Slate Paving Slate Paving Slate stone has become a popular medium for both commercial and residential exterior paving applications. In high demand due to its natural beauty, performance characteristics, low maintenance, and durability, slate stone is extremely hard, unaffected by freeze-thaw cycles, naturally slip resistant and unfading.
Manufacturers produce these stones for paving purposes in custom sizes and offer several finishes and designs. Sizes and shapes Tiles used for pavement are available in many shapes such as square, rectangular, patterns, irregular and custom shapes.
They can be made in many sizes, thicknesses and finishes. Custom sizes depend on slate stone selected, finish, thickness, joint width and other factors.
Slate Stone Information
Slate is a fine-grained rock formed by the composition of mud and stone sediment. Being a natural material, slate is found beneath the earth's surface in many countries throughout the world. Most of it commercially comes from the quarries in India, China, Africa, Brazil, USA and Italy
Slate Stone Physical Properties
Slate Stone
Slate is a fine grained metamorphic stone formed from clay mud; composed of sediments of decomposed stone and organic matter that has been hardened by heat and pressure. Since the geological process varies greatly, slates range quite a bit in hardness and porosity.
Slate characteristics vary with source. It may be black, green or mottled and is relatively dense. Many imported slates are available today with wide ranging physical characteristics and overall suitability. The stone differs in density, tensile strength, absorbency and abrasion resistance.
Physical Properties
- Composition: Muscovite, chlorite, kaolinite, micas, quartz and other accessory minerals (wide variation in composition).
- Hardness: Soft - easily scratched. They can also be as hard and dense as granite
- Absorption: Low - medium oil, water other liquids
- Weathering characteristics: Due to the wide ranges of slate, this stone has wide ranges of weathering. Cleft planes provides permeability for water penetration resulting in spalling and flaking. Slates that have a high kaolinite content (a clay) display accelerated rate of deterioration in wet environments
- Tendencies: Absorbs oils and liquids...Softer/medium varieties scratches easily.
- Colors: Colors vary widely
Finish:
Different finishes such as acrylic, wax, natural cleft, honed etc. Some types may be flamed.
Sizes and shapes
Tiles used for pavement are available in many shapes such as square, rectangular, patterns, irregular and custom shapes. They can be made in many sizes, thicknesses and finishes. Custom sizes depend on slate stone selected, finish, thickness, joint width and other factors.
Textures
Slate Stone Textures
Slate stone texture refers to the distinctive physical composition or structure of the stone, especially with respect to the size, shape and arrangement of its parts. Texture usually refers to the natural stone properties but of late, artificial techniques are used to bring about a variety to the range of slate stone
Heavy Textures
Heavy Textures are mostly utilized for rustic design needs and for slip resistance and most of them benefit from treatment with repellents.
The major kind of heavy textures are:
- Split face: Rough surface texture, rustic.
- Saw-cut: Rough saw finish, saw marks visible.
- Flamed: Damp stone spalled by acetylene torch.
- Sandblasted: Pitted, roughness depends upon grit used.
- Smooth Textures Smooth texture is imparted to the slate stone, which can be classified as below:
- Honed: Being smooth to touch but not reflective, honed flooring surfaces do not show wear damage as dramatically as polished surfaces do and therefore are more economically maintained than polished surfaces.
- Polished: Distinguished by mirror finish achieved by abrasive process, polished surfaces are ideally suited to low abrasive areas and historically are best utilized as vertical surfaces.
If polished surfaces are used as flooring, restoration type processes become a normal part of regular maintenance.
Slate Patios
A patio is an outdoor space for dining or recreation that adjoins a residence and is often paved. A patio is liable to have spills from food, water from the pool and encounter lots of traffic, so a slip resistant surface is important, hence, slate stone, which has a rough surface, is a perfect choice for making patios.
The Advantages of Slate Patios:
Firstly, since slate is naturally very dense, it easily resists moisture. Therefore a slate patio provides a slip resistant surface that will minimize accidents and mishaps and also withstand years of high traffic. This is one of the reasons slate is a choice in many public buildings that have patio areas.
Secondly, when laying a patio its important to consider how the outside weather conditions will affect the material. Outside space is obviously more exposed to receiving extreme temperatures. If the patio is going to be in an area that encounters freeze-thaw conditions then a material has to be chosen that will withstand this. A slate patio could work under such conditions with no delaminating or spalling.