Should I install a natural slate tile or a porcelain tile in my new kitchen?
July 16, 2009
My husband and I just bought a house that was in foreclosure. The flooring downstairs has to be totally replaced. We want to install slate tile in the kitchen but hear it is a pain to maintain. We like having a natural stone and not a manufactured run of the mill tile but worry about what is the most sustainable.
We plan to have kids in this house, and the kitchen will be a high traffic area. What is the better tile for a kitchen – slate or porcelain?
Posted in Slate Floor Tile
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July 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
this answer is also for the answerers, natural slate is the least porous stone on earth. the water absorption rate is .002%. the problem is that at a slate quarry, you have to go through the "soft" slate to get to the "hard" slate. in the past the soft slate was cast to the side but in our current greedy times you will find this rubbish at home depot and lowes. you have to make your mind up based on the look. if you’re shopping at a big box, then definitely don’t even consider slate. keep in mind that the big boxes are the "T J MAX" of tile. they get all the tiles that don’t pass quality control for other distributors. all tiles at the big boxes are completely inconsistent. the slate they sell is absolutely useless and will leave one in the situations described by the other answerers. as far as sustainability, slate’s not going anywhere. the earth is a rock, besides it’s not a luxury item. mountains have been disappearing every day since the popularity of granite countertops while more than half of the slate quarries around the world have been shut down due to lack of demand. slate comes out of the ground, usually under water. there are extremely high grade slate deposits all over the world, many of the best of these are right here in new england. i’m giving you some good slate sources below, good luck!
p.s. reguardless of what kind of flooring you choose, the longevity of the floor is really going to depend on the installation. my advise, hire someone old school. ten years ago if a floor guy installed backer board on a floor, he was a hack. no argument, even he would know he was a hack. these days most tile guys don’t know anything BUT backerboard. be careful, get your floor mudset (walls and ceilings too for that matter) and it will last forever. mudding requires skill and experience which is something most tradesmen unfortunately lack these days. it’s much easier for them to just screw down sheets (anyone can do that) get your money’s worth. proffessionals don’t shop at the big boxes.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Definitely not slate.For reasons you mentioned.
Porcelain is nice.
You might also consider honed travertine.It is natural stone.
Other natural stones are marble or granite.You do however need to consider how slick any type of floor tile will be especially when wet.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
The problem with natural stone is that it is porous and must be sealed about once a year to make it water resistant. I used to have a natural slate tile on the floor and in the shower of my house when I first bought it. It wasn’t sealed and it always smelled like wet rocks when it got wet (that kind of dirty smell) and it was difficult to clean, because it was so porous.
Porcelain tile doesn’t need to be sealed, although the grout does. And, a natural stone tile that isn’t sealed can also get stained easily, by either dropping something on it or foot traffic.
So, it depends on what’s more important to you: the look and feel of the natural slate floor, or the lack of maintenance that’s required with a porcelain tile.
When I remodeled the house a couple years ago, I went with a 20-inch ceramic floor tile. It looks like travertine, with the uneven edges and marbling in it. But, since it’s not natural stone, I don’t have to worry about sealing it on a regular basis.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I would choose porcelain mostly because slate is porous and it would be impossible to keep it sanitary… In a kitchen you should be able to sanitize all the surfaces easily, or risk foodbourne illness…
July 16th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Both slate and porcelain-ceramic tile are very durable and dense, so you should choose on what you like based on appearance. There is a difference between porcelain-ceramic tile and regular ceramic tile, with the porcelain being stronger, denser and having very low moisture absorption.
With tile, you will have more color options, while slate will have a natural look. Slate tile without any texture can be slippery when wet, but so can some glazed tiles. To reduce grout staining, use a acrylic polymer modified setting bed and grout, which will repel moisture and staining.
You can apply a sealer to stone tile and grout to further eliminate potential staining.
January 21st, 2010 at 2:30 am
mosaic
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