Slate tiles - are they a pita to upkeep?

[PanicPants]

We have bought 4 (!) to lay down and get an idea what the entire kitchen would look like. It took me a while to 'seal' them, which I don't mind doing if it will be a one off job.

But is it?

And although the 4 tiles now look darker, they aren't shiny at all. I had hoped for a glossier finish. Can that be achievable?

Slate is so much cheaper than other natural stone tiles, but I've got my suspicians that that could be due to the amount of work involved in their upkeep

Also, anyon have underground heating under their slate?

Thankyou - maybe the solution for damp (on another thread!)

we have slate tiles in the kitchen , and I must admit, I don't like them (though dh does!). It's to do with the finish, ours are "rough cut" so they look rustic; they have a very uneven surface. My main gripe is that they never really look clean (dh has the opposite view- they don't look dirty!). I can use several buckets of hot soapy water on them, and when they've dried they still look the same. If I had the money or energy to re-do the kitchen, I would have slate again (with underfloor heating) BUT with a SMOOTH finish.

Tissy - I kinda know what you mean. On one hand I really love that, but on the other I'm worried about it not looking clean. I didn't know you could get smooth slate.

I'm off to have a search for it

panic it depends what look you want. Slate tiles are not shiney, slate is a natural rock and therefore is never going to be shiney.

However they don't show the dirt AT ALL and IMHO look fab. BUT I like teh rustic look, that suits me my dh and my dog The only reason for not having the rough ones are teh kids somethime trip on them. We have had them since teh summer and I love them Sealing only took about 2 or 3 hrs for a whole BIG room, I rollered on using a mini roller, the sealant in one direction, then did it again in the other direction. Left to dry and it was done. I sealed the conservatory with different stuff and it was more of a pain. I probably will reseal them in about a year or so, just to make sure they are perfect. But I love them

Crunchie - thats what dh likes about them. He calls it pre-dirtied