If you thought that slate is a material that only gets fitted on top of your house, you were wrong. Modern times and manufacturing technologies have discovered new role slate can have both inside and outside your house. In fact, slates can cover other flat surfaces inside the house other than the roof, like walls and floors. The material only appears fragile but is very durable and rewarding to those homeowners who decide to install it in their house or apartment.

Threading upon slates

As far as bathroom and kitchens are concerned, heavy-duty slates that are watertight and stain resistant can be used as flooring. Tiles and linoleum are perhaps more conventional flooring solutions but that doesn’t mean that slate doesn’t have anything to offer. Slates are easy to cut into cobbles, flagstones, and slabs which means that they can fit even the tightest of corners. When installed properly, a slated floor is 100% waterproof.

Furthermore, the high thermal conductivity of this material renders it ideal flooring solution to go with underfloor heating. The only problem with slates as floor tiles is the fact that certain potent cleaners contain chemicals that can damage the fine grain on their surface. If you install slate flooring, be sure to check the label of the cleaning solution you purchase in the future.

Decorating and protecting the walls

If slats are strong enough to withstand being threaded upon, they will have no trouble decoration wall surfaces inside your home. In this sense, they are both practical and posh. If you decorate the fireplace or the chimney breast in the living room with slats, you get a classy, opulent look. They can be cut into any shape or size but the most popular design are elongated slates. These can be adorned with an LED strip behind them to make them stand out at night. Slates might not have the structural strength of bricks, concrete or plaster but they are ideal for decorating walls.

Apart from the living quarters, slates have found their way into the bathroom and the kitchen as well. When caulked well, they create a waterproof membrane that protects the wall from water and moisture damage. The aforementioned LED lights can also be paired up with slates and introduced into the bathroom for the ultimate wet room elegance. As far as fire hearths are concerned, slates are pretty much the only material that is used for coating then. Fire can do little to stone so most fireplaces are slated. In addition, this makes them easy to maintain, as a simple swipe of a wet cloth does the trick in most cases.

The classic: slated roof

If we count in the caves the first humans used to inhabit, then we are safe to say that slate was the original roofing material. Joking set aside, slated have always been a popular material for roofs and for good reasons. It is highly durable, much more that terracotta roof tiles that can easily crack after a strong hailstorm. Furthermore, they act as natural insulators, protecting the inside of the house against the scorching summer sun. Of course, slate is neither omnipotent nor everlasting but on average, it a solid slate roof should serve the purpose for some 50 years, if not more with proper upkeep. That is why the simplest answer to the question what is slate used for is still: for roofs.

Slate and style

We have mentioned so far that slate is stylish, which means that is can be used for smaller surfaces as well. A recent commercial trend has spilled over to residential objects, as more and more people are using slate for planters. Because of its evergreen design, slate is ideal for use in indoor gardens, organic gardens, decks, and patios. Apart from its aesthetic appeal, slate is more durable than wood and terracotta that are normally used for stylish planters. Actually, it has the same waterproofing traits as plastic. This means that it requires little to no maintenance, which is ideal for a homeowner on a constant go. Finally, a slate flower pot or a fern planter can be placed into any room and effortlessly fit into its decor.

We hope that by now you realize the full scale of slate’s applications in a traditional household. Although the roof of the house is still its number one use, slate can effectively be introduced to any room of your home.

Author Bio: Ron Wolf is a hobby designer and a DIY enthusiast, and, above all, a very blessed father of two. Besides that, he has a strong passion for writing. He is a featured blogger at various blogs and magazines in which he shared his research and experience with the vast online community. If he is not working he enjoys being outside with his family. Hiking, bike riding, and BBQing are always a thing for him. In the evening, he likes to watch documentaries or build something with kids in their Lego corner.