Slate is a type of metamorphic rock that has lots of different uses when it comes to DIY and construction.

But what do you need to know about slate before you choose it for your next project? What color is slate? Keep reading to find out more.
What Is Slate?
Slate is a metamorphic rock with a fine grain. It is mostly made up of quartz (see also “Does Quartz Stain?“) and muscovite and is formed out of sedimentary rock which was originally clay or even volcanic ash.
Slate is smooth to the touch, but it is classified as a hard rock with brittle qualities.
Slate naturally occurs in many areas of the world including Great Britain, Spain and various US States like Vermont and Virginia. It is quarried from these places and used for lots of different purposes.
What Color Is Slate?
Slate is gray in color with hints of blue. There are variations in color of natural slate including hints of green, purple, black and even red. It can be light gray, medium gray or dark gray, but is most often a medium gray color.
In terms of color, the hex code for ‘slate’ is #COC2C9. It is considered a neutral color which works well with various different palettes and styles.
You can pair it with sandy and beige colors to create natural, earthy tones, or use blue and purple to pick out the undertones of the slate gray. When mixing slate gray paint, it is made out of almost equal parts of red, green and blue.
What Is Slate Used For?
Slate has lots of different uses when it comes to DIY and construction.
Here are some of the most common uses of slate.
- Roofing – Slate tiles are often use to roof houses and other buildings
- Gravestones – Many gravestones are made out of slate
- Garden – Slate is often used in gardens as paving stones as well as gravel and decorative features
- Flooring – Slate tiles are very attractive and can make excellent indoor flooring, especially in kitchens or entrance hallways
- Snooker Tables – Many snooker tables have a slate bed
- Facade Cladding – Using slate cladding on a building or house gives it a wonderful, natural looking finish
- Countertops – Some people choose to have a slate countertop in their kitchen
- Plates – You can get plates, dishes and bowls made out of slate to serve your food on, as well as cheese boards and other items
What Are The Best Features Of Slate?
Slate has many excellent features that make it suitable for various DIY and construction projects.
Affordable
One of the biggest appeals to slate is that it is very cost effective. It might not be the cheapest to purchase initially, but the low maintenance costs and durability make it an affordable option long term.
Durable
Good quality slate can last for over 100 years. This makes it a very durable material to use for certain elements of construction and will outlast many other products.
Absorption
Slate has low water absorption – less than 0.4% – which makes it very resistant to frost damage. This makes it ideal to use for roofing and other building purposes.
Eco-Friendly
Slate is a very sustainable material when you consider the entire lifespan of the product and its application as a building material. If you want an environmentally friendly material then slate is definitely the way to go.
Slate is also a natural material that does not require treatment or processing before it can be used. There are no chemicals added, no furnaces needed etc.
All you need is the process of extracting the slate from the land.
Once slate has lived out its use it can be recycled. For example, if you need to replace a slate roof you can recycle all of the tiles. They can be broken down into smaller parts to be used for decorative gravel etc.
Versatile
Slate is considered to be quite a versatile material and you can use it for all sorts of building projects such as roofing, facades, internal and external decoration, flooring, and even furniture.
How To Maintain Slate
Slate is very easy to maintain. It can be wiped clean with water, or even a little soap as long as you wash it off. You don’t need to treat it – it has so many amazing natural properties that all you need to do is install it and keep it clean.
If you have a slate roof then you will need to keep it free of debris and to replace cracked tiles as you notice them. If you have slate flooring in your home then you may need to fill in any cracks with a filler.

Are There Any Problems With Slate?
If you are planning to use slate, make sure you take these factors into consideration.
Weight
Slate is a very heavy material. You need to make sure that the correct supports are in place before you install slate
Brittle
Slate is a brittle rock which means that it can crack. If you use it for your flooring, you could accidentally crack it by dropping a heavy object on it. If debris hits your roof in a storm, it could crack a few of the slate tiles.
Installation
Slate can be difficult to install. This is because it is very heavy. Whilst it is a durable material, it is prone to cracking so it needs to be handled very carefully.
These two things mean that slate installation is often a slow process that requires lots of workers, making the initial installation cost quite high.
Whilst slate is cost effective over time, the initial purchase price is pretty high.
Consistency
Slate is a natural material which means that it has variations in terms of color hues and patterns. If you need a uniform appearance, you are unlikely to achieve this with slate, or any other natural, unprocessed stone.
Summary
Slate is a useful building material that is gray in color with bluish tones. It has lots of excellent properties that make it a good choice for construction.
If you enjoyed this post, you might like our article about ‘What Is Formica?‘.
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