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Slate Flooring: Firm Footing
from: Maxx Home GuidesSlate is a five hundred million year old stone that has unique textures and soft colors. Old world craftsmen have used slate for high traffic floorings and exterior walls for many years because they're fireproof, resists chipping, cracking, and abrasion. In fact, slate tiles are cut with a hacksaw.
Slate is expensive, but the price isn't as high as marble or granite. Slate eliminates labor costs and reduces overall price, because slate flooring can be installed by a do-it-yourselfer. The installation procedure is about the same as for tile and little maintenance is required. Slate is often used in high-end bathroom remodels, but it's also appropriate in other rooms such as kitchens, hallways, and semi-outdoor living areas.
Slate floorings are available in different colors, texture, shapes, and sizes. Colors include dark charcoal black, rust red, gray, maroon, and mottled mixtures of these colors which all add to its dramatic look. Due to its natural surface textures, slate floorings can create an overall new look for your flooring project. To improve its durability and appearance, increase stain resistance, increase or reduce surface smoothness, you can use chemical sealants.
Slate flooring has lots of character, natural surface texture and it's nearly indestructible. Through its aesthetic potential and practical qualities, the unique character of slate can be used to create distinctive and naturally beautiful flooring. Since slate is a natural stone, it offers warmth and provides elegant ambience.
This hard, dense, and fine-grained rock can take abuse that might otherwise damage wood flooring or carpeting. Slate tiles are actually different-sized pieces that carefully interlock in a very regular repeating pattern. If you look around, you'll see slate floorings used, along with homes, in offices, buildings and resorts.
Slate flooring comes in tiles or 'riven', which is split slate. Riven slates provides a bit of slip resistance which is very important in "wet" areas since slate is naturally water resistant and makes an excellent poolside option. Yet there is no need to polish them too much as they can get very slippery. Slate’s micro-crystalline composition makes it very stain resistant once sealed together.
Slate flooring is a great choice if a major source of foot traffic comes from children or the elderly because of it's natural slip resistant. Slate flooring is known for its distinctive surface and decorative color variation that adds to its versatility and aesthetic value. Slate floorings is naturally stain-resistant and slip-resistant which makes it a great choice for practicality and workability. A firm footing for you.
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