Slate tile shower

[Enigma]

Anyone here have, or have any experience, with a slate tiled shower?

I'll be renovating both our bathrooms in the not to distant future, and want to replace the tub in the main bath with a 60"x32" shower.
The flooring in the bathroom is a California golden slate already, and I'm thinking of continuing that theme.
The bathroom is kinda small, 5' wide x 9' total depth, with the tub at the far end.
I've heard concerns about using slate in a shower as it's more porous than other tile material if not sealed properly and not resealed on occasion (once a year?)
This bathroom as I mentioned is on the main floor, which is slab on grade. I would use that waterproof boarding, whatever it's called, behind the slate walls, and not gyproc of course.

Pretty much this is what I'd like the end result to resemble, which is the exact same layout as my existing bathroom:

 

[splitshot]

Perma base concrete board screwed into the walls, 4" grinder, and some Omni grip to stick it to the Perma base. Not a quick easy job, but a fun build.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/workshop-home-improvement/146424-shower-build-pic.html

 

[dr_claw]

Stick with synthetic slate not real stuff IMO. Cuts consistently. Not porous and they tend to be uniform square and thickness!

 

[Michael Hanson]

We use Dura rock. In our area we use almost all marble and granite for high end jobs. Mike

 

[titanpat57]

I would also be tempted to it seal with something, for a water and mold/mildew barrier

 

[Cuerno Largo]

Stick with synthetic slate not real stuff IMO. Cuts consistently. Not porous and they tend to be uniform square and thickness!

I agree. I was going to put slate in a remodel several years ago. Was talked out of it by the expert. Got some regular tile that looks almost exactly like what you want there at lowe's.

A friend did a remodel and did real slate. He's not happy.

 

[TXLX100]

I'd pass on that for a shower, there are so many other cool things you can do with a bathroom, and probably for a little less money. I redid our bathroom about a year ago and for the main shower tile, I matched to the floor, trimmed in tumbled marble with multicolored glass tile accents throughout. Watch out on the glass tile, it adds up in cost if you go beyond accents and... Tile a 8'x10' wall with it. I re-did the fireplace while we were at it and used stacked slate going all the way up to the mantle and slate on the floor area in front of the fireplace. Slate looks good on a fireplace or a Grotto style bathroom perhaps, but I know I wouldn't prefer it in a tiny bathroom.

 

[Enigma]

Stick with synthetic slate not real stuff IMO. Cuts consistently. Not porous and they tend to be uniform square and thickness!

Have a link for any synthetic suppliers? Can't find anything that comes near to the "California gold" slate we have on the bathroom floor already.

And for what it's worth, the slate tiles we have now are pretty consistent in size/squareness. Thickness seems to fairly close too, although hard to judge in many cases as they are a very uneven surface.

And yes they would be sealed. Keep meaning to reseal the floors with the stuff we have now (some jug of sealant and just mop it/roll it over the existing tiles).