We deep cleaned, replaced broken tiles and re-sealed this slate floor, bringing back all the beautiful colours in the stone.
We restored this stunning Delabole slate floor in an old fisherman’s cottage.
Floor Restorer and Slate
Slate is a soft stone that can easily be scratched, so choosing the right finish for your floor is important. Rivened (natural, bumpy looking) slate has been used effectively in kitchens for years and creates a more rustic look. However, regular professional maintenance is needed to maintain a slate floor in a busy environment. Cleaning a rivened slate floor can be tricky as accumulations of dirt and dust get compounded into the creases of the stone. We have techniques to restore slate flooring and can deep clean and apply a beautiful finish.
As some stones and finishes are better suited to high traffic areas, we offer a consultancy service to help you choose the right type of floor for particular parts of your home or business.
History and uses
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated (repetitive layered), metamorphic rock, which means that it changes composition over time from one rock to another. It was originally a shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash. The very strong foliation is called “slaty cleavage” and is caused by strong compression of the fine-grained clay flakes making them regrow in planes perpendicular to the compression. By expertly striking parallel to the layers with a specialized tool, smooth flat sheets of stone can be cut. It is mainly used for roofing and floor tiles but has had many other uses over the years including blackboards, whetstones, billiard tables, paints and even gravestones.
Slate is frequently grey although it does occur in a variety of other colours including purple and green. 90% of Europe’s natural slate used for roofing originates from Spain. It is particularly good for roofing as it is resistant to frost damage.