Since long back, when it comes to the name of the flooring, slate flooring has been one of the viable options for interior and exterior decorations besides arts and crafts.
Have you ever wondered what slates are made from? The slate we use for flooring is obtained from the mines and the mountains.
Undergoing a metamorphic process within the Earth’s crust, the slate rock is formed after long years with tremendous heat, pressure, and temperature alteration.
The slate we use commercially is converted from shale to slate during the metamorphic process and is the cut product from the rock.
In recent days, it has been inferred as one of the options for bathroom flooring. With the growing interest in floor coverings, could the slate tile option be one of the ideal options for you?
The slate is highly efficient, possesses 100 % terms of recycling, and is long-lasting for roughly 100 years.
It reflects how eco-friendly the slate you use for the flooring in your buildings and the monuments is.
With technological progress in the scientific era of the 21st century, are you not willing to decorate your home, both interior, and exterior?
If yes, Here are some pros and cons of slate flooring that we all should know.
Table of Contents
Pros of the Slate flooring
Among numerous pros identified below are the crucial pros of state flooring. Let’s go through it.
1. Durability
The incredible durability feature of the slate floors has always attracted users to use them for a prolonged period.
Since the slate is formed by extreme heat and pressures for a long and unique mechanism with time, its hardness permits it to resist scrapes and scratches.
2. Water-resistant
Through the centuries, slate floor tile has been considered unique for decorative purposes in walls, roofs, and the floor.
Every material could not adapt to the changing environment, likely in the water, but do you believe the slate does?
With the high water resistance, the slates are used for the flooring in rooms with higher moisture levels and areas frequently associated with the liquid, such as kitchens, bathrooms, and showers.
3. Indoor and outdoor performance
You could often use the slate flooring to serve both indoors and outdoors.
It is highly preferable for several purposes that hail stepping stones in the garden, backyards, or maybe the outdoor patios.
You may have been sought/used to the majestic scenes of the gardening flooring.
The slate tile floor is a perfect real-state natural flooring material lasting longer, reflecting a visual appeal for decorative purposes.
4. Aesthetic appearance
The slate used indoors or outdoors gets changed according to the mineral composition of the slate rock extracted from the mountains and upon which soil it has been formed varies.
Ranging from several colors, dark gray, green, blues, and black, to brilliant gold reds and purple, it has a unique appearance.
The texture of the natural slate, when used during flooring, provides extra merit to showcase your flooring style much better.
5. No allergic reactions
All the flooring from the rock does support and tackles all the reactions. Slate tile flooring is an excellent flooring material for minimizing allergic reactions.
6. Chemical resistant
Ever wondered what your slate tile and its flooring should be? You may often use several kinds of chemicals in your home for multitudinous purposes.
Because of its natural ability to resist chemicals, it is extensively used on kitchen floors, bathrooms, and yards where chemical cleaning is necessary.
Cons of the Slate flooring
1. Expensive
Even though it’s affordable compared to other types of flooring using multiple rocks, slate flooring is still the heavier price depending upon the country and the way the flooring is designated.
It is considered more costly than others, such as when associated with other flooring alternatives that possess carpet, laminate, or vinyl.
Relying on the slate thickness compared to other floorings, the slate tile cost per square foot ranges from 10 to 30%.
2. Lack of insulating properties
The areas may receive higher temperatures in the hotter regions.
All year long, when the slate tile does not comprise the trait of insulating properties, the regions can get even hotter, primarily in the kitchens, entryways, and bathrooms.
3. Highly brittle
You may know that slate comprises rigid flooring material. Unfortunately, the slate breaks whenever heavy loads are dropped on it suddenly because of its brittleness.
The slate tile is not strong enough to support the overload caused by any objects or materials. The brittle nature of the material cannot adjust to the overload for a prolonged period.
When you wish to keep the slate flooring style in your home, keep the tiles away from dropping off the heavy materials so far.
For long protection from the heavy dropping effects, you could immediately cover the slate tile with a sealant once the slate tile is installed.
Once heavy droppings break out of the slate tile, it may create difficulty finding out the same type of the states because of color variations among the slate types. It may not match the slate type likely of the original one.
4. Unfit during colds
Underfoot in the slate tiles may cause colds during severe colds compared to the hardwood or the carpet.
Since people may suffer from cold underfoot, it is unfit to step during colder (winter) mornings.
The buildings full of covering the slate tiles flooring may cause sore feet and joint issues to some of you.
5. Heavier tile
Compared to other flooring materials, slate tile has more thickness. It requires extra support during slate flooring installation.
A special slate cement is required for stronger bonds during installation.
These heavy objects could be more challenging to apply in kitchens, bathrooms, and yards. But once installed, you could enjoy its natural beauty.
6. Expensive maintenance
The tile flooring is a bit cheaper for its maintenance. But the slate with a waterproof layer could raise the installation cost and is costly for maintenance once damaged.
The prices of slate tile range from 4$ to 20$ per square foot, being available in several types all across the globe.
Every household may not afford the slate tiles because of the expensive cost required during installation and maintenance upon damage.
7. Hidden dust particles
When you have floored your housing from the slate in the case of humid areas, it is better to reseal your slate tile every few years.
It can be conveniently quarried throughout the globe. The dust particles and the dirt can be hidden and are generally unnoticeable.
It requires regular sweeping, so the dirt and dust are less accumulated.
Summary (pros and cons of slate flooring)
| Pros |
|---|
| Durability |
| Hidden of the dust particles |
| Water-resistant |
| Indoor and outdoor performance |
| Aesthetic appearance |
| Huge relief to allergic reactions |
| Chemical attack resistant |
| Cons |
|---|
| Expensive |
| Lack insulating properties |
| Highly brittle |
| Unfit during colds |
| Heavier tile |
| Expensive maintenance |
Because of the several exclusive features of slate flooring, as aforementioned, the use of slate flooring in apartments and housing has grown massively.
Don’t you feel the unique trait of the slate flooring despite some of its pitfalls behind it? Of course, it does.
In recent days it has been in the eyes of the customer attraction since it does hide the dust and the dirt of the floor, thereby providing a powerful visuality.
When you use the slate flooring, you can feel the high experience of its flexibility.
If you want to know about other flooring options, here are some ideal choices for you with their pros and cons.
19 Pros and Cons of Travertine Flooring
33 Pros and Cons of Resilient Vinyl Flooring
25 Pros and Cons of Hardwood Flooring
10 Pros and Cons of Laminate Flooring
10 Pros and Cons of Cork Flooring
16 Pros and Cons of Engineered Hardwood Flooring
16 Pros and Cons of Wood Parqueting
9 Pros and Cons of pine flooring
(Last Updated on September 25, 2022)
