Choose a Slate Floor for a Look you will Love

The uniqueness of slate flooring will give your home a look of its own. Not only indestructible, it is stain resistant and will give you years of lasting beauty. Although installation of slate flooring can be a tedious process, it is possible for homeowners to take it on as a do-it-yourself project.

To install slate flooring, you will need the proper tools including a chalk line, tape measure, framing square, square notched trowel, large sponge, knee pads, buckets, 3" stiff blade scraper, grout float and a diamond blade wet saw. A circular saw or hacksaw with a carbide rod blade will work as well.

Slate flooring will be permanently fixed to your subfloor with cement based thinset which contains cement, fine grains of silica sand and often powdered acrylic resins. When it is mixed with water it creates a sticky mortar that sticks to anything it touches.

If you have a wood subfloor, slate flooring can be installed over top as long as the flooring is at least 1 ¼" thick. Screwing ½" thick plywood over top a ¾" subfloor will do the trick. Another and better option is to install cement board on top of a ¾" floor.

The layout of slate flooring is an important consideration. Different sized pieces are carefully interlocked in a regularly repeating pattern. Carefully space the pieces before making the thinset. Instructions will make the process clear so you can be sure you will end up with beautiful slate flooring for your home.