When redecorating or renovating your home, it’s always good to invest in updating kitchens and bathrooms. One way to update your master bathroom is to install a slate tile shower. Slate tiling in a shower is very modern and gives your master bathroom a great, rich, spa feel.
What is slate tiling? Slate is a sedimentary rock formed out of volcanic ash or clay. Most slate tiling is darker in color, although it looks very rich. Slate tiling is used for more than just shower stalls. Slate is also used on roofs, chalk boards, and garden walkways.
Slate tiling is very versatile. You can have smooth slate tiling or you can have slate tiling that incorporates some of slate’s natural ridging. It’s all in your preference. However, slate tilling in your shower will make you feel like a million bucks!
How can you get a slate tile shower without dropping a million bucks? Easy! With a few steps and a good contractor, you will have a slate tile shower worth a million bucks.
You need a contractor because it is hard enough to tile a shower with regular tile, let alone a slate tile. To create a do-it-yourself slate tile shower, you will spend more on tools than you will paying a contractor to lay the tile.
Slate Tile Shower Step #1: Make sure your slate tile shower is properly designed
You have to properly design your slate tile shower. You don’t want to feel like you are in a cave. You want your slate tile shower to feel like a spa. You need to make sure that the lighting in your slate tile shower is just right. In addition, slate tile is slippery when wet. You should find a nice porcelain tile to use on the floor of your slate tile shower.
Slate Tile Shower Step # 2: Select your Slate Tile for your Slate Tile Shower
You need to hand select the slate tile for your slate tile shower. I am picky. When I chose the tile for my tile shower, I went with the builder and hand selected the pieces. Since slate tile is a natural stone, you will not get an all over uniform look as you would with, say, ceramic tile. This is what makes the slate tile shower so beautiful.
Slate Tile Shower Step #3: Get your contractor working on your slate tile shower
It’s important to use a contractor to install your slate tile shower. My brother-in-law lays a lot of tile around south Florida, and you can really mess your shower up if you don’t do it right. It’s always better to pay a professional – especially for an upgrade such as a slate tile shower. If you purchase your own slate tile for your slate tile shower, the contractor should only charge you for labor. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days. The first day the contractor can lay the slate tiles in your slate tile shower. You have to let tile set for 24 hours before laying the grout.
The fees you pay a contractor will be comparable to the cost of the necessary tools to do this yourself. The contractor knows what they are doing and it will take him/her much less time.
If you make sure your slate tile shower is properly designed, select slate tile that is complimentary, and hire a great contractor you can get that spa feel at home.
