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Polished Slate Tiles in an Entry - Practical or Not?

15 years ago

I'm re-doing the entry to my home (new door, ripped out a wall) & am removing the old tile. I'll be replacing it with something that needs to be durable; probably tile. It will butt up against oak hardwood flooring.

I like a polished slate I've seen (Deoli green or copper), but I'm wondering about:

1. Safety of polished stone; slipping while wet (wet feet WILL walk in on it!)

2. Durability of slate - I've already seen scratches on the samples that the tile store had out, & I'm thinking any scratches on polished slate will show up & be more of a problem than rough slate.

3. Any other concerns about slate in a heavily trafficked area?

Thanks for any advice!

Featured Answer

moonkat99
Original Author

15 years ago

Thanks lindac & indianaslone :) The flooringlady link is a helpful one!

At the moment, I'm moving away from slate & considering a mosaic, which is what I was thinking of in the first place, then decided it would be too pricey, but now have found an affordable option for pre-made mosaics.

Trying to pull everything together during the decision-making process seems to be the hardest part of a remodel. Especially when so much of it is happening in the midst of construction mess!

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Comments (6)

jeff8407
15 years ago
Polished or honed? I've seen polished granite tiles, but not slate. Slate is not as hard as granite and it can be more easily scratched.

I have honed slate in my bathrooms and it is great! You must seal it however. My parents have polished granite tiles in their entry and it is VERY slick, but very beautiful when cleaned.

I hope this helps.
moonkat99
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Jeff. This is polished - has a sheen to it. The sample I saw at the tile store was also enhanced & I got lost in the depth of it; very beautiful. I didn't even realize it was slate at first. I would definitely seal it.

I am still concerned about the possible slickness though.
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indianaslone
15 years ago
Yes, you're definitely going to have to seal the floor. I got some help about this at http://www.theflooringlady.com/stone_flooring/ - well, that's actually the general link for all the slate flooring forum categories. A high-sheen sealer will also make your slate flooring slick (especially when wet!), but I remember reading in there that there are products to actually help with this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slate Flooring (sealing, care, etc.)
lindac
15 years ago
Even un-polished slate is slippery when wet....and if there is a little cie or snow on your feet the problem is worse.
And slate can be fragile...it will "shale" off.
Heather Edmondson
9 months ago
What did you end up picking? I really like Slate also and I’m having the same dilemma.

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