Slate Kitchen floors (for sale, coupon, house)

[lawoman4368]

We just looked at a house for sale and the foyer and kitchen are slate slabs. Does anyone know of any potential problems with a slate floor?

[Kbinspections]

Slate cracks easily.....will not do well with impacts from dropped objects.

[andybuildz]

Originally Posted by Kbinspections

Slate cracks easily.....will not do well with impacts from dropped objects.

I installed slate 12"x12" 'tile' in a mudroom in my own house about four years ago. It gets all the traffic of the house with wet and dry feet. Zero cracks but the thing that makes for 'any' good tile/stone/slab installation is how the substrate is done and then the installation of the slabs or tile. You have to be sure there's
AT LEAST 1 1/4" of subfloor under it to keep the deflection to a bare minimum. I use dbl. 3/4" plywood. A mudjob over that is best but cement boards are fine if they're thinset and screwed down and the slabs or tile are back buttered and layed over an even coat of trowled thinset.
Going over a Ditra mat is even better to absorb any potential cracks.
A painted layer or two of REDGARD over a slab or cement boards is amazing stuff as well..it's a crack and waterproofing product.
OK...sorry...too much information but just something that might help others in the future when doing their own installations.
andy

[phyto]

Slate is also a bit porous. Make sure that it's sealed with a quality sealer. I happen to prefer Stonetech Bulletproof and have heard good things about it from contractors.

Andy's comments about substrate is spot on.

Lawoman - Are you sure it's a slab, and not 12x12 or 18x18 tile? Slabs would be extremely rare for kitchen floor.

[Kbinspections]

Nice floor andy!

[napjester666]

Great info Andy! (I might have to steal that look for my mudroom! Nice pics)

[lawoman4368]

phyto- it's definitely slate, but not like andy's-the pieces are large and irregular shaped, it's gorgeous and very unique looking.

thanks for all the input everyone

[lawoman4368]

http://www.specializedlandscape.com/Portfolio/22.JPG

It's like this with cement in-between

[OhBeeHave]

Is it smooth? At first I though it looks like flagstone. Here's a variation - TN flagstone:
Fast Lane Construction, Inc. - Home Interiors

[andybuildz]

Sealer is REALLY important...correct. Slate stains REALLY easily. Should be sealed at leat every cpl of years in high traffic areas. I can't imagine using it in a kitchen but ohhhhh-kayyyyyyy. The VERY BEST sealer I've EVER used is from a company called Aqua-Mix. You can buy it on line.
I'd leave a link with a discount coupon but I don't think I'm allowed?? Just Google it. They're really expensive...but REALLY worth it. All their products are amazing IMO and I've tried em' all. All products are impressive at a glance but under heavy use is another story. Aqua-mix is far superior to all of em'...
and no I don't have stock in the company .

Once again..don't be shocked how expensive they are. A little goes a long way though.
All Aqua-Mix's products are worth using.