Mark Atkins, LTP director, explains the benefits of slate.
While interior trends can be fickle things, natural flooring has proven to be timeless.
There’s always plenty of coverage in the glossies celebrating limestone and wood, with colour preferences changing a little with the seasons, from pale Scandi tones to ruddy autumnal shades. Pattern is also creating quite a stir this year but one material that seems to be a little under the radar is slate.
I’ve always been a big fan of slate tiles because they’re so practical and versatile. Ever popular on our roofs, they’re also great for floors and walls and are offered in many more shades than matt black, including fabulous multicolours that mix many colours, like chocolate, ochre and rust. Different surface finishes expand options further, from uneven “riven” surfaces and softer brushed finishes, which provide good grip underfoot, to smooth, honed tiles. There are also some inventive products on the market such as ZClad – a natural stone cladding system made from modular z-shaped panels.
Slate is hardwearing and is generally far less porous than natural stone. It is, however, vulnerable to oil and grease, so it’s important to protect tiles as you would limestone. There are many options which can be used to enhance the slate’s appearance or create a natural finish. Wax finishes are popular because they replace the slate’s naturally dusty appearance with a sheen. Some ranges include wax treatments which protect against staining and dirt. The waxes are applied onto clean tiles in thin coats until the desired finish is achieved, to a maximum of six coats. They can also have self-shine finishes, so no buffing is needed. They’re suitable for areas with lots of foot traffic and where there’s a risk of oil spillage, like kitchens and dining rooms, but aren’t recommended for wet rooms and shower enclosures. The sheen they create also makes ongoing maintenance easier.
For a more natural look, and for external slate, we recommend water-based impregnator products. Like the waxes, they strongly repel water, oil and grease. The impregnators can be applied in a single thin layer or, multiple layers, for stronger colour enhancement. For ongoing maintenance, we recommend a wax wash for floors and stone wash for walls, to protect the stone and the protection applied.
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