Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 3May 03, 2010 12:03 pm My house and my rants.... - viewtopic.php?f=31&t=26937 We are in!!!...and still unpacking. Thankfully there are always Tim Tams Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 4May 03, 2010 12:16 pm 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. Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 5May 03, 2010 12:44 pm 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? Building on an acre in Macedon ......one day. Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 6May 03, 2010 3:16 pm 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. Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 7May 04, 2010 2:04 pm 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. Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 8May 04, 2010 8:45 pm 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 Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 9May 04, 2010 9:19 pm 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) Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 10May 04, 2010 10:45 pm 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. Our house thread: https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=18335 Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 11May 04, 2010 10:56 pm xquisite 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. 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. Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 12May 05, 2010 10:48 am 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. Re: Slate? Cheap/Expensive? Had its day? 13May 05, 2010 11:59 am I actually quite like the look of slate My parents had it in their home too! viewtopic.php?f=31&t=22766 - my build thread! Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris. 4 7467 I would probably render it and then paint it as per your other advice, or gyrpock over the top. 1 3595 To put anything over slate you will need to put self level compound over the entire area as slate various in thickness and is very un even. To install most types of… 1 926 |