Tell me about slate floor tiles....
- Thread starter story
- Start date
story
Changing the facts
I'm laying slate tiles on a bathroom floor. There seem to be a lot of different types of slate, and I can't find a website that gives me the basic information about (for instance) the difference and benefits/detriments of different types of slate.
What is brushed slate and how does it perform?
Is there a physical/political difference between Brazilian and Indian slate?
What is honed slate?
And so on.
Any experts on Urban please?
What is brushed slate and how does it perform?
Is there a physical/political difference between Brazilian and Indian slate?
What is honed slate?
And so on.
Any experts on Urban please?
If you can stretch to it I highly recommend slate with underfloor heating - totally awesome amazeballs
Wales makes good slate - keep it real etc
Wales makes good slate - keep it real etc
Stig
Condimentalist
Based on our fireplace, honed slate is shiny and smooth, riven shoes the natural grain. No idea what brushed is.
edited to add: we went for honed slate. it just looks like plain black stone. It could easily be marble, tile, or anything else, really, from the look of it, as it's quite smooth opaque and featureless. In a good way - I'm not saying I don't like it!
edited to add: we went for honed slate. it just looks like plain black stone. It could easily be marble, tile, or anything else, really, from the look of it, as it's quite smooth opaque and featureless. In a good way - I'm not saying I don't like it!
Having lived in a house with green slate in entrance/hallway they are pretty solid certainly if you drop dumbbells on them they'll crack but general wear and tear no.They are quite thick the slate under the woodburner cracked (two inches thick) but the tiles didn't.
Manter
Lunch Mob
brushed/honed are just different finishing methods- honed is ground down to a perfectly smooth surface, brushed has a moe uneven surface but can be 'filled' to get rid of the biggest cracks/uneven-nesses.
IMO slate looks really odd honed- why have slate if you want a smooth grey surface, choose granite or something instead- brushed is the more 'normal' uneven surface. I'd have some filling for a floor though as it makes it easier to clean.
Slate doesn't get very slippery (good) but is a bit of a bugger to keep clean particularly in high limescale areas (that'd be london then)- you'll need to seal it, and mop up any splashes/spills promptly as limescale can get into the cracks/pores in the stone and stain it. And you'll need to clean regularly with a good slate cleaner- don't use ordinary bathroom or floor cleaner on it whatever you do.
I've seen slate floors that look stunning... most of them belonged to people with cleaners
the below is what we decided to use instead- came from Topps tiles, ceramic, (this is it pre cleaning etc- its the only close up I could find)- much cheaper, didn't require as much looking after, these were floor tiles we put on the walls as we wanted big ones
IMO slate looks really odd honed- why have slate if you want a smooth grey surface, choose granite or something instead- brushed is the more 'normal' uneven surface. I'd have some filling for a floor though as it makes it easier to clean.
Slate doesn't get very slippery (good) but is a bit of a bugger to keep clean particularly in high limescale areas (that'd be london then)- you'll need to seal it, and mop up any splashes/spills promptly as limescale can get into the cracks/pores in the stone and stain it. And you'll need to clean regularly with a good slate cleaner- don't use ordinary bathroom or floor cleaner on it whatever you do.
I've seen slate floors that look stunning... most of them belonged to people with cleaners
the below is what we decided to use instead- came from Topps tiles, ceramic, (this is it pre cleaning etc- its the only close up I could find)- much cheaper, didn't require as much looking after, these were floor tiles we put on the walls as we wanted big ones
gmac
Well-Known Member
honed slated has a more polished, smoother surface than riven slate which usually has various thicknesses (one corner of the slate will often be thicker than the other)..tiny bits of riven slate will break off over time, this is the nature of the stone...seal the stone well before you grout..and do again afterwards, avoid streaking (leaving visible lines) with the sealant.
I think 'brushed' just has a worn look about it...not sure about the differences between Indian and Brazilian, must be the look i.e. metallic, veined, matt etc....
I think 'brushed' just has a worn look about it...not sure about the differences between Indian and Brazilian, must be the look i.e. metallic, veined, matt etc....
Manter
Lunch Mob
fair enough- friend of mine has them in her kitchen and has had to have individual tiles hammered out and replaced when she has dropped stuff on them
Stig
Condimentalist
It's riven slate and not sealed.Entrance room hallway with a couple of steps down to a tiny room with the washing machine in it after five years and changing the washing machine twice with all that involves not a mark on it.It was laid in the late sixties ( landladies brother did it ) it is a beautiful floor.I accept it's probably a lot thicker than most slate floors.
free spirit
more tea vicar?
make sure you ply line the floor first with 12mm ply, and use proper flexible floor tile cement, otherwise the slates won't stay stuck down too long......... yeah I know, but we ran out of the flex stuff and only had a couple of slates left, thought we might get away with it
story
Changing the facts
Thanks for sharing the benefit of your experience, free spirit 
I spent some time last night trying to find somewhere on the net that just gives the basic information about the different slate tiles, and came up with nothihng very useful.
So this morning I phoned the Mrs Stone Store, and spoke with a very helpful woman who told me that:
Natural and Riven are the same thing. Each sheet of slate is riven from the larger piece, and cut into tiles. They have a natural finish on both sides, but they are of uneven thickness, between 8mm - 12 mm. So laying these is more problematic if you want a flat floor without stubbed toes.
Calibrated riven are the same as above except that the back of each tile has been machined in order to get them all to an even thickness of 10 mm. Because they've been machined on one side, only one side has the riven natural finish.
Brushed slate tiles are the same as the calibrated riven ones, but they have been mechanically brushed by wire or diamond or something to soften the sharp edges of the natural surface of the slate. So they still have the texture, but it's softer, not so harsh.
Honed are calibrated (so machined on the back), but the facing surface is a smooth polished, shiny finish. It brings out the "grain" of the stone, but it scratches really easily, so it's not suitable for anywhere that shoes are worn: bathroom only., or shoes off in the kitchen. Dropped glasses etc. will also mark it.
Tumbled tiles have the corners rounded off: more rustic.
Indian and Chinese slate is darker than Welsh or Brazilian. It tends to delaminate, meaning it starts to peel (I couldn't establish what was peeling or why. Surely it would flake rather than peel?)
Brazilian and Welsh slates are similar in appearance. They are both more expensive than Chinese or Indian. Welsh is the most expensive due to scarcity and kudos.
So there you go!
I spent some time last night trying to find somewhere on the net that just gives the basic information about the different slate tiles, and came up with nothihng very useful.
So this morning I phoned the Mrs Stone Store, and spoke with a very helpful woman who told me that:
Natural and Riven are the same thing. Each sheet of slate is riven from the larger piece, and cut into tiles. They have a natural finish on both sides, but they are of uneven thickness, between 8mm - 12 mm. So laying these is more problematic if you want a flat floor without stubbed toes.
Calibrated riven are the same as above except that the back of each tile has been machined in order to get them all to an even thickness of 10 mm. Because they've been machined on one side, only one side has the riven natural finish.
Brushed slate tiles are the same as the calibrated riven ones, but they have been mechanically brushed by wire or diamond or something to soften the sharp edges of the natural surface of the slate. So they still have the texture, but it's softer, not so harsh.
Honed are calibrated (so machined on the back), but the facing surface is a smooth polished, shiny finish. It brings out the "grain" of the stone, but it scratches really easily, so it's not suitable for anywhere that shoes are worn: bathroom only., or shoes off in the kitchen. Dropped glasses etc. will also mark it.
Tumbled tiles have the corners rounded off: more rustic.
Indian and Chinese slate is darker than Welsh or Brazilian. It tends to delaminate, meaning it starts to peel (I couldn't establish what was peeling or why. Surely it would flake rather than peel?)
Brazilian and Welsh slates are similar in appearance. They are both more expensive than Chinese or Indian. Welsh is the most expensive due to scarcity and kudos.
So there you go!
kittyP
Pluviophile
Some friends of mine put slate on the floor of their bathroom and ended up having it taken up as it got really dirty and they couldn't keep it clean enough and as it is the one room you often have bare feet, it got really cold in the winter (they live in the countryside near Wales).
They put it in one of their bedrooms instead and it was fine, as long as your slippers were by the bed
They put it in one of their bedrooms instead and it was fine, as long as your slippers were by the bed
story
Changing the facts
Had they sealed it properly, kittyP? That seems to be a crucial part of the picture with slate.
There is slate on the bathroom floor where I live at the moment. It does seem to get grubby fast, but it wasn't sealed when it was laid. I'm hoping that if it's done properly it will be easier to keep clean.
There is slate on the bathroom floor where I live at the moment. It does seem to get grubby fast, but it wasn't sealed when it was laid. I'm hoping that if it's done properly it will be easier to keep clean.
kittyP
Pluviophile
story
Changing the facts
kittyP
Pluviophile
Oh
Maybe go and talk to a supplier.
Things might have got better since they pulled theirs up (about 6-7 years ago).
trabuquera
Modesty Bag
they look lovely when new but are a bastard to clean/maintain. and they're bloody cold underfoot. that is all.
outve
New Member
I found similar products on this website: http://www.archiexpo.com/architecture-design-manufacturer/slate-tile-1087.htmlbrushed/honed are just different finishing methods- honed is ground down to a perfectly smooth surface, brushed has a moe uneven surface but can be 'filled' to get rid of the biggest cracks/uneven-nesses.
IMO slate looks really odd honed- why have slate if you want a smooth grey surface, choose granite or something instead- brushed is the more 'normal' uneven surface. I'd have some filling for a floor though as it makes it easier to clean.
Slate doesn't get very slippery (good) but is a bit of a bugger to keep clean particularly in high limescale areas (that'd be london then)- you'll need to seal it, and mop up any splashes/spills promptly as limescale can get into the cracks/pores in the stone and stain it. And you'll need to clean regularly with a good slate cleaner- don't use ordinary bathroom or floor cleaner on it whatever you do.
I've seen slate floors that look stunning... most of them belonged to people with cleaners
the below is what we decided to use instead- came from Topps tiles, ceramic, (this is it pre cleaning etc- its the only close up I could find)- much cheaper, didn't require as much looking after, these were floor tiles we put on the walls as we wanted big ones
