« Granite Flooring | Main | Stone Floor Care »
Slate Flooring
Slate flooring is beautiful. You can select slate flooring tile in a variety of shapes and thicknesses, letting you create various designs. Natural slate flooring comes in a variety of colors, mostly dark, contributing to your design. Installing slate flooring isn't much different from installing any stone flooring. Slate tile flooring is easy to clean and maintain, if when installing it you are careful and seal the resulting floor. Now check with your slate provider and installer on how to clean slate flooring and about the care of stone flooring in general.
Slate as a stone which makes for flooring that is nothing short of amazing. If you are looking to purchase stone flooring for your home or business, slate is a choice to think hard about. While it is more expensive than other types of flooring, it will last a long time. It provides you with a durable, hard to stain surface and with some of the most beautiful textures and patterns available.
Slate flooring is often purchased as slate flooring tile. The tile can be purchased in a variety of shapes to make any design or pattern that you want. It is durable because of how it is made. High temperatures take very tiny particles of clay and silt and bond them closely. The resulting stone is impermeable so liquids don't penetrate readily. This leaves you with very few stains and virtually no cracking (as long as it is laid correctly, that is.)
Slate tile flooring offers many features. For example, the impurities that are in the silt and clay that make up slate provide for a wide range of colors. You can often choose from dark colors like black, red and green, lighter colors like various shades of gray, and combinations of these colors. This makes it an excellent choice for virtually any color scheme in a room or house. That color variety also lets you create interesting and beautiful patterns.
Another benefit is that you can purchase it in a variety of shapes and sizes. That goes for patterns as well as thickness. You can choose tile squares or go with large slabs. It is quite versatile.
Installing And Caring For Slate Flooring
When it comes to installing slate flooring, you should consider calling in the professionals. If you are a capable do-it-yourselfer, you can do the work on your own, otherwise step aside for a professional. Some words of caution though. You need to ensure that you cut the slate properly or go with precut tile pieces. If it is cut improperly with the wrong tools, it will snap, reducing its value and usability. Also, it is important that you pay attention to the grouting process. Because of the natural texture of slate, you will have a more difficult time grouting. You can avoid this by grouting after you have sealed the flooring. A note about sealants: if you opt for a high shine sealer, the dirt and dust of every day use will show more than a low-sheen sealer.
As for how to clean slate flooring, you will use the same method that you would for the care of stone flooring of any type. A bucket of warm water without any powerful chemicals is the best method. Keep up on the maintenance of sealants, as well as keeping the grout chip free, to maintain the integrity and beauty of the slate.
Slate flooring is beautiful and durable. Not only do the color choices make a statement, but the textures add interest not found in most other stone floorings. Slate is an excellent choice for your flooring needs. It's an excellent choice for an entryway, kitchen, sun room, or even living and dining rooms.
Comments
Hi Barb!
Sounds like a project! I know that AquaMix makes very good products for almost any flooring material. The link will take you to their product page that's just for slate flooring.
Just be sure that when re-grouting that you have already sealed the slate, or else the grouting can literally get into the slates pores - really difficult to fix if that happens.
Best of luck - I'll bet it turns out beautiful!
The Flooring Lady at July 18, 2008 11:51 PM
Yes, you are absolutely right about hiring a professional to install slate.
I had 900+ ft installed a few years ago by who I "thought" was a professional. The floor turned out a nightmare. Edges were higher than others, tiles were higher than others - you had to tiptoe otherwise risk foot injury.
I would still not recommend this floor for the interior though. The variations in the stone surface make it hard on your feet.
I finally had laminate installed and the slate removed. Just enduring the toxic dust from the removing was enough.....with the laminate I can now walk on a soft even smooth surface and my feet are happy again.....
Think twice before installing slate inside your home - even with excellent installation - hope this saves even one person from the misery I went through of having "that beautiful slate floor inside my home".
Peg at July 24, 2008 12:38 PM
After the installer sealed our slate floor,the slate appeared cloudy. AFter using mineral spirits on the floor, the slate has a more natural look but is quite dull. Should another sealer be applied since the mineral spirits was used?
jan at July 31, 2008 12:13 AM
Hi Jan,
Why did the installer choose mineral spirits? If I'm reading between the lines correctly, it sounds like he sealed the slate and then discovered it looked horrible and used mineral spirits to hopefully thin out the sealer in hopes of removing the grout haze too? That's not how it works, the grouting haze is supposed to be removed before it's sealed.
If the installer charged you for sealing too, then he needs to come back and make this right if you're not happy with it, presuming of course, that the sealant wasn't supposed to leave the slate looking so dull............. which, reading between the lines again, tells me it shouldn't.
The Flooring Lady at July 31, 2008 09:16 PM
I have slate flooring in the bathroom and lining the shower walls. I would like it to have some luster to it. The slate has been sealed several times while it was being laid. Is there a product that can give it some type of shine or luster, not necessarily a polished look like my granite.
denipolis at August 1, 2008 11:34 PM
Hi denipolis,
Yes, there are products for this. I think that what you want is a high sheen product - something to give it that wet look? There are also low sheen products and no sheen (which I know you don't want). AquaMix has products for this and, so far, I haven't heard anything but good about their products. A Lowe's or Home Depot will probably have similar products as well. Whatever you use, just be sure that it is specifically formulated for slate, follow the direction and don't be stingy when applying the product. ;~)
The Flooring Lady at August 2, 2008 11:12 AM
Is it ok to toplace slate over existing concrete. This is the way a contractor wants to do my outside work. Can you tell me if I will have problems with this at a later time.Also, I like seams that are small can this be achieved with outside slate. What kind of product will I need to achieve a pattern with small seams.
Thank you for your input
laura h at August 21, 2008 04:24 PM
Hi Laura,
Yes, this is ok to do, so long as the concrete is sealed against moisture, helps to seal the stones before laying as well (extra moisture control + it makes it easier to clean up grout).
I don't know if small grout lines are possible since you did't mention anything about the overall shape(s) of the slate or what your definition is of "small" seams. So long as the slate edges are straight, you should have no problem placing the stone rather close together.
The Flooring Lady at August 21, 2008 07:54 PM
We recently installed slate and made two mistakes that we found out about after the fact -- we didnt preseal the slate before grouting, and we didnt clean the excess grout off well enough before it dried (which was harder because we didnt preseal it). What is the best way to get the excess grout (patches in some places and just haze in others) off? And if/when we get that off, how/when would you recommend sealing it? Thanks.
Dee at September 2, 2008 02:55 PM
AquaMix has the products you need. I don't know if their available in your area or not though. You can find locations that carry their products on their website too.
After you get all the grout/haze removed, be sure to let your slate dry thoroughly before sealing - or you'll be in for evem more issues and lots more work. As you have discovered, slate is porous. Give it a few days to dry out really, really well. You can speed up the process with a dehumidifier.
The Flooring Lady at September 2, 2008 11:11 PM
