What to Expect From Slate

There is a lot you can expect from slate and this is how my story started. 

I get a frantic call from the contractor. "There is an emergency! The slate tile delivered is defective" he explains. I drop everything and run out to the job site. I find the stacks of slate tile and debris everywhere. We go through the stacks and I find a tile in its worst condition. I rubbed my hand on it and I could feel each piece start pill and fall like chalk. I didn’t understand why this was delivered, clearly it all looked defective. This meant sorting for new material, getting the tile contractor out there again, and leaving the job on standstill. The sky was falling!

Installing slate is not as dramatic as it sounds but there are several points to understand about slate tile. Slate is a natural material made from metamorphic rocks, a soft rock material. Slate can make a statement and become focal point. The beauty of slate is its uneven texture and leathery finish. It’s commonly used outdoors. Although slate is a great way to bring the outdoors inside, as it's also used  in interior spaces. Slate's color palette range from coppery reds, to icy blues, to stark blacks, and much more. It's a durable material as it's also used for roofs and if maintained it can last for many years to come.

I recommend ordering fifteen percent of additional tile and if there is a significant color variance I would raise it to twenty percent. When you receive the tile it will probably come messy. If you run your hands like I did you will have a lot of the shale peel off. These types of tiles are a lot of times sitting outside for long periods of time. Clean the debris and allow for all of it to fall off, and you will have the beautiful surface. 

I will advise that in the first years you will experience a little more of the surface peeling here and there. Even after you seal it. Its not defective material its just natural material.  

Slate Alternative: 

Now if you appreciate the beauty of slate but you don't want to worry about the maintenance an extra mess, I recommend to use slate look-a-likes. The color will be more consistent and ready to install. 

Check out Daltile's Ayers Rock