Natural stone tiles have been a top choice for flooring options for a very long time. It presents your home with a timeless look while increasing the value of your property. Many kinds of stones are used for decorating your home. Among them, slate is a pretty affordable option for you. It can give your home an earthy, unique look that captures the home’s essence a significant boost. Many homeowners are crazy about decorating their homes with granite stone tiles. While granite is a pretty amazing option, slate can make your home a unique and exceptional look. In the following paragraphs, we will discuss the various pros and cons of using slate tiles for your flooring. If you are having a dilemma of choosing your stone tiles, this may help you significantly.
Pros of Slate Tiles
- Slate is a kind of metamorphic rock that was formed under immense pressure and temperature under the Earth’s surface. As a result, slate can be pretty hard, durable, and can withstand heat incredibly. When Slate tiles are used in the home, they give the home a pretty stable floor resistant to dents, scratches, and scrapes.
- Slate is a pretty water-resistant material. Therefore, the rooms that are prone to get liquid contact can be decorated with slate tiles. Spaces like the kitchen, washroom, and even outdoor stairs can be benefitted from slate tiles.
- As mentioned before, the slate is excellently durable and water-resistant. Therefore, you can install slate tiles on your patio, garden steps, or decorative outdoor benches.
- The slate is a natural element, which means no harmful chemicals and organisms are present there. Therefore, it is pretty safe to use for your home, and it can keep your home top-notch’s air quality.
- Slate has been formed by enduring very high temperatures. As a result, it is completely safe from a fire hazard.
- Slate flooring is deficient maintenance. It can be clean easily without much hassle.
- Slate has got a pretty dark range of color palate in its pocket. It is unique in its own way and can easily contrast the brighter wall tiles and backsplashes. Additionally, The dirt and chips can be pretty unnoticeable due to the considerably dark pallet of color slate possesses.
- You can go for a variety of looks with slate tiles. The color palette of shale varies as the composition of the soil is present while it is forming. From dark gray to excellent black, brilliant gold to red, green, blue even purple-colored slate tiles can be found. Also, the texture of the slate tiles is a pretty brilliant feature. It can easily blend in with your home’s aesthetic and create a great harmony with all the home decor if used right.
- Slate is pretty resistant to chemical damage and does not spare room for allergens to get stuck. Therefore, it’s a safer flooring choice for people with severe allergy issues.
- Slate tiles can also mimic the polished look of minimal and modern tiles. These polished tiles may contain a more uniform color pallet and smooth texture than rugged slate tiles.
Cons of Slate Tile Flooring
- Slate tiles may be affordable among other natural stone tiling options. However, cheaper flooring options are available than slate floor tiles. Carpet, laminate, or vinyl are some of the examples of affordable flooring options.
- Slate can get easily cracked if anything heavy dropped on it. So, laundry rooms or rooms with heavy equipment shouldn’t be covered with slate tiles.
- As slate is pretty hard and the surface may be rugged, it’s not comfy enough to stand on them for a while or walk in barefoot. Also, it can easily absorb heat than other flooring material. So, in summer, the floor gets substantially hot, and in winter, it can be pretty cold.
Slate vs. Granite Flooring
Slate can be cheap among other natural stone tiles; however, it can be higher maintenance than other materials like granite. Both the materials may need regular sealing, but granite may require less sealing frequency than slate. Lower quality slates are pretty brittle, while any king of granite tiles is substantially durable than slate. The actual advantage of using slate over granite is its unique look. Granite is used so often that it has become prevalent, while slate is so rarely used that it has got a huge selection of design aesthetics left to explore. The slate floor has a certain elegance that would always be pleasing and eye-catching.
Choosing your floor tile is highly dependent upon your taste. And with slate tiles, you have the option to get natural stone tiles within a cheap price range. It also raises the value of your home and presents your home with a pleasant ambiance. The blend of beauty and durability that slate possesses is pretty rare to achieve with a similar budget. So consider your pros and cons before choosing your tile and live the extra life of yours.
