is a black floor really that bad?

13 years ago

Is a black slate like floor going to be crazy to keep clean? oh yeah, with a 5, 2 year old boys and 10 month old baby? what do ya think?

Featured Answer

istyleit
Original Author

13 years ago

opps, when I said slate "like" I should have said it's actually Dupont lam textured real touch elite flooring, so it's somewhat cushioned. It's not smooth it has alot of texture to it, but it isnt a blackest black color but it's black. Im going to look up the MarmoleumI love the pictures of the slate floors....omg beautiful. Thank u all for the input!

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Comments (40)

theresse
13 years ago
It's probably a bit of a challenge but the look is awesome in my opinion! It probably shows more dust than anything else but if people don't wear shoes in there for the most part and you have one of those swifters, it may be okay? I also think you'd want to make sure it's as smooth as possible before painting cause you can always clean a dirty or dusty floor but it wouldn't look good to paint over an old floor that hadn't been super well-sanded and cleaned beforehand.

http://www.kitchenbuilding.com/kitchen-designs-black-floors-with-white-cabinets/

http://pinterest.com/pin/2012260/

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/inspiration/inspiration-high-gloss-black-floors-069826

http://chicgalleria.com/living/CL2.jpg

http://worlds-interior-design.blogspot.com/2010/04/apartment-with-completely-black-wood.html
theresse
13 years ago
Oops! I only now realized you said slate! So sorry!
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davidro1
13 years ago
time will pass fast. With a Roomba. They will learn to let it roam.
plllog
13 years ago
I think you mean to ask, is it that hard to keep looking clean, right?

There are different kinds of slate. Textured slate can be actually difficult to clean.

As to the blackness of the floor, the charcoal black with striation should look okay. If it's a solid dark black it's going to show dust like crazy. That's the biggest problem going forward.

I have the opposite. I have a glittery solid white floor. Wet and muddy shoes can be a problem, but I don't have animals for the footprints (which show equally on solid black). Many people hate white for the same reason they hate black. I don't find it a problem because I'd rather spot clean than walk through goo and spread it around. I'd rather have it be clean than only look clean. If there haven't been a lot of dirty shoes, and I haven't been making messes, I rarely need to clean it more than on cleaning day. Other than the spot cleaning.

I can't say it would be the same with black slate, three little ones and unknown climate, but you might be able to handle it just fine. Especially if it's not the solid black black because of the dust.
cat_mom
13 years ago
The black-ish porcelain tiles in our MB (they are textured, so not actually a solid black) show white/light colored flecks, but hide everything else. Since I have dark hair, I like having a floor that doesn't show every strand of hair that falls.
dianalo
13 years ago
I think it will be tough to keep looking clean unless there is variation to the color. It will also be a very hard unforgiving floor with 3 such young boys.
Our older one ran through the kitchen just over a year ago with wet sneakers (approx 7.5 years old at the time) and slipped. The sound of his face hitting the ceramic tile was awful. I was in the next room but heard it clear as a bell. We were lucky nothing got broken and he did not have a concussion, but he had the most ugly fat/split lips and swollen mouth for quite a while. The only bright side was he was thrilled to have a whole bunch of x-rays for show and tell...

We are going with Marmoleum in 2 shades of gray (mottled blends) and 1 of black (broken up with small white "slashes" in it and the smallest element in our pattern). We are doing a basketweave pattern with them and hope that since it is not a large dark expanse of one color it won't show dust too much. Of course, I am a reforming OCD sweeper who is learning to let the Roomba do my job.
The Marmoleum is a floating floor with a cork underside. It is also much more forgiving to dropped plates and glasses. I am using a temp kitchen in our bsmt and that is on an old linoleum floor on cement. I dropped a dish that would have shattered if we were in our recently demolished kitchen with a ceramic floor. It almost bounced a little and I picked it up unscathed. Fewer shards of glass and ceramic flying across a room are wonderful with kids in the house.

Just a thought....
BTW - it is probably too soon for you, but Marmoleum has a rebate for any bought by 12/31/10 of 20% off, which really helps. http://www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com/images/stories/pdf/coupon.pdf
igloochic
13 years ago
I have dark brown (jacobean black) floors and have to admit, they are sexy as hell but show Everything!!!! White is more forgiving IMO. That said, they are sexy. But ummm...slate and little guys...vie heard that crack Diana described. I won't have anything harder than wood because I never want to hear that noise again! Slate means years of broken dishes etc....and hopefully not heads.

On the bright side...blood does not show well on black...
boxerpups
13 years ago
Slate floors are beautiful!

The rage in the UK. Slate is durable, fair prices and
gorgeous. Slate can be elegant, rustic, soft, sleek or
natural.

As for a dark floor looking dirty? I am a freak of nature.
I love, love, love my dark chocolate stained oak wood
floors. I vacuum every other day so I do not notice
the dirt, dog hairs, dust.... (well I had a whole house
air filter installed so dust is not longer a big issue)
I will never go back to light, I love my dark floors.
Keep in mind I am not normal with this, everyone..yes
everyone I know prefers a lighter floor to hide golden
retriever hair, dust, sand...

Now, I used to have in my old home black polished marble
floors. Trying to get them to look perfect had me in tears.
It was not dust or dog hair so much as water spots from
winter boots or a smudge from some child walking by.
The high polish was frustrating and this could be why
my muted wood floors are not an issue. No high gym like
shiny polished gloss for me anymore.

I agree many different kinds of slate and it depends
on the effect you want. Sealed slate is as easy to care for
as a travertine or limestone. Some slates can have a sealer
that is almost wax like and is absorbed into the stone.
This can last for two years and helps to keep the slate
smooth to for clean up. Be sure you get slate that
is smooth to the touch. It would be a pia to have to loose
a sponge tearing to shreds.

~boxer

Oh and here are a few images. I wish I could find three
kids drooling, playing with matchboxes and eating peanut
butter but no such luck. You will need to visualize the
messes they make and know it will be okay. Kid grow fast.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slate floors from the flooring lady
craftlady07
13 years ago
I'm going to be doing locally quarried black slate in my kitchen (hopefully I'll have them in by the end of next month). I sweep a lot but having a little dust or dirt on the floor will not drive me crazy. When I asked a similar question last month someone suggested the roomba and I am going to give that some serious consideration. And if I can get my puppy to stop chewing on rugs I'll probably put down a runner and definitely door mats in the high traffic areas.

But slate is a hard surface, things will get dropped and broken (hopefully not little heads). That's a risk we're willing to take. DH really really wanted this slate and it's really one of the only things he has an opinion one so I agreed.

I really want to get a steam mop to help making cleaning easier but I just started researching. I can't see why it wouldn;t work, but before I commit I want to be sure.
Anyone have an opinion on whether that's a good idea?

Oh, I had another thought. Our slate will be the natural cleft (rougher texture) and from what I've read it's not slippery when wet and I want a matte finish, not high gloss so I hope that will help the dirt to not stand out as much. we'll see :)
Good luck!
craftlady07
13 years ago
oh, one other thing - you said "Black slate like" so I'm not sure if whatever you're going to be installing will be with grout or not, but I assume it will. to me I think dirty light grout will make the floor seem dirtier then it is so I'll be using a darker charcoal or dark grey grout to hide some of the dirt.
francoise47
13 years ago
Your post made me think of Tommy Smyth's gorgeous black floor:

{{!gwi}}

We had black slate floors in our entry ways when our boys were little. The only maintenance problem was the white marks (easily removable) left by the drippings from their snow boots.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}
dianalo
13 years ago
Craftlady -the roomba is seriously great. It cleans well and is fun to watch. I used to sweep several times a day and since our only carpet is in bedrooms, it would take me a while in our modest sized house. We have 2 young boys and floors that seemed to generate dirt when my back was turned. Now, I can spot clean with a broom every few days if I see something "he" missed (the boys named him Rickroll).
He cannot move the couch and sweep in the back and may miss a spot or 2 one day, but he gets almost everything and has given me back approx a half hour a day of me not sweeping.

I bought it refurbished from Otter Creek Trading. I can't imagine how we did without him for so long!
User
13 years ago
There's an easy way for you to judge for yourself. Go to the nearest hardware store and get a sheet of masonite. It comes 4x8, but if that can be cut down to fit in your vehicle if needed. You could even cut it into 2x2 squares so you can see the effect of the "tiles". Then go to the paint department and get them to mix some black latex paint. Mimic the sheen that you hope your floor has. Don't go flat or high gloss. Somewhere in between. Go home and paint the masonite. Let it cure for a couple of days and then put it down in the areas that you are considering using the slate. See how you deal with the extra maintainence that having dark floors require. See how crazy it makes you to have visible dust and dirt just after you've swiffered.

I think to be really happy with a dark floor, you have to be uber OCD and cleaning constantly, (Roomba helps with that, for sure!) or you have to be really laid back and not worried that a bit of dust and cat hair means you're failing your grandmother's housecleaning standards. I fall closer to the second than the first, but I'll be the first to admit that our 40 year old black slate entrance doesn't get the traffic that a kitchen floor would, so I can live with vacuuming it once a week or just before company is expected. The bigger complaint that I have about the slate is that it's uneven, even set in an old fashioned mud bed, and it's pretty darn soft. There are several nicks, scrapes, and gouges that show from where the PO "slid" some furniture or something across it and caught one of the "lips". Those lips were mostly ground smooth after installation, but this isn't a "level" floor and someone with balance issues would be well advised to avoid slate. It definately shows every bit of it's 40 years of life, and in a lightly used entrance, that's still a lot of "life" it's showing. In a kitchen, I would really hesitate to use it there based on how soft it's been in the entrance.

Plus, it sucks all of the light out of the room. ;)
francoise47
13 years ago
Is this what you are thinking of? Looks beautiful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dupont flooring
craftlady07
13 years ago
lol dianalo, I love that you named your roomba and refer to is as a "he" in your post! that cracked me up!! I think I know what I'll be asking for for my birthday :) I think in my previous post someone even suggested I make a "room" for it in my banquette bench which is a really great idea I think.
sjmitch
13 years ago
Hi there - we used a product from Lea Ceramiche called rain forest in the ash color. It was done just over a year ago and we are really happy with it. We don't have kids, but have 2 very long haired dogs. Cleaning is easy - damp mop -and as stated in another entry the roomba seems like a great idea (haven't got one but would like to try). We also went with a dark grey grout that seemed way too light at time of install, but over the year it has darkened. Our tile is in the fromt entry with access to basement and powder room.
istyleit
Original Author
13 years ago
YES Francoise47 that's it exactly!!!! I am also considering the light grey verison. I have maple wheat cab and Virginia mist counters and honed Carrera on my big island. White upholstered stools with satin nic legs. My walls are a whitish barely grey color and I dont want to darken my room too much but I can't stop looking at the black color either. I have the sample board on my floor fr HD, but its only 1 1/2 tiles so it's hard to visualize.
alwaysfixin
13 years ago
Another thing to think about, having nothing to do with the color, is that slate or any stone floor can be hard on the back. You can lessen this effect by using a gel mat at the places where you stand the most, like at the sink. But then you won't have the gleaming expanse of black floor you are seeking. I lived for several years in a house with dark-gray marble floor in the kitchen - the effect was stunning, but I disliked standing on it, and it was cold in the winter. And I was younger then, LOL! Only you can decide based on the helpful pros and cons listed in this thread, but you asked for opinions, and I wouldn't do it.
alwaysfixin
13 years ago
Oh, I just realized your post said "slate like", not slate. Missed that.
craftlady07
13 years ago
sjmitch - your floor sounds really interesting, any pictures?

(I hope this isn't getting too off-topic and the OP doesn't consider this post a hijack of the thread.)
I know I definitely fit into live_wire_oak's 2nd category. My kitchen floor will only be about 9' x 18' and won't take me very long to sweep/vacuum even if I have to do it myself :) and I have an entire wall of windows facing the south plus a 3/4 glass panel door on the west and window over the sink and a 4'x4' window facing east so natural light won't be a problem.
Neither of us have any back problems and we're doing radiant floor heat so we're not worried about the cold.
irishcreamgirl
13 years ago
Who was the poster that had the small NYC apartment kitchen who had to rip out her backsplash becasue the corners did not wrap correctly? Her kitchen was very small with white cabs and black (ish?) tile floors. I can't think of her name but it was not slate. I loved her kitchen.

If you can remember who it was can you post a picture?
dianalo
13 years ago
The natural light shows up any dust way more than overhead lighting. What drive me crazy on the floors is when the light comes in the windows from different areas highlighting any stray piece of lint or dust. My floors are wood and not even a dark color, but it bothers me to see any dust (or worse, to feel any crumbs or grit). The roomba helps a lot, but I still sweep when I see any imperfections. I am not a neat freak in other ways, but I need debris free floors.
francoise47
13 years ago
I think that the beautiful NY city galley kitchen irishcreamgirl is thinking of belongs to calypsochick. The floor, and everything else in her kitchen is gorgeous!

Here is a link that might be useful: Calypsochick's kitchen on Gardenweb
sjmitch
13 years ago
Craftlady07: thanks for the interest. I'll try to post later as I have to go out with my DH for a few hours. Have to find picture first.
irishcreamgirl
13 years ago
francoise47 ~ Thats it!! Her kitchen is beautiful and I remembered the gorgeous black floor.
xand83
13 years ago
I second the nomination for dark porcelain. We installed ours in October and it is one of my favorite things about the new kitchen. It's shiny, indestructible, and doesn't show dirt or corgi fur due to the light specks. And we got it with free shipping, which was a key factor when living without a car. Good luck!

It was Orion Negro Polished Porcelain on the HD website. The forum says it's not a valid link for the URL box.
boxerpups
13 years ago
Forgive me, I read tooo fast. Slate-Like.

It is still lovely and if you like the dark look go for it.

Xand83
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
~boxer
User
13 years ago
What color is the dirt in your neighborhood?

Dark floors show every footprint, cookie crumb (unless it's chocolate) and spill.

If you have mottled or speckled, it's much more forgiving.
missmuffet
13 years ago
do it
you know you want to...
sjmitch
13 years ago
sjmitch
13 years ago
Craftlady07: I've posted a picture of my tiles in our front entry as promised. It shows a little more brown than it really is as it was hard to get a good photo.
lyvia
13 years ago
Hmm- I always learn something reading these topics. I wanted a slate floor in the upstairs bathroom, but ... this should last us from age 50 to 70 +/- so falls may be an issue. I plan on dura ceramic in the kitchen - it's softer than porcelain, but okay for below grade installation. I think it is compressed limestone underneath, with a bit of vinyl on top, or something like that. Maybe I should do that in the bathroom too. They have a flat black, and "swirly stone" gray. They would be awesome in a checkerboard. It is easy to cut and do patterns with this stuff. Oh - real names are dreamscape midnight grey, and heirloom ebony black.
craftlady07
13 years ago
sjmitch, that is one beautiful floor!! I love the texture. Did you have to seal it? It looks like a matte finish on it and that's what I'm looking for. Do you know what kind of sealer was used?
pinch_me
13 years ago
I have a white kitchen and black bathroom. I love the white. The black not so much. The black shows everything.
User
13 years ago
Don't minimize the additional maintainence it will need. I think the best suggestion was to try it for yourself before committing. You may love it enough to not feel burdened by the cleaning, or you may fall out of love enough to change your mind. But you'll know for sure!
sjmitch
13 years ago
Craftlady07 - no we didn't have to seal it. It is a kind of matte finish - looks somewaht ashy - hence the colour name - ash. The colour is a smokey black/brown. It doesn't show doggie prints too much - but, winter they bring in snow and salt/sand from their walks, which have I get to clean up.

Here is another picture where it looks really dark. The colour is somewhere between the 2 pictures.
caminnc
13 years ago
Some things are just worth it, ya know!
PRO
Howard Barnett dba: Environmental Design Studio
4 years ago
Well then, there you have it. Pros n cons, deficits and prospective solutions solutions being implemented. Choice based on practically, choice based on heart
Buehl
4 years ago
Howard -- why are you reviving an 9-year old thread? You have added nothing to it. It's a very old thread and you just bumped someone who needs help now off the first page.