What is The Difference Between Tiles and Slates?

With a wide range of flooring options available on the market, it can sometimes seem difficult to know what the best option is and how to make an informed decision. In line with this thought, today, we’re taking a quick look into two of the most popular types of flooring: tiles and slates. Hopefully, this can help you find the optimal material for your own flooring needs.

The Benefits of Tiled Floors

Tiles have long been a popular choice for outdoor spaces, and these excellent flooring types offer a range of benefits over other materials. Made from either concrete or clay typically, tiles are manufactured based on the requirements of the buyer; as such, they are widely used in a wide range of flooring solutions, both commercially and residentially; from paving walkways and high traffic areas to around the edge of swimming pools and more, there are countless ways to make use of tiles in modern environments.

Tiles are generally non-porous, meaning that water cannot easily damage the tile, thereby keeping the structure strong for longer. In addition to this, tiles are typically scratch and shatter-resistant, helping maintain their condition for longer.

Overall, tiles come in a wide range of designs, shapes, and sizes. As such, they can provide a practical and aesthetically pleasing solution for many scenarios. Keeping this in mind could help you decide whether tiled floors might be right for your property.

Using Slate as a Flooring Material

As an alternative to tiles, slate flooring is typically made from natural slate materials, making them excellent options for those wanting a natural-looking solution. Indeed, slate comes in a wide variety of natural varieties, and each type is slightly different; this is important to keep in mind to help you decide whether slate will be a suitable flooring material.

Generally speaking, slate can often be used in much the same way as porcelain tiles, but their unique and natural aesthetic can help offer an uncompromisingly striking finish. What’s more, slate offers an incredibly long-lasting option due to its natural formation process, forming over millions of years from repeated heating and cooling; however, slate is incredibly brittle, which is worth keeping in mind.

With the aforementioned points in mind, it’s worth noting that slate is a more expensive option, and its delicate and fragile nature means that it often requires special laying techniques and arrangements to ensure that it fits perfectly. Furthermore, slate has to be cut into suitably sized tiles, which can potentially add to the costs involved. As such, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, slate might not be the right product to consider.

Final Thoughts                

There are many flooring options, and no single product will be right for everyone. Nonetheless, today’s guide will hopefully have given you some new ideas on the types of flooring options available and whether slate or tiles might work for your needs. But remember: every home or property’s requirements are different, so be sure to discuss your needs with our experts here at WiFi Ceramics at sales@wificeramics.com so we can help you find the right option.