Slate Tiles – The Pros and Cons You Need To Be Aware Of
Tile flooring has been a staple material for Australian homes. However, millennial homeowners are not looking to opt for the cookie cutter design of ceramic and porcelain tiles for them home. Instead, new homeowners strive for supplies that lend a unique character to their home while also increasing the marketability of their premises. Resultantly, there has been an upsurge in demand for unconventional flooring materials. Slate is one of the natural elements that has been used for exterior flooring but is now steadily making an appearance inside contemporary homes. If you are deliberating on tiling your floors with slate, here are the pros and cons that you should be aware of.
Slate tiles are highly versatile
People typically associate natural tiling materials with one hue – brown. And although most natural tiles will be available in this colour, this is not the only shade available. Your slate tiles can be stained in a spectrum of colours to allow you a plethora of options to suit your underlying style. In addition to this, the slate tiles come in an assortment of shapes to create unique patterns on your flooring. Lastly, although slate has a naturally rough texture, you have the flexibility of selecting various finishes depending on where you want to install these tiles in your home.
Slate tiles are incredibly long lasting
The primary reason why slate tiles make an excellent flooring option for the outdoors is their astounding durability. These tiles are best suited to high traffic areas, as they will not crack or crumble like other flooring supplies. Hence, you can be guaranteed that when you install these tiles in the interior of your home, they will provide you with incredible longevity. Not only will the tiles require minimal maintenance to stay in top condition, but their resilience also translates into reduced expenses, as you do not have to replace your flooring prematurely.
Slate tiles are ideal for temperature regulation
Residing in Australia means contending with warm weather for most of the year. Without constant air conditioning, your home can quickly become an uncomfortable space to spend your time in. A surprising advantage that slate tiles will offer your residence is a cooling effect, particularly during the hotter months. Since the slate does not radiate any heat, it will not contribute to the temperature spike indoors. In turn, you may find your cooling costs on the decline too!
Slate tiles can be pricey
Despite its numerous benefits, slate tiling does have a few notable financial drawbacks to be wary of. For instance, this is one of the most expensive natural materials, so you will need an adequate budget to invest in this flooring. Secondly, the heavyweight nature of these tiles also makes them arduous to install, which will increase your labour costs too.