Want to add a design to your home that offers more green benefits? If so, consider adding slate worktops to your home. Definitely created from natural stones, you can obtain slate in a variety of colours and designs to match any design that you’re including within your building project. It’s NOT one of the most durable materials that you can use in a worktop or kitchen countertop which needs to be taken into consideration if this is where you plan to use this material.
The place that it is being installed at must be secure and solid to fit perfectly. You can have it inclined or laying flat, but it must be set on a foundation that is solid. If you don’t do this, you will increase the chances of it cracking and you will have more problems after the event. Historically people have mounted slate on plywood sub-base hoping that this will eliminate the chances of it warping, but plywood has the tendency to do the same thing.
Compared to porcelain, Formica and composite, you may have to perform a little more maintenance. However, the results and the beauty that it adds to your home are certainly worth it. When it comes to artistic appeal, you have three different types of slate to choose from for your worktop.
This includes Chinese slate, Indian Slate and Welsh slate. Slate is not a product made by man, so you can expect some differences in the three types of slate when it comes to height, width and depth. Because slate worktops are a environmentally green choice regardless of the type that you choose, you can expect it to last you for a very long time. With slate worktops you don’t have to worry about as much liquid absorption, as with all natural stone worktops, the surfaces will be expertly sealed.
Slate can withstand just about any type of conditions as long as you take good care of them. They don’t require that you oil them or seal them unless however, you need sheen. Slate worktops also have an advantage over other materials because it is able to handle heat much better and won’t damage so quickly. Although heavy, they’re easier to install and provides elegance to your home that is quite distinctive.
One factor to take into consideration is if you are happy with a natural cleft to the material or if you want it to be completely flat. When anyone had seen slate tiles for example, the surface tends to contain undulations rather than being flat as per other stone materials. Natural cleft, or riven, can amount to a + or - tolerance of 7mm of the surface requirement. This can also cause problems with inset (fitted from above) sinks.
These are factors that we, as expert fabricators can easily overcome, but factors that never the less you need to take into consideration when choosing slate worktops.
If you have a high traffic home, slate worktops can be an excellent choice considering they are easy to clean and less likely to stain. Choose a slate worktop for your next home project.