FLOORS | SLATE

SLATE - NATURAL MATERIAL 

Slate is a smooth, soft, natural stone available in a wide variety of textures, colours and sizes though it frequently appears to be grey. Being very common in Europe, Slate like hardwood has long been used as a flooring material in these places. But, it is not common in India. Kota stone is the closest alternative to Slate.

Here, I have described the characteristics of Slate floors along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Slate with other floor options. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF SLATE:

Composition: Slate is a  metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is mainly composed of quartz and muscovite.

Occurrence: Slate is quarried from mines, but is not found all over the earth. Ninety percent of Europe's natural slate originates from Spain. China and Brazil too have vast slate deposits. *9

Physical properties: Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous stone and extremely durable. It is a good electric insulator and fire proof.  * 8

Porosity: Slate is resistant to water to a large extent. * 9

Stains: Unlike  Marble or Kota, the strong bonding of the Slate elements, prevents liquids from permeating the surface of the slate tile, keeping the stain on the surface of the floor. So if it is wiped immediately, there will be no stain. * 8

Scratches: Slate is a soft stone and gets scratched easily.  * 6

Cost: Slate is relatively cheaper when compared to other natural stones.  * 9

Seamless flooring:  Since Slate is available in small sizes and there is variation in colour from tile to tile, the flooring does not appear seamless. *6

Maintenance: Slate is easy to maintain but care should be taken not to drag furniture over it as it scratches easily. * 8

Choice:Slate is available in small tiles and the colour options are limited. * 6

Green rating: It is eco-friendly and bio degradable.  * 10

OVERALL RATING OF SLATE AS FLOORING MATERIAL:  7.9

ADVANTAGES OF SLATE :

Beautiful: Slate has a subtle, natural beauty.

Timeless: Slate resists fading and can remain as beautiful as the day it was laid even after many years.

Durable: Properly installed slate tile floors last virtually forever.

Hygienic: Slate is hypoallergenic, bacteria resistant and highly resistant to water/moisture making it a hygienic choice for flooring.

Frost resistance: It's low tendency to absorb water also makes it very resistant to frost damage and breakage due to freezing. Hence it is suitable as roof tiles.

Natural colours: The elements that make up slate, including silt, clay and fossil material often create striking blends of colours such as shades of green, deep reds, black and hues of grey.

DISADVANTAGES OF SLATE FLOORING: 

Expensive: Slate is more costly than man-made flooring materials as it has to be mined, polished and installed by experts.

Difficult to repair:  Once broken, Slate cannot be repaired and the broken tile should be replaced.

Slippery: Slate is extremely slippery when it is wet.

Scratches: Slate takes scratches more easily than Granite.

Visible joints: Slate tiles are not available in large sizes and cannot be laid with paper-thin joints. Hence the joints are very visible.

SUITABILITY OF SLATE:

As slate offers good durability, it is recommended for indoor flooring and specialty uses like tabletops and cladding. But it's most popularly used as a roofing material since it has an extremely low water absorption index and resistance to breakage due to freezing. However,  it is not used as exterior flooring in places subjected to rain, as Slate is very slippery when it is wet.  Kota or Terrazzo are better alternatives in such places.

For information on other types of Floors, go to:

FLOORS