20 Mar 2023

Timeless Beauty of Slate Tile: A Homeowner's Flooring Guide!

Slate Tiles are renowned for their beauty and strength, making them a perfect choice for building stunning floors that last. Offering a unique blend of rustic charm and modern elegance, Slate Tiles are ideal for a variety of indoor paving applications. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen backsplash, add a distinctive look to your alfresco area or create a living room accent, Slate Tiles are versatile to suit any design aesthetic. Although not the most affordable option, their beauty and resilience, coupled with their low-maintenance needs, make them well worth the splurge for many homeowners. If you're considering Slate for your floors, getting to know more about it will help you make the best decision.

What Is Slate?

Slate stone is an incredibly robust and attractive natural stone formed by the combination of clay minerals, mica, and quartz. Over time, these elements have been altered by pressure and heat, transforming into a stunning metamorphic rock. Today, Slate is one of the most popular natural stones and is renowned for its fine grain and remarkable durability. From paving and roofing to decorative wall and floor tiles, Slate's beauty and strength make it an ideal choice for a variety of projects.

Slate Tiles come in a wide range of bright colours and have a tonne of textural appeal. This minimalist material is incredibly long-lasting and simple to maintain, making it a great choice for areas that see a lot of moisture and foot traffic. But, before using this attractive material in your home, it is important to consider a few factors.

Some Advantages of Slate Tiles you should know

Slate has all kinds of benefits worth factoring into your flooring decision:

It gives a beautiful look to any space

Slate can create a unique impact on your living spaces. Its brilliant colours fit well with modern as well as contemporary settings. It is available in organic shades ranging from sombre blacks and multi-chromatic golds to rustic browns. It offers endless possibilities – you can either design a bold and dramatic look when you use it solo or create a beautiful statement when you combine it with other materials to enhance the overall aesthetic of your home.
It is durable

Slate is renowned for its sturdiness, being one of the toughest natural stones available for flooring. Its formation process over many centuries of extreme temperatures and pressures has endowed it with a great ability to withstand any impact in a home. Its surface also resists dents and scratches, and any minor damage is usually camouflaged by its natural grooves and ridges.
It works well in moisture-prone areas

The same qualities that make Slate resistant to scratches also render it highly resistant to water, making it a desirable choice for bathroom and kitchen areas, as well as outdoor spaces such as garden paths and patios, due to its ability to withstand shower steam, liquid spills, sprinklers and precipitation.
It is easy to maintain

Maintaining your Slate floors is easier than you think. Its dense colour and texture can conceal dirt and grime and hide signs of regular wear and tear. Frequently cleaning your Slate surfaces is the key. Sweeping or cleaning with a mop and soapy water is just enough. And periodical sealing makes the surface resistant to stains and keeps the lustre intact. So don't be afraid to use Slate in your home - it's easy to maintain and looks beautiful!

Design Opportunities with Slate

The attractive aesthetic of Slate flooring is one of its most desirable qualities. Its practical advantages further enhance its appeal, making it a popular choice as floor tiles in the following spaces.

Roofing: Slate functions well in all weather conditions, including rain and frost, which makes it a good option for roofing and external cladding projects. if you’re looking for a natural authentic look for your roof, Slate is a highly appealing choice due to its aesthetic appeal and longer lifespan.

Living Rooms: Slate Tiles, with their natural earthy hues, are a popular choice for homeowners wanting to bring a bit of nature's beauty into their interior living areas. Tiles come in Single-coloured variants and intricate multicolour patterns offering plenty of opportunities for creating a one-of-a-kind flooring design.

Bathrooms: Slate is well-suited for wet or moisture-prone areas and is a popular choice for bathrooms, pool decks, and garden paths near sprinklers or other watering systems. Its rugged surface texture also provides additional protection from slips and falls.

Kitchen: With its beautiful colours and stunning textures, Slate creates a one-of-a-kind impressive look for your kitchen flooring. Its versatility and easy-to-clean properties make it popular for use in kitchen areas. Slate Tiles can be used in a variety of ways, such as on floors, countertops, and backsplashes and bring a dramatic edge to kitchen spaces.

Colour and Styles of Slate

When choosing Slate Tiles for your flooring, you must consider not only the colour but also the design pattern for your flooring. You can go for a basic design in square or hexagon-shaped tiles, which accentuates the natural beauty of its colours and textures. Our Midnight Black Slatestone is a great option to create this look. With their chalky black hues, they can blend in with a variety of decor styles, from rustic outdoor showers to modern and sophisticated dining rooms.

For a more luxurious appearance, consider our Rajah Multi Slate or African Gold Slate Tiles. With their marvellous blend of colours, they can be utilized to make intricate and sophisticated designs like herringbone. Slate can even be used in combination with other natural stones like granite, marble, or travertine to create an outdoorsy, natural look - particularly for pathways or garden borders.

How to Install Slate Tiles

The most important thing to know before installation is whether Slate can be applied directly to your floor. It's usually ok to apply it directly to concrete. However, if you're working with plywood, you'll likely need to install a layer of cement board or another type of tile backer to add stiffness and to provide a surface that will not be damaged by moisture that finds its way through the tile. This extra step will go a long way in maintaining your tiles and preventing cracks and other problems.
Another important step in the installation process is making sure you plan your design and arrange your tile how you'd like it before you set anything in place.
After that, you'll begin to spread the adhesive that will hold down the tiles. It's important to keep this as level as possible as you go since laying perfectly will prevent future cracks and gaps. Once the floor is covered you can put your tiles on it, taking care to press them firmly and evenly as you go.

Sealing and Maintaining Slate Tiles

Slate is a fantastic paving material owing to its durability, versatility, and attractive appearance. That said, it is important to know how to appropriately care for your Slate floor so that it maintains its lustre and form. And, of course, you will want to know what not to do to attain the longevity of the surfaces.

A good quality sealant will go a long way in protecting your Slate from scratches and stains. It will also make it relatively low maintenance compared to many natural stones. Depending on your type of Slate floor tiles and where they are in your house, you might need to reapply a Slate sealer periodically. It's a process you can easily do yourself, taking care to follow the instructions properly.

Other than that, Slate tile doesn't need much more than a regular sweep to keep away dust and dirt. Additionally, once a month you can do a quick mopping with a damp mop and a pH-neutral soap, as anything too acidic can damage the stone. These simple care steps will help keep your tiles looking natural and clean for years to come.

The Final Takeaway

The beauty that natural Slate Tiles can bring to a space cannot be overstated.

With its stunning colours and impeccable texture, it can instantly upgrade the look of any interior or exterior space. It's a timeless and classic choice that can bring a touch of sophistication and luxury to any home. Whether you're looking to refresh your kitchen, bathroom or patio, Slate Tiles are an excellent choice that will never go out of style.

We at Stone Centre offer a wide range of premium-quality Slate Tiles to fit any requirement and personal style. Get in touch with our team of experts today to find the perfect Slate for your home.

*Disclaimer: All information and advice given above in the blog are to the best of our knowledge. Please reconfirm at your end before execution.