Montauk Blue Slate Tile Floors | Two Years Later

by | Jan 28, 2021 | All Things Home, Decorating, My House, Room Makeovers | 34 comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

There are some projects that are completed, shared here on the blog, and then I don’t get asked about them again.  Then, there are others that surface over and over.  The Montauk blue slate tile floors were installed in our foyer are one of those projects.  I receive a few inquiries about them each month, usually from people who found my photos in a Google search or on Pinterest.  They want to know how the floor has held up as well as what sealer we used and how I keep it clean.

Now that we’ve lived with the floors for over two years, I thought I would write a blog post to put all of these answers in one place and provide a review for others who are considering slate floors for their home.

As a reminder, this is how the foyer looked before we replaced the tile and painted the walls and trim…

suburban foyer makeover before | miss mustard seed

It wasn’t bad, but it was just so beige.  So, so very beige.  And I have nothing against beige when it’s intentional.  This foyer definitely wasn’t intentional but was finished with default, non-offensive choices meant to appeal to a larger pool of potential buyers.  I get that, but when I live in a home, I want it to feel like our home and these tiles didn’t feel homey to me.

So, I replaced them with classic Montauk Blue Slate Tile in a “random” pattern.

montauk blue slate tile floors | miss mustard seed

It was sealed in Aqua Mix Enrich ‘N’ Seal.  The seal really did bring out the beautiful color of the slate and it has held up so well.

montauk blue slate tile floors | miss mustard seed

The floors were beautiful right after they were installed and they are still beautiful today.

montauk blue slate tile floors | miss mustard seed

The finish has held up beautifully to all sorts of spills and scratches.  There were a couple of times where I was certain we’d leave a big scratch on the floor, but both times the scratch was only cosmetic and wiped right out.

As far as cleaning the Montauk Slate tile, I vacuum it regularly to clean up surface dust, dirt, and pet hair, and then I’ll use a steam mop a couple of times each month to clean and sanitize the floor.  The tile floor continues into the half bath, so this is particularly important around the toilet.  When needed, I’ll scrub around the toilet with some mild soap and warm water.

montauk blue slate tile floors | miss mustard seed

This floor is also incredibly forgiving with dirt and dust bunnies.  Even though it’s dark, you don’t see every little thing on it.  And I don’t feel like I have to baby it at all.

montauk blue slate tile floors | miss mustard seed

I would install this flooring again in a heartbeat.  In fact, we have some tile leftover that is enough to do one of our small bathrooms, so we’ll probably do that at some point.

Does anyone else have slate floors in their home?  Do you love yours as much as we love ours?

You can read more about the foyer makeover HERE.

Receive a Daily Dose of Encouragement and Inspiration!

Stay Inspired with Marian's Daily Blog Posts

Sign up to receive uplifting blog posts directly in your inbox! Join our community of like-minded individuals and start your day with a burst of creativity, motivation, and positivity. Whether you’re seeking decorating tips, DIY projects, or simply a dose of inspiration, Marian’s daily posts are sure to brighten your day and ignite your creativity. Don’t miss out on your daily dose of encouragement – subscribe now!

    34 Comments

    1. Mary Beth Lott

      I’m so happy the slate worked for you. I ordered the same color and pattern from the company you used. It arrived badly broken up. The company sent some replacement bundles at no charge, but regrettably, they also were too chipped to use. The company gave me a very small refund of the total I paid. Shipping the slate definitely didn’t work for me.

      • Marian Parsons

        Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that! I have had very little damage to the tile I’ve ordered from them and they have always replaced anything that was broken or wasn’t correct.

    2. Babs

      Slate is timeless. Looks wonderful after two years…thank you for the update.

    3. Sarah Gaskin

      We also have similar slate in our foyer, but the installers left some grout on some of the pieces way too long, and I couldn’t get it off! So I have put off sealing for the past year because I don’t want to seal in grout marks. I even tried cleaning it with acid grout removers. I’d love to hear if anyone has any advice on this. The good news is that it’s held up pretty well not being sealed.

    4. Kate

      I don’t have a slate comment. I have a question about your gallery wall on the stairs. I have a gallery wall in our hallway and I’m not happy with it. I’m not sure what the problem is. We have high ceilings and I’m not sure if it’s the proportion that’s off or if it’s because the frames are different shades of wood or if it’s the size of the frames. Most of the frames are large with multiple photos in them. What do you think is the key to getting a good gallery wall of personal photos?

    5. Sandra at Thistle Cove Farm

      That slate floor is fabulous! In my last farmhouse, I had slate in all the bathrooms and laundry and in this house it’s only in the laundry/pantry. It’s also white…not my choice but there are things I want more than changing out the slate.

    6. Cheryl

      Marion, your slate floor is gorgeous! Our second home in NJ had a vermont slate floor and I loved it! My 2 girls played hopscotch on it (no chalk involved). 🙂

    7. Doro

      I grew up w slate floors… so amazing! Vacuum and wet mop. Seal every couple of years. In my adult life, I moved frequently and never had a chance to redo a house til now. I saw you used Montauk blue, so I searched it out and went with 12×12 Montauk black in a brick layout. Love it ! I used it in the kitchen and master bath of a 1930 Tudor. The rest of the house is original oak floors. Slate is a perfect flooring material. When my childhood home was sold, the 60yo slate floors were still perfect.

    8. julie ritter

      Hey there….I just wanted to comment on the paint change as well in the foyer WOW the change is so dramatic and lovely. I think I have seen it before, but seeing it again reminded me how much I liked it. thanks for sharing.

    9. Susan McCall

      the floor is beautiful. thank you for stepping outside of the box.

    10. Sharon

      I have tile like that on my screened porch (in Georgia). It has been about 5 years and has held up beautifully in all types of weather. They are gorgeous.

    11. Sharon W.

      I have tile like that on my screened porch (in Georgia). It has been about 5 years and has held up beautifully in all types of weather. They are gorgeous.

    12. Mayanna

      Is the white bookcase cabinet in your office an older piece you painted or did you buy it that way? If you purchased it as is, where? I love your style and need something like that for my art studio.

      • Marian Parsons

        I purchased it! The exact one isn’t available, but here is one that is by the same brand and very similar (I think it’s just the updated model)…https://bit.ly/3lkGrRI

    13. Lisa P

      Your floors are beautiful! I have slate floors in my front hall/mudroom/powder room too. I love them—beautiful, timeless, indestructible and easy to care for. I recall being told that a high quality slate tiles are very dense, (less likely to chip) and of uniform thickness. Brazilian slate tiles were recommended to us. Highly recommended for busy family house!

    14. Nancy F Lambert

      I love your blue slate floors

    15. Teresa

      OMGosh, what a wonderful difference and how it “warms up” the foyer! I love the contrast to the hardwood floors, as well. Contrasting color is definitely a great decorating trick in most everything; even monochromatic decor, (with ample contrasting) This color was such a BEAUTIFUL choice ! You’ve done it AGAIN, Marian!!!

      One question: what type of grout did you use?

    16. JC

      Your floors are gorgeous! Wow! It sure feels like it was 8 months ago that you put them in. Hard to believe it has been two years! I purchased a steam mop thanks to you and LOVE it! Where has this been all my life? ? It made my 21 year old floors look so much better! We will be replacing the tile this year hopefully, and I’m excited to use the steam mop on them from the very beginning! Thank you, Marian!

    17. Taria

      Your floors are beautiful. My dad built the house I mostly grew up in (built in the early 60’s). The enrtyway had slate that was in irregular shapes. It was beautiful. There were 7 of us kids and it held up really well. My brother just put slate in his house. He mentioned the slate floor in the house we grew up in . I think we all have fond memories of it, I guess it is a classic.

    18. Jane

      I’m not sure what color grout you have, but I’d probably need to go darker. The grout in my porcelain tile floor (at least 15 years old), is filthy. should have started with gray.

    19. Cindy

      I love your gallery wall up the stairs. But may I offer one suggestion, as a historical conservator? When you have such strong light as you do in your stairwell and entryway, please consider making copies of your photos and framing those, and secure the originals away safely in an acid-free file or safe box. It looks like you may have some WWII Veterans’ pictures in there…wonderful! Please use caution when displaying them. Ask me how I know to warn others. Unfortunately, my mistakes with sun-faded pictures and other precious heirlooms, became one of the reasons I studied historical conservation. Never wanted to ruin anything else accidentally again by over-exposure to daylight.

      • Miss Mustard Seed

        Such good advice! Some of those photos are copies, but some are original. Most of the originals are behind UV glass and the windows are north-facing, so they don’t get any direct sunlight. The pictures make it look a lot brighter than it actually is.

    20. Teresa

      We have a large slate walk in shower floor to ceiling. It needs sealing so bad but now a housekeeper has sprayed it with something and it has white streaks running down it. I am so sad. I am thinking of ordering the sealer you used and just seeing if it will help. I’ve even though of lightly sanding it to see if the streaks would diminish some. If anyone has any suggestions please offer them. Thank you. My husband saw slate showers while on his dove hunting travels in South America and that is where we got the idea. My family home growing up had a slate floor in our entryway. It was beautiful!

    21. mary m

      In NH we have porcelain slate floors in our kitchen and family room in a variated gray that looks slatish and has a rough finish. Love it. In our Fla townhouse the previous owner installed dark brown shiny porcelain tile. First of all with two golden retrievers it is a nightmare. And secondly extremely slippery even with a small spill of water. Too bad it would be so expensive to replace. So please consider the above with any type of tile floor.

    22. Marianne

      I was very impressed with your new slate floor redo, I too called the company you used to order your slate. Asked for a sample, paid $20 and it never arrived. Called the second time, ordered samples and never arrived. So my contractor ordered from a great company out of Chicago and all’s well. Slate installed and we love it! But you were the inspiration!

      • Miss Mustard Seed

        I am so sorry to hear that! I’ve always had a wonderful experience with them. I am glad to hear that you found a quality slate, though! I’m sure you can buy the same slate from different suppliers.

    23. Lisa DeGrenier

      Beautiful floors! I know you mentioned using rug pads previously but I am wondering if you can provide information about the pads you use/prefer, please (source, etc.)?

      Thank you,

      Lisa

      • Marian Parsons

        I don’t use a specific brand, but I really like felt rug pads. They add a nice cushion and prevent rugs from slipping.

    24. Whitney

      Hi, I’ve been googling slate floors and came across your blog. How did you decide between blue slate and black slate? Does it read more blue or gray in real life?
      Thanks!

      • Pam Baylor

        Hi
        Purchasing a house with slate floors in the large foyer. They appear shiny and dark to me. Did you have your slate honed, or did you seal it with a non-shiny sealer? I am afraid the shiny floors look a bit dated?
        Am I wrong?
        Thanks so much, for any advice!
        Pam
        P.s.the slate is large and irregular in shape, with grout between the stone.

        • Miss Mustard Seed

          Yes, we used a matte sealer, so it’s not shiny.

    25. Michele G. Moynihan

      What brand and color is the grout?

    26. Annie

      I love this and am thinking of the same color for my kitchen. Would this work in the kitchen?

      • Marian Parsons

        Oh, definitely!

    Pin It on Pinterest

    Share This