As installing a slate tile flooring system is a huge investment and a project, you should consider how important it is to weight out all of the variables involved in embarking on changing this aesthetic in your home.
Do you want to install these tiles onto your kitchen, your bathroom, your patio, or some random area of your house? It is quite important to think about how much walking is done in that specific area, so you can gauge how much foot traffic will be trampling onto the tiles.
Also, this is where you would consider the general climate of the area as well.
Be sure to be “in the know” about the varieties of substrates available for your slate tiles, as they are the literal foundation upon which you will place the tiles in the first place. The more knowledge you have, the better guidance you will have in your substrate and tile choice.
If you are trying to google what “substrates” are, you are not alone. As beginning home improvement folks, many of you will not know what the heck it is.
For most of us, the word sounds like a chemistry lab experiment waiting to happen. And, it really is, essentially. it is a biochemistry term for a “molecule upon which an enzyme acts”. And, in the world of home improvement, a substrate is the foundation in which the tiles (regardless of type) will set in onto the floor. It is also known as a “subfloor”.
There quite a few types of substrate available. There is plywood, particle-board flooring, planks, oriented strand board, concrete slabs, along with a few others.
For slate tile flooring, many homeowners will use a double substrate. Namely, thin-set cement onto a substrate of plywood. Again, find out as much as you can about what works best so you can make the right choice.
The magical moment will come when you have finally decided on THE combination of substrate(s) and slate tiles to begin your project. And, like most things, you have the leisure of placing the order on the internet, or at a physical store.
Ben Dziga shares great tips on tile flooring, and most of all, slate tiles. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.
