A wet tile saw will make cutting the slate simpler and far less dusty.
#Slate floor install#
Should you choose to install the floor yourself, be sure to stock basic carpenter hand and power tools in addition to some specialty tools, such as cement board clippers and diamond blade for your circular saw.
#Slate floor professional#
FYI Before You DIYĪs mentioned earlier, installing rigid slate floors is a pricey professional job because it’s an involved process-this challenge may not be for the faint of heart. To be on the safe side, have an engineer or the inspector for your local building authority, assess your floor system and make recommendations, if necessary, for beefing it up before installing tile. Both stick-framed and manufactured floor systems might require reinforcement and/or stronger underlayment before you can install slate tile. Your floor system, which consists of the framing and the subfloor, must be structurally sound and rigid enough to support the heavy weight of the slate tile.
#Slate floor cracked#
Slate is both heavy and brittle, so sponginess or bounce in your existing floor could result in cracked or popped tiles-not at all what you want to see in such a big investment. Thoughtful patterns in the tiled floor will also increase the bill.īefore you commit to slate tile, take a closer look at your floor system to be sure it is adequate to handle the new flooring. The cost of labor typically runs two or three times the price of the tile, because the contractor has to prepare the substrate in multiple layers. If you do choose professional installation, know that the materials are the least expensive part of the cost of your new slate floors. These stone tiles range in price depending on how much effort was required to quarry, from around $2 per square foot (stone mined closer to the earth’s surface, and therefore easier to acquire) to as much as $10 per square foot (often a higher-end stone that is mined underground)-still a fair amount less than the price for marble or granite flooring. Experienced do-it-yourselfers can save a substantial amount of money by forgoing a call to the professionals and laying the floor on their own, leaving the bulk of the budget for the cost of materials themselves. Like other natural stone flooring, mined slate is a costly investment to purchase and install within the home. However, slate remains a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms. This makes it an unsuitable choice for floors subject to heavy abuse, like those within a garage or warehouse. One caveat: Slate is slightly softer than some other stones, so it scratches relatively easily. If you do accidentally drop something heavy and chip the floor, you won’t see quite a contrasting color difference as you would with ceramic or porcelain tile. Forged from natural minerals like quartz and calcite in extreme heat, slate is an extremely durable and solid surface that withstands everyday wear and tear.
Their creation also contributes to the strength of the surfaces. No matter your preference, all variations on the earthy material effectively bring the outdoors in wherever homeowners choose to incorporate the stone. You can keep it more natural by embracing the physical texture (and enjoy the added bonus of some slip resistance), or opt for slate tiles that have been sanded smooth. This stone boasts texture in both coloring-which can include mixtures grays, tans, rusty browns, olive greens, and even specks of purple and cyan-as well as contouring. Known primarily for its charcoal hue and grooved texture, selecting slate for your interior or exterior flooring opens a much wider variety of choices in terms of shade and pattern.
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