone an anti-slip quality, which makes flamed marble particularly suitable for outdoor applications or where there is the presence of water such as stairs, fountains, swimming pool edges or even shower trays. Another great advantage offered by flamed marble finish is the so-called vitrification of the flamed marble surface which corresponds to high resistance to atmospheric agents. This is the reason why flaming is suitable for the facades of period buildings: the raw but at the same time elegant appearance of this process is able to maintain the sophisticated character of these buildings unaltered.
Flamed marble finish is also applicable to interior spaces, both with a modern and rustic design, but it is mostly recommended to add a brushed stone finish to the flamed marble.
Luxurious furniture in lightweight marble
Dedalo is a company from Carrara that designs and produce monolithic luxurious furnishings in lightened marble, with a contemporary design. Our goal is to reaffirm the use of marble in everyday life without renouncing, for reasons of weight, to its three-dimensional vocation, proposing sculptural and extremely engaging shapes.
