A Simple Guide to Slate Tiles

Slate is a fantastic choice for a variety of applications. Rather than going into too much technical detail, in this blog post we will give some useful information about slate; its applications, maintenance recommendations and customer expectations.

Slate is a durable stone, can be used both inside and outside, even as a roof tile!. The colours can vary, green, mix multi colour options, black, orange, green etc. The most popular colours are black and mix - multicolour tiles and majority of our customers prefer to use them in bathrooms & kitchens. In kitchens, we have seen many continuous flooring applications from inside to outside patio area using the same stone. The most popular choice for slate is the riven finish where the stone is split into the desired thickness using just a simple chisel tool. We always order the calibrated version, where the bottom part of the tile surface is smoothed with polishing machines for ease of installation. The front tile surface is still left as riven, an uneven surface which gives a natural look & feel, at the same time limited slip resistance.

Origin

Slate is extracted from Brazil, Europe, Asia, China & Australia. We stock Chinese, Indian & Brazilian slates. 

A Continuous Project

Nowadays customers prefer continuous projects, where they can use the same tiles inside and outside. At the same time there are more complementary options including cladding tiles, hexagon tiles, mosaic tiles or herringbone tiles or patio tiles. With the complete design options, you can create your dream application and it is guaranteed that it will last a lifetime with proper maintenance. 

Maintenance 

As for all the stone tiles, slate tiles need to be maintained using correct chemicals. The stone absorbs water or any kind of liquids. If spilt on the surface, these liquids may leave residual markings. In order to prevent this and maintain the same look over the years, we always recommend to seal - clean the stone tiles using specialist stone sealers or cleaners. Slate is no exception. Never use acidic material (like Cilit Bang or Flash) which will have drastic effects on the stone surface, most likely will create pitted areas. 

Slate as Indoor & Outdoor Stone

Brazilian black slate are very popular for their continuous application possibility. 12mm can be used as a kitchen floor and 20mm can be used as a patio floor.