Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day?

Hi All,

Love some opinions Re: Slate Flooring....

Firstly we know not alot about it, only that it will need to be re-sealed every few years to keep it looking good.... Just wondering does anyone know how much in purchase price comparison per m2 to tiles? And same in relation to laying slate? Is it more expensive to lay Slate than tiles???

Hubby has always loved the idea of charcoal color slate flooring - throughout whole house ex bedrooms...But is this totally so 1990's? He nearly has me convinced, but is slate been and gone? Or Hubby says its timeless? LOL Opinions please??

I know of some people who really like their slate floors. Its not generally considered a contemporary look, but hey, its YOUR house! Having said that, you should consider carefully, as once its in, its pretty much a part of the house! (Its a big expensive job to get it up).

It is quite a soft stone. For it to keep looking good, it takes regular maintenance. Probably a good scrub and rinse every year or two and another coat of a good top coat sealer. Then after some time (maybe 15 years) it will need to be stripped and re-sealed. That is one of the greatest joys one can have on planet earth! Almost as good as sex! Anyone who will do it for you will want to be well paid.

That's probably the reason that most slate floors we see are pretty neglected. Once they get that old, embattled and rustic look, people just adopt the look as the characteristic of their home!


Ash.

My parents have had slate in their place for around 20 years, and it still looks pretty good. They reseal it every year or two and that's it...and it looks brand new. It's a dark blue colour, and to be honest hasn't really dated at all. Easy to clean and always looks lovely. My cousin has green which looks old fashioned now...I think the dark blue has stood the test of time.

They have it outside too, but don't seal that as it's too slippery, and it looks much greyer obviously. It was much more expensive..couldn't tell you how much, but as Ash said, its a lifetime investment!

It really comes down to personal preference. I think all colours and styles eventually "date" but if you love it it doesn't really matter. Good luck!

My parents have slate in their kitchen (circa 1970's house) which is a greyish color. They have wooden cupboards and a granite bench. Afraid I can't tell you much about installation and other costs as it was already in when we bought the home.
The previous owners were a bit neglectful of the house in general and my parents haven't re-sealed the floor at all (as it needs to be stripped back completely before anything else can be done). Despite all that it still looks pretty good IMHO.
I like the slate and I think it suits the house. At the moment it is very dark and is not shown off to its full effect (due to the lack of maintenance) but considering it's been there around 40 years and hasn't had much (if any) TLC I reckon it's doing pretty well. So I would personally recommend slate if you like the look of it. The only caveats I'd add are:
1. If you drop anything breakable on a slate floor be prepared to say goodbye to whatever you dropped; slate always wins the toughness contest!
2. It can be a bit cold to walk on in winter so buy yourself some nice, warm slippers (I'm not sure if it warms up with direct sunlight as our kitchen floor doesn't see any sun).
Finally with regards to the contemporary aspect of it; they say these things are cyclical so if it was in vogue in the 1970's and again in the 1990's you may just be ahead of the curve for this next decade
Good luck with your decision making.

My folks have slate too - looks good, easy to live on, easy to clean and not difficult to re-seal (according to them). We looked at it ... nice blue/grey 300x600 tiles, honed. They were about $45 per square metre ..... not sure exactly of the price - it was from Pyrenees quarries in castlemaine. They have a website - you could look it up, if only for a price comparison?

We are getting slate put in our new home. I really love the look of it. Not everyones cup of tea but that is the same with whatever you choose. In regards to price it varies heaps depending on the type of slate. We went for one of the higher quality ones and it was about $55 per m2 on sale but I think they started as low as $20 m2 depending on which type you like.

The slate guy was explaining to us (note I dont actually have the floor yet so not sure how true this is) but there is now a water based coating they use on slate. (you can still get the old type if you prefer) but it means that you can just mop the stuff on every couple of years and its not a big job at all unlike what it used to be like.

In terms of installation costs it is the same cost as laying tiles.

I prefer any natural stone to a ceramic floor & slate is great! I have seen it for $30 odd sq/m i think, which is cheaper than some tiles. With sealing stone, if you are prepared to pay a little more up front get a penetrating sealer. Check out the Drytreat website. We are laying a bluestone/basalt floor and having it sealed with drytreat Stainproof. The company guarantees it for 15 years so no need to re-seal every few years and the stone looks natural, without the shiny look of sealer that sits on top and then wears off.

Hi ALL thanks for the posts, some quite interesting info there,

What flooring type & color has everyone @ homeone installed/ing?? OR whats your dream flooring choice for WHOLE house/ All living areas????

I have always pictured Large open living areas with Stone so slate or marble in a charchol color against crisp white skirting and walls... Bathrooms white ceramic tiles bordered or feature in river stone or similar or stone mosaic.... THat was always my dream LOL but now it comes to reality..... Decisions Decisions hrrrrrmmmmmmmm

Post your faves!

THANKS AGAIN

I seem to remember the laying of the slate cost as much as the slate. p m2

sealing it is an easy job especially with the water based sealers.

Though in saying that in 18 + years of living in our place I think I did it twice. We opted for slate in our last house and at one stage Dh was desperate to convince me to go for a slate look tile this time. BUT given that the reason we weren't was still valid( damaged knees needing a softer surface) we went for cork instead. Anyway when we had our slate laid we got it laid with the smoother sides up as I was concerned about the roughness of some slate and future babies/toddlers knees when they started to crawl.




Way down the track our 2 boys survived without any dramas. ( long pants at the right time of development worked a treat) Ours was a terracotta kind of colour which was all the rage at the time. ( early 90's)

I've got chinese black slate for our front portico. It's not installed as yet (waiting for handover) but I love the look of it. I got it on clearance at $20sqm for 600x300's.

Just a bit more about slate and sealers.....

Yes, penetrating sealers can be used, and Drytreat products have a good name from what I've heard. I'm more familiar with the specific sealers made by Aquamix because I've done training with them but with any quality sealers, there are PROS and CONS of using different types of sealers.

I suggested a top coat sealer for slate. Why?.... because I think top coat sealers (either low sheen or gloss) are most commonly used of slate. Slate is a soft stone and benefits from having a sacrificial coating to protect the surface and best maintain the floor. There are some special hardeners as part of a 'coating system' designed to provide this coating and make maintenance easier. BUT maintenance is a fact of life with any floors and certainly those with a coating.

Penetrating sealers on the other hand (even the very best available) offer NO SURFACE PROTECTION, so a soft stone like slate will degrade and look pretty average before long. Penetrating sealers do offer protection from absorbing spills and stains, so certainly have a benefit, but a quality top coat sealer offers better performance and appearance from the floor.

BTW, the name 'stain proof' is quite misleading.

Ultimately, anyone wanting a slate floor should choose carefully, and sight the products they are buying. Any natural stone will have variation in each tile, and possibly flaws, cracks and scale that can come loose. Be quite selective. If its cheap, its logically NOT going to be a select grade product. Then you should consider and choose what tuype of look and performance you want from the floor;

NATURAL
ENHANCED
LOW SHEEN
GLOSS

All sealers have pros and cons. Do your homework!

Ash.

BTW if anyone wants a slate floor with a beautiful natural look, (prefer NOT to have a top coat) this is about the best product to use....

http://www.aquamix.com.au/products/EnrichNSeal.php

This is what I mean by an ENHANCED look. It is a premium penetrating sealer, but also has an enhancing effect. It darkens the stone and highlights the grain and appearance of the stone but without imparting a shine or coating. Its effect is a bit like what a wood stain does to bare timber, highlighting the timber's characteristics. But Enhance & Seal must be applied to a clean and unsealed stone (ideally new) and once its done, you cannot take it off.

But again, no matter how well this product seals, like any penetrating sealer, it offers no surface protection to the stone. So the surface can become scratched and worn looking.

Ash.

I actually quite like the look of slate My parents had it in their home too!