What's your opinion on slate floor in a kitchen?

[MerryMarigold]

...in particular the multicolour slate such as this. I like it but am aware we are likely to sell within 5 years or so, so wondering if this is a popular option or not as it is a very large kitchen/ diner and would cost any buyer a huge amount to replace. Dh is a bit shocked that the tiles don't all come out "the same colour" .

Interested in pros and cons of slate in general. Maintenance? Wonder if it's possible to put over floorboards or too heavy?

Thanks

Slate needs fairly frequent retreating. My MIL has it, and although it looks great, it seems she has to do it quite frequently. It also feels quite cold to me. TBH I don't like such cold/hard floors in a kitchen. Don't like any tiles, actually, especially with DC dropping plates etc. No chance of them surviving!!!!!

It's not the different colours which would put me off but I agree with ChitChatting that it can appear very cold. I'd be more likely to go for something like that in a bathroom.

Especially if it's a large kitchen/diner I'd be more tempted to go for limestone. Something like www.mrs-stone-store.co.uk/moleanos-white-honed-limestone-tiles-75-p.asp

It's still very luxurious looking but has a bit more warmth to it.

Having said that it depends on the rest of your house - if you live in a steel and glass construction then it's probably quite in keeping with the feel.

Also - do you necessarily have to have it over the entire kitchen/diner? If they are at opposite ends of a room you could think about a warmer floor in the dining area such as wood.

We had real slate in our last house - fantastically cooling underfoot in summer, agonizingly cold in winter! And everything breaks straight away if you drop it on slate. If it's the natural stuff, you will get uneven bits which you have to scrub clean not just mop.

All that said though, I loved our slate floor!

Thanks guys. It's certainly not a steel and glass construction...just your average Victorian terrace, but the room will be very long (and narrow). Not keen on 2 different floors as it will break the room up a bit...

The limestone is lovely, but too light in colour. I am looking for something darkish!!! (Can't be mopping every day - too lazy, too many small children). Lazy doesn't like the sound of scrubbing either though. I guess it is cold, will require slippers! What's a bit warmer? Just wood?

Maybe need to go back to drawing board...ho hum. Got tons of slate samples. I also like the green slate.

we have a victorian property and have something similar in our kitchen diner. it looks fab and I have had lots of compliments. i think the layout that you post isnt great and what perhaps makes it look a bit modern, ours is a random style - a bit like this

www.mandarinstone.com/products/slate/rustic_riven

can recommend these suppliers whatever way you go.

its very "forgiving" with dirt iykwim.

It has a magnetic attraction for your best china and glassware. Also freezing in the morning (though that may not be a problem if you're confirmed slipper wearers).

slate looks nice but it is feckin freezing underfoot, if you are the type to go barefoot would not recommend!!

Have dark green (gorgeous) slate floor from 2003 in my kitchen, utility, pantry and dinning room. The house is 1905 and all decorated on the play between antique/super modern looks. Visitors tell me they love it, of course if they hate I would not know.

I love it. I was told I will need to reseal mine, I cannot be bothered, so I don't and it looks great. With time mine got a beautiful eggshell sheen, which I am also a bit reluctant to loose. Because of texture it is great non-slip surface, however, due to the same, some stains are difficult to clean. This is the only real minus for me. Multi colour would sort this problem out.

It is very cold, I solved this problem by installing underfloor heating, which is so pleasant in winter, I cannot tell. I frequently go downstairs barefoot to enjoy the warmth.

It is very hard, so everything shatters. I do not mind, because I am not clumsy and we do not have expensive crockery.

Thanks all. Yes 'forgiving of dirt' sounds great, thanks Mandarin! The 'mixed' up pattern is actually what the builder was proposing (and I do prefer it), but their product was a ridiculous price, so went my 'own way'. The website you suggest has much better pricing, though I would need to work out how much I'd need of each size...hmmmm...underfloor heating sounds fantastic, but I'm sure it's out of our budget. The stain factor is an important one, which sways me against the plain green (though it would look lovely I'm sure). I am very clumsy and I have 3 small children who are quite 'generous' with the floor - with their spaghetti bolognaise. But we don't have expensive crockery, so that's a bonus. The cold is worrying me a bit...kids don't tend to wear slippers, but maybe they can start!

Anyone have them over (old) wooden floorboards?

Yes we did in our 1903 terrace kitchen. Looked gorgeous, always complimented on it, made a statement when we came to sell (everyone said wow).

Forgiving of dirt but to get it properly clean you need scrubbing brush, I used to do that, then normal mop for a few times then scrub again.

I never found it that cold tbh. I don't really drop things either!

Wouldn't have it in a modern house, wouldn't look right.

We never sealed them either, we did have the 'multi coloured' stuff.

I am sure we had to lay boards over our old wooden floorboards to level everything up in the 1st floor and take away the 'give'. I am not sure you will be able to get away with not doing it for any tiles. But I am not a builder.

Downstairs on the ground floor with lifted the old floorboards and leveled the whole area with cement before electric wires of underfloor were laid, then glue and tiles on top.

Again, I am not a builder, so your situation may be easier (or not)...

We have an Edwardian house with floorboards. Have had the kitchen floor done twice, once in terracotta and now in textured porcelain that looks like black slate but doesn't need sealing. Both tilers were adamant that the floorboards had to be covered with sheets of hardboard before any tiles went down. The tiles we have now are pretty cold underfoot, though.

We have virtually black slate with underfloor heating in the bathroom. We put it in but tbh I hate it. It never looks clean, even if I get down on my hands and knees and scrub it Cinderella style with a scrubbing brush.

It is less slippy underfoot than other tiles though and the underfloor heating makes it lovely to wander across in the middle of the night.

We have something like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.tileidea.co.uk/products/indian_slate_copper_popup.jpg&imgrefurl=www.tileidea.co.uk/tile_range.asp%3Flink%3D3%26range%3DIndiana%26rangeid%3D25&usg=__tUhN2yvuHGmbCPDlU66Shr-1l_E=&h=539&w=622&sz=171&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=3DNl9XB9ynMCyM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=165&ei=WpTNTcOZJI_n-gax68GhDA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dindian%2Bslate%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1680%26bih%3D914%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=658&vpy=551&dur=143&hovh=209&hovw=241&tx=137&ty=113&page=1&ndsp=44&ved=1t:429,r:29,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this. It's a large kitchen/dining room, the floor is a riven slate in various shaped and colours. Lots of fossil prints, which look great.

We get loads of admiring comments on it, but, whilst I agree it's forgiving of dirt, it does have to be cleaned now and then, which, as others have said, is labour-intensive.
If you try and do a quick mop/scrub you're left with dirty puddles gathering in the uneven bits, so you have to do another big rinse or soak it all up with a big dry cloth. I have back ache for days after cleaning mine once a month.

I always wear shoes so don't notice the cold, plus we have an Aga, which helps. Our builder reckoned the tiles were too thick for underfloor heating - most of it would just be absorbed.

Don't know what I would recommend, though - I never see anything else I really like the look of.

Given that while many of us have suggested other options, the fact that nobody has said they don't really like your choice is probably a sign that if you like it go for it! It's your house at the end of the day and you should have what you want on the floor in the remaining years you live there.

It might not be what a future buyer would go for given all the choice in the world, but I'm sure they will still be happy with it.

Mmmm...this scrubbing/ cleaning malarky doesn't sound good. But once a month is a plus point . I am getting sold on the multicolour as I love it so much, but was wondering if it was just me! I'm not sure I'll want to move. I also have my copper handles/ drawer knobs picked out. Though not quite nailed the kitchen cabinets. Ah.

So at the risk of crashing my own thread...would this 'look' go with a high gloss kitchen or would it be better with something more 'rustic'. Would the modern look work really well with it? Contrast? Or look awful?

Herhonesty, moomaa and what'swrong, what kind of kitchen do you have? We have a stripped pine dresser and old, Victorian (1902!) stripped pine table which is pretty old and knackered, but I love it. But so far not decided for sure on any kitchen style. There is too much choice and it's so expensive (even compared to flooring) that I've got a complete blank.

True, Manchurian. I can always expect MNers to speak to their mind. And whilst people have said slate is cold, no-one's said the multicolour is hideous!

I do love high gloss, but I would much rather have something more aged with super stylish hi-tech appliances. Also, gloss requires lots of wiping and I do not think it is really agreeable with toddlers. By all means if you are prepared to wipe them at least twice a week... I found better things to do

Okay, my kitchen is a plain painted Shaker style, plus an Aga - not very radical but suits our house and I think is pretty ageless.
I wouldn't worry about mixing styles, tbh; that seems to be the hot look these days. So a pine dresser and Victorian table don't necessarily have to dictate the style of the whole kitchen.
I reckon the slate is neutral enough to look fine with pretty much any style.
But by the sound of it you're veering towards pretty trad with your copper handles etc.

Thanks for the tip on high gloss bemybebe. Hadn't thought of that side of it, smears galore I should think...mmmmm...

What'swrongwithyou...the copper handles were what's changed my mind about it all...seems a bit crazy to pick cabinets based on floor and handles, but that's the way it's gonna be!

I don't think that's crazy at all - if you love the handles you'll really love whatever kitchen you choose to show them off. Wish I'd started that way, tbh.
< eyes boring wooden knobs >

What'swrong [[http://www.morehandles.co.uk/more-handles/cambridge-cupboard-knob here] is a good ermmmm...'knob' website. You could just change the knobs!

Sorry knob website