Slate is a fabulous material for floors.
It is hard and has a rugged appearance. Some slate has more natural colors than others. Some slate is quite smooth and some has a very textured surface. This texture can really hold on to the soils and grime that occur and after time, we can even forget what it originally looked like. We may even think the slate really is the dark and drab color we have become accustomed to.
It is NOT necessary to keep it that way. Our technology and methods can lift years of soil and grime away from the surface restoring that original, clean look with the color variations you fell in love with when you first got it.