Posts Tagged ‘slate flooring’

Slate Flooring Has Unique Qualities To All Homes

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Slate flooring is a fantastic option for both residential and business, giving building contractors a unique and flexible material to use in the home.  Slate has many advantages, including its affordability and durability.  Slate flooring has a very fine molecular structure, giving it a resistance to moisture.  Spills should be very easy to clean up, as slate will not absorb the water.  Slate is also very resistant to stains and dirt.  Simple care should keep a slate floor clean without too much trouble. 

Because of the wide range of origins for slate in the natural world, it can be found in a spectrum of shades and colors unlike say pergo flooring.  Slate flooring is available in anything from dark charcoal shades, to bright reds or greens.  Consumers also have a wide range of patterns to choose from when it comes to slate flooring, giving each floor a unique look.  The cleft texture of slate flooring makes it highly tough, resisting scratches and wear.  The slate texture also provides a great anti-slip surface, making it a wonderful choice for in the kitchen or work areas. 

The combination of a safe work surface and stain resistance make slate one of the best all around kitchen appropriate flooring materials available.  As well as to its affordability, slate flooring has the advantage of several unique patterns to select from.  Glosses can also be applied to slate flooring, adding another dynamic to its appearance.  Laying out slate flooring can be accomplished without professional assistance, but it requires a good deal of time as well as tools.  A diamond bladed saw provides the sharpness to cut through slate.  Thinset must also be used in the installation, which is used to fasten the tile to the underlayment.

With a smooth concrete surface, no underlayment may be needed.  With hardwood subfloors, or broken up concrete, an underlayment of concrete will be needed to begin the installation the right way.  It is crucial that the correct thinset be used with certain tile sets.  The thinset bonds the tile to the underlayment, and if done badly the floor can gradually begin shifting.  Be sure to have a large bucket and something to clean up mortar that spreads across tile surfaces.

Before installing slate flooring, make sure that the slate tiles are unbroken.  Tiles commonly end up broken after arriving at the store.  If any are broken, be sure that replacements match the original tile.

If you employ the services of a builder to lay your slate flooring make sure you use a small works building contract in writing.

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