Slate or tile for backing tracks on the site?
My wife saw a lot of pictures on the Internet with paths around the house made of large pieces of slate. I had originally planned to have tile.
Can you tell me about slate? Who has any experience with it? For some reason, I thought it was used more for walls.
Answer
Slate is a natural stone of the dropstone type that can be easily separated and used in the form of thin leaves, whose surface is rough according to the natural formation, which is used for decorative purposes in interior and exterior decorations.
Slate stone is usually light brown and gray in color. In addition, natural stone, in which you can see the shades of these colors, gives a great decorative image as a result of proper application.
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SLATE
Slate stone is a type of sedimentary (sedimentary) stone.
It is formed by a very poor (low pressure – low temperature) metamorphosis of fine-grained claystone argillite.
Small mica minerals (biotite-muscovite) contained in the stone are arranged in well-developed planes of schistosite (schistosity).
Black shale – shale contains organic material.
Red shale gets its shale color because of the iron oxide it contains.
Green oil shale – oil shale contains the mineral chlorite.
Slate stones mined in layers have a smooth or rough surface.
Slate stones with a smooth surface are slippery.
Colors depending on the region where they were taken; It can be gray, black, beige, reddish, or brown.
It is wear-resistant.
It is an ideal material for wet floors because it is not slippery.
It is not affected by temperature changes, seasonal changes (frosts, etc.).
It keeps it cool, especially in summer, and warm in winter.
Its use on exteriors provides thermal insulation.
Its cost is low.
Keeps its properties for years
Does not require special care and does not lose its color.
USES OF SLATE
It has a very common area of use and is one of the most suitable natural stones for use on floors, especially in interior and exterior wall finishes.
It is a stone that can be used very easily in areas such as stoves, footings, barbecues, fireplaces, wall surfaces, walkways, parks and gardens. Due to its non-slip and water-resistant structure, it can be used very conveniently in wet areas.
Natural slate is 1-3cm thick; It is used for decorative purposes, such as covering walls, barbecue, fireplace. 1 ton can cover 15-18m² of surface.
Natural slate 4-6 cm thick; It is used in places such as footpaths, driveways for cars, rustic wall structures, park and garden structures, pool edges, building floodplains. 1 ton can cover 9-12 m² of surface.
Natural slate is 6-10 cm thick; It is used for different purposes, such as without mortar between grass or as steps in park and garden constructions, on roads with concrete joints, and in the construction of stair steps. 1 ton can cover 5-6 m2 of surface .
Slate paving is a very common rigid system, especially where heavy foot traffic is expected. In a slate slab with a rigid system, expansion joints should be left in or spaced no more than 9 m apart.
HOW IS THE SLATE STONE LAID?
The surface of the area on which the slate will be laid should be cleaned of dirt and high roughness. Once the surface is well leveled, it should be cleaned properly.
After a special adhesive is applied to the cleaned surface, the stones are shaped and glued in harmony with each other. Since it is easy to give the appearance in terms of size and shape, it can be stacked in different ways according to the request of the applicator.
After the placement of the stones, stacked as gap-free as possible, a seam is made between them, and the process is completed by painting the seam in the final step.
