Our firm offers slate tile flooring as kitchen floor tiles, a really attractive and long-lasting natural stone flooring alternative, but there isn’t a lot of information available.
So, here in this blog, we talk about installation and maintenance as well as types and cost of slate tiles. Since there was a dearth of reliable resources, we decided to compile all you need to know about slate tile flooring in one comprehensive guide.
What Is Flooring Made of Slate?Natural stone flooring called slate is extracted from the soil, typically from mountains. Slate is a metamorphic rock, which essentially means that it was created over an extended period of time from other forms of rock that already existed.
These minerals and sediments include quartz, mica, muscovite, calcite, and occasionally biotite, chlorite, hematite, and pyrite.
Apatite, graphite, kaolinite, magnetite, zircon, and feldspar are also occasionally found. Then, under intense heat and pressure over an extended period of time, all of these are compacted together to form the slate that is familiar to us today.
Slate is a resilient, coarsely foliated, and brittle stone that is available in a variety of hues depending on the region and minerals present in the slate in question.
It frequently consists of shades of black, dark green, and gray, although it may also contain red, purple, gold, and blue. Slate is extracted from quarries in enormous slabs that are afterward cut into tiles of largely uniform size parallel to the foliation.
Slate is mined both domestically and abroad, but it is mostly produced in Asia. In addition to flooring, slate tiles may be used for tiling walls, creating backsplashes, as stepping stones, as roofing material, and in many other ways.The most popular natural stone in use today is undoubtedly slate.
Slate Tile Flooring TypesThe primary classifications for slate tiles are dependent on production, even if the region from where they were mined might have an impact on the color, quality, density, and permeability of the slate.
Slate tiles are not consistent in size and have uneven, rough surfaces on both the front and back of the tile when they are in their most natural state.
sometimes referred to as “ungauged.” The thickness of ungauged slate tile flooring typically ranges from 1/8 inch to 12 inches, and it can be laid with either side facing up. Due to the need for methods like “back buttering” or adding glue to the back of the tile to help it lie flat, installation may become more challenging as a result.
Although gauged tiles are normally more expensive, you will save money on labor since they are more uniform in size and have a thickness of around 1/16 of an inch because their backs have.
been sanded down to a constant flatness. Since tiles made of other natural stones, such as granite or marble, are cut to size, this categorization of gauged or ungauged is typically exclusive to slate.
In contrast, the natural graining of slate is followed while cutting it. The slate that is not gauged is typically utilized more for outdoor projects like stepping stones.
Additionally, it is more vulnerable to spalling, which is the process by which freshly laid slate flooring chip and gets dusty before settling, often for the first three months.
Chips The terms “gauged” and “ungauged” relate to the slate tile’s back, whilst the other categories refer to its surface. These words include “clefted,” “honed,” and “polished.”
When a slate tile is clefted, the surface is preserved in the same condition as when it was quarried, similar to the ungauged categorization save for the tile’s surface.
This implies that the surface will be uneven, rough, and rocky. Many people refer to cleft slate as “natural slate” because they like the rustic, natural appearance it offers their slate floors.
Although it makes for a fantastic non-stick flooring surface and offers good grip, cleft slate can be difficult to walk barefoot.
Honed slate has a shiny, flat front due to the surface having been polished to a high degree of smoothness. This technique may somewhat mute the inherent brightness of the color variations, but it gives the colors a more current and contemporary appearance.
Honed slate still has some grip when handled by hand since it is not completely shiny like marble. Gauged Honed slate has been polished more thoroughly than gauged cleft slate; therefore, it will be even more consistent in size and typically cost more.
A honed slate is less forgiving than cleft slate since it tends to reveal chips and dirt more. A polished slate is an honed slate that has been further polished such that it sparkles and is as glossy as a substance like marble.
Because slate isn’t particularly suitable for this kind of dazzling finish and because polished and honed slate tile may be extremely slippery, polished slate is quite uncommon.
Slate tile flooring alternatives are; therefore, very diverse, ranging from ungauged cleft slate, which will be rough all throughout, to gauged polished slate, which will seem more sleek and contemporary. Slate is a preferred flooring option because of the enormous number of varieties that are available.
Slate Tile Flooring PricesSlate is more expensive than certain floor coverings and will undoubtedly cost more than budget-friendly choices like laminate, vinyl, or carpet.
On the other hand, this is not always the case, particularly when contrasting high-end ceramics such as porcelain tile. Slate tile flooring often costs more than ceramic tile flooring.
Slate is still the least expensive natural stone flooring choice, and it is far less expensive than marble or granite floors. Slate costs somewhere between $5 and $20 per square foot, so there is a significant pricing range. The fact that there are so many different kinds of slates has a direct bearing on this.
The cost of your slate floors will vary depending on factors like the location of origin (an exotic foreign slate is more expensive due to transportation costs).
Denser slate will also generally cost more. Remember that installing slate tile flooring might cost more, particularly if it is ungauged.
Slate Tiles Installation and Maintenance
As was mentioned before, the slate may be especially tricky to install due to its natural properties. Speaking of maintenance, during the installation process, sealers should be put on the slate since slate flooring is susceptible to stains, and the permeability of different kinds of slate can vary greatly from one another.
After the slate has been grouted, sealed, and placed, you should seriously consider using a color-boosting sealant on your slate tiles in order to bring out the natural brightness that is already there within them.
Because of this, the hues of your flooring will become more intense, imitating the way that wet stones appear more bright than dry ones do.
In addition, we’ve covered this previously, but slate flooring is susceptible to a flaking problem called spalling for the first few months following installation.
Do not be worried about this, as it is a natural process. Slate is a naturally flaky and split stone, so this is to be expected. However, you should make sure to sweep the floor every day to prevent dust from accumulating.
After the slate flooring has had time to settle, they demand a relatively low level of upkeep. If you sweep your slate floors frequently and periodically damp mop them, it should be enough to maintain them free of dust and grime.
Worrying about replacing the tile is unnecessary if your cleft slate floors sustain any chips.
Because the hue is consistent across the stone, any imperfections will be difficult to detect. However, given that dirt and damage would be more obvious on the surface of honed and polished slate flooring, they may require additional maintenance.
Avoid acidic cleaners or spills. Even though slate floors may last a lifetime, you shouldn’t be afraid to reseal them if they appear to need them. Things like lemon juice or vinegar are known to cause irreparable harm to slate flooring.
Advantages Of Slate Tile FlooringThe one-of-a-kind and one-of-a-kind beauty of slate tile flooring make them very desirable.
Because of the wide variety of colors and designs that are available, a slate floor may be customized to complement virtually any aesthetic.
This adaptability is only an added bonus, though, as the unusual look of slate is what many people find to be its primary selling point.
A design that features marbled, irregular striations and startling splashes of brilliant color against more muted grays and blacks is one that is in high demand.
The appearance of a floor covered with slate tiles may be made to look either quaintly traditional when the tiles have a colorful clefted pattern or aesthetically modern when the tiles are honed in a uniform shade of gray.
sing slate flooring in your house is likely to make a statement and attract guests’ attention. The adaptability of slate flooring extends even to the locations in which it may be installed.
Slate is a versatile material that can be used in almost any room in your home. However, it functions particularly well in areas that will be in regular contact with water, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms.
Due to its better resilience to water, slate flooring may even be used to tile the interior of your shower, in contrast to hardwood floors, which will warp over time, or carpets, which will stain and mildew with time.
In addition to being resistant to water, slate also resists stains so long as it is properly sealed. Furthermore, slate requires very little care; in the event of a spill, all that is required is a short cleaning.
In addition, slate is one of the most long-lasting types of flooring that can be purchased. If it is permitted for use as a roofing material, then you can trust that it will be able to withstand even the regions of your property that see the greatest foot traffic.
Since of this, it is a wonderful choice for individuals who have dogs as a floor covering because you won’t have to worry about your dog’s claws scraping up the surface of your flooring like they would if you had hardwoods.
Because it is so durable, cleft slate does not get slippery and is an excellent material for being used in both indoor and outdoor settings.
In addition to all of these benefits, slate is an excellent choice for flooring for individuals who suffer from allergies since it is resistant to bacteria and simple to maintain. As a result of its resistance to fire, the slate will keep your family secure from harm.
The Drawbacks of Using Slate Tile as Flooring
Slate tile, much like any other type of flooring, has certain negatives in addition to its many positive qualities, such as the following:
We have previously discussed the potential complications that may arise during the installation of slate tile flooring, as well as the fact that slate is a natural stone and so tends to be on the more expensive side. Because of its extreme hardness, slate is extremely long-lasting.
However, this also makes it uncomfortable to stand for extended periods, which can lead to painful feet and aggravate existing joint conditions in susceptible people. Slate is incredibly durable, but it is also quite fragile.
This means that slate tiles have a propensity to break if something heavy is dropped on them. Furthermore, because there are such strong variances among slate kinds, it may be difficult to obtain a replacement that is an exact match.
We hope that you will consider our firm for your upcoming flooring project, regardless of whether you end up deciding that slate flooring is the best option for your home.
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