What is a slate floor, what are its pros and cons, the technical characteristics of the stone, the rules for choosing the material and the features of DIY installation, ways of caring for the natural coating. Slate floor is a beautiful and reliable natural stone flooring. Shale is a fine-grained rock consisting of mica, quartz, calcite and chlorite. Not so long ago, the material was used exclusively for outdoor purposes. Nowadays, it is increasingly found on floors in residential buildings as an excellent alternative to marble or ceramics.
The advantages and disadvantages of oil shale
Slates are rocks in which the low-temperature materials that make up their composition are located in layers. A distinctive feature of this stone is the ability to easily split into plates.
If earlier slate was used in construction only as an external finishing material and for arranging roofs, nowadays it has been adopted by interior designers. All thanks to the technical characteristics of the stone, which perfectly match the requirements for the flooring. In general, oil shale is valued in construction for the following features:
- Environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic … The stone is non-toxic, does not emit any harmful compounds into the air, and can be placed on the floor even in children's rooms and hospitals.
- Strength … With proper care, this material can serve for many years without the appearance of chips or cracks.
- Lightness and flexibility … As a rule, natural stone is heavy. The same cannot be said for oil shale. Its weight ranges from 1, 2-1, 6 kilograms per square meter. Therefore, the material can be conveniently transported and installed independently. It is also quite flexible, which is especially noticeable if you are dealing with large tiles or slate sheets.
- Wide natural color gamut … Beautiful natural play of slate will become a real decoration of the interior.
- Fire resistance … Natural stone does not burn and does not spread combustion.
- Water tightness … Slate does not allow water to pass through and does not deteriorate under its influence. Therefore, it can be laid on the floor in the bathroom, corridor, hallway, kitchen, and even revetted terraces and sidewalk paths with it.
- High resistance to staining … The stone can be easily cleaned using damp cloths and without special detergents. There are no traces left on it, even if dyes get in.
This natural material is not devoid of certain disadvantages. Consider the following when choosing it for your floor:
- Like any other natural stone, slate has a relatively high cost. However, it is cheaper than granite or marble, but more expensive than artificial finishing materials. On average, its price is 2,000 rubles per square meter.
- The slate is cold to the touch. Therefore, in the cool season, walking on it with bare feet can be uncomfortable. This problem is solved by installing under the stone layer of the "warm floor" system or additional insulation.
- Some varieties of slate tiles must be sealed. If you do not carry out this procedure with them, then stains from spilled dyes may remain on the surface.
- The stone is not resistant to scratches, which can spoil its appearance. To avoid this, it is recommended to install special padding on the furniture legs.
There are a huge number of slate tile configurations on the market today. Compared to other options for flooring, slate may seem like an expensive solution, however, given its durability and aesthetic appearance, such an acquisition will pay off over time.
Rules for choosing slate floor tiles
It is customary to use slate in the form of tiles as flooring. This is justified by the practicality and ease of use.
When choosing a material for flooring, pay attention to the following criteria:
- Material thickness … Examine carefully the thickness of the individual slabs in the batch. High-quality slate should be approximately the same for this indicator. If you have tiles of different thicknesses and shapes in front of you, then you are dealing with a low-quality material. The floor will be bumpy, uneven, and dangerous to walk on.
- Colour … Slate is a natural stone, so the appearance of each individual part of it is determined by the chemicals that were present during its formation in the earth's crust for centuries. For this reason, different areas of the shale cover may differ slightly in appearance. However, shade differences may not be striking in individual boxes. This is especially striking if you choose a colored material and each tile is different in color from the other. When buying a stone, be sure to check the return conditions in the store in case the goods in the boxes do not meet your expectations in color. In addition, it is recommended to purchase additional tile packaging, you may need to replace unsuitable or damaged parts.
- Tile size … Even small deviations in the dimensions of slate tiles can destroy the consistency, pattern and distort the seam line. Using such material, you will get a floor that will look low-quality and amateurish. Quality slate tiles have the same width and length.
Chinese, Indian, Spanish and Brazilian oil shale is supplied to the domestic market. Each type of material has its own characteristics, which are also recommended to be considered when choosing:
- Spanish companies mainly produce slate for roofing. Manufacturers from this country also have material for floor and wall cladding. Along with the high quality, Spanish slate floor tiles have the highest value.
- Brazilian material has the widest color palette. This natural stone is also of high quality. Its price ranges from $ 60 to $ 75 per square meter. Some unscrupulous sellers pass off Indian shale as Brazilian. In some cases, it is quite difficult to distinguish one from the other.
- Indian slate tiles have mixed reviews. Many builders are suspicious of her. There are large deposits of stone in India, but the loss of quality occurs during the processing stage, when technological standards are violated. Often the material from this country has a damaged structure, poor polishing, disproportionate tiles and other shortcomings. If the stone is processed on modern modernized complexes, then its technical characteristics are superior to Brazilian products.
- Chinese slate is the cheapest. It is significantly inferior in quality to products from other manufacturers. The material breaks and crumbles. The fact is that there is practically no good natural stone in this country. Therefore, you cannot find quality slate tiles from China.
Slate tile installation technology on the floor
Slate tiles, although relatively light, do not fit onto sub-wood floors. The optimal base for installing slate is a concrete screed. It is important to carefully prepare it so that the stone lies beautifully and can serve for a long time.
Preparatory work before laying slate tiles
Installation of slate tiles is carried out on a previously prepared floor. This work is carried out according to the following scheme:
- We remove the old flooring, skirting boards. For this we use a pry bar. We do this carefully so as not to damage the walls and be able to install the skirting boards in their original place.
- We examine the floor for defects: deep grooves, cracks, chips, bumps, mold spots. All damage is repaired with either a grout or a putty.
- We measure the slope of the main floor using a building level or laser level. If the height difference in the corners is large, use a self-leveling compound to eliminate it.
- After the prepared floor is dry, use 100 grit sandpaper to grout the surface.
- We treat the rough floor with a primer and leave to dry.
If you have planned to create a certain pattern or pattern on the floor, then it is recommended to mark it in advance. This will make your work easier and more efficient.
Selection of tools and materials for tile installation
For the installation of slate tiles, we need a special mastic. This versatile adhesive is sold in most hardware stores in ready-to-use plastic containers. By its consistency, the mastic resembles a thick porridge. It contains rubber, which, after hardening, creates the effect of light springing. In addition, the stone will have to be adjusted in the process. To do this, you need to have a grinder and a diamond wheel on hand. You can also use a circular saw with an abrasive blade for trimming. And in order to protect yourself from dust getting into the respiratory organs when cutting tiles, use personal protective equipment. Also, a comb-spatula is useful for you in your work. And for grouting, choose a sealant that matches the color.
Instructions for laying slate tiles on the floor
We carry out the laying work in the following order:
- We start the installation from the corner of the room in order to bring the row to the exit at the end.
- Apply the mastic to the subfloor using a notched trowel. If your tile has small differences in thickness, then it will be necessary to adjust the height and evenness of the floor covering due to the thickness of the mastic layer.
- We put the tiles on the adhesive mixture. At the same time, we slightly drown it and drive it back and forth so that it reliably adheres to the mastic.
- If you need to adjust the height of an individual tile, then you can drown it a little deeper or, conversely, not press too deep into the mastic.
- Fit the edges of the tiles to each other. If necessary, we use dividing plastic crosses.
- Make sure that the mastic does not go beyond the edges of the stone from the seams.
- To fit individual tiles in corners or near walls, we cut the stone with a grinder or saw.
- After that you have laid all the tiles, we leave the floor to dry. This usually takes up to 24 hours.
- To make the mastic dry more evenly, it is recommended to cover the surface with plastic wrap.
- For grouting, evenly distribute the sealant in the joints between the tiles. The most convenient way is to use a special pistol and a cylinder.
- We leave the grout to dry for several hours.
If you used a budget slate tile, then you should cover the finished floor with a special varnish. It will protect the pores of the stone from dust and moisture accumulation in them. It is recommended to renew this coverage regularly - once every 1-2 years.
Features of the care of slate floors
Caring for a slate floor is easy - just wash it regularly. However, if you want to keep it in perfect condition for many years, follow certain guidelines:
- The most dangerous abrasive for shale is sand. The hardness of the latter is identical to that of granite (7-8 units on the MEP scale). For oil shale, this indicator is significantly lower - only 3-4 units. Therefore, it is necessary to remove abrasive particles from such a floor regularly. For this, it is recommended to use a vacuum cleaner, not a broom.
- The slate surface cleaned of debris should be washed with a damp soft cloth or foam mop.
- After the floor is dry, it should be treated with a protective compound. These can be products recommended by the tile manufacturer, based on oil, wax.
- If there are scratches on the slate surface, then it can be sanded. For this, fine-grain sandpaper is used.
- The slate cleaned in this way can be additionally polished with a special mixture on an oil or wax base. You can replace them with ordinary vegetable oil. After polishing, the residues of the products must be removed with a damp cloth.
- If the slate floor is located in a public area, it is recommended to clean its surface using a mechanical method using rotating brushes with a small amount of moisture. The bristles easily penetrate the pores of the stone, and the dirt is washed out under the high contact pressure.
- If, after long-term operation, significant damage has appeared in the slate coating, then it is necessary to call specialists who will restore the stone with the help of deep cleaning and application of protective mixtures.
How to lay tiles on the floor - watch the video:
Slate floor tiles are an excellent choice for people who value naturalness and practicality. Such a coating will serve for many years without repair, and a wide color palette of natural shades will be an excellent addition to interiors made in various styles.
