Homeowners often inquire apologetically about the difference between Cultured Marble and REAL marble.  Cultured Marble is in no way a “fake” product.  We start by showing the interested customer a beautiful white rock, calcium carbonate from an Alabama quarry, the source of the marble used in our beloved monument, the Lincoln Memorial.

 The marble is coaxed out of the ground by a series of explosions and mined with heavy machinery.  The rocks are transported by conveyor belt, sized, sorted for color purity and then crushed into powder of various size particles.  Based on specifications, real marble powder goes into a wide variety of products as diverse as road surfaces, baking soda and the Cultured Marble vanities we manufacture in our facility on Telge Road.

 The story of how we manufacture Cultured Marble can be told by analogy: “How to bake a marble cake.”  We brush the mold surface (cake pan) with a gel coating.  Aluminum tubes clamped to the table (cake pan) form the shape of the vanity or tub wall and determine the size required to meet the job specification. Marble powder (cake flour) is poured into a mixer and blended with resin (eggs) and pigment (vanilla and chocolate flavors).  When the batter or mix is ready, a very subjective process, it is “spooned” into the mold.  The “cook” coats the underside of the vanity or tub mold and the drip of the thick batter creates the characteristic swirls and color pattern as it flows down the curved surface of the tub or vanity.  It takes someone with years of experience to achieve consistent quality and color from one batch to another.

 We are equally concerned with the texture of the mix.  The cook drops the pan sharply to force air bubbles out of the cake; vibrators attached to the table force air bubbles to rise to the top.  A chemical reaction causes the piece to harden (bake).  Just as the altitude affects baking time, the weather too, determines the time on the mold.  Bolfing Brothers Marble Inc. has over 25,000 square feet of climate controlled area to accommodate the process.  When the “cake is done”, the vanity is turned.  The surface of the piece has a layer of gel coat (cake crust) which seals the porous undersurface.  A “frosting” of wax is added by the cleaning department.   We polished the surface to a shine or lightly sand the gel coat to a satin finish.  We serve the builder, contractor and ultimately the homeowner with Cultured Marble.  Actually, it is REAL marble that has gone through several stages to achieve the desired shape and color.