SLATE FLOORING
Slate Floors - AN AUSSIE FAVOURITE
Slate is a timeless flooring material that is undergoing resurgence in popularity because of the release of new slate material with vivid colours that has retained the traditional and greatly admired quality of durability. Design professionals are increasingly looking at natural stone products with a small environmental foot print; they are attracted to the depth of colour and texture of slate and other types of stone. Bellstone has been specialising in slate since the company was founded in 1991 and has a wide range to choose from.
Slate was widely used as flooring in Australia in the 1970s & 1980s and went through a phase of incredible popularity in the 1980s & 1990s. Home owners who have old slate floors continually return to us wanting more slate on their verandah of home extensions because the old floors have performed so well. There is an enormous loyalty to slate from those original homeowners because the floors are so practical and manageable. A new wave of slate enthusiasts have arrived from an unexpected sector - commercial flooring on bars, restaurants, and shop floors. The designers who specified them have done their homework - value for money and serviceability are top of mind criteria.
NATURAL SPLIT SURFACE
This slate has a natural split surface which means it is split along natural cleavage lines and does not require expensive energy demanding, processing machinery to saw it. However, It does mean the thickness of the material varies a bit - naturally! Slate splits naturally along planes revealing pallets of vivid colour not seen in stone with processed surfaces. The topography of the surface is intricate and has character, depth and grain. Flakes of slate that are occasionally seen are evidence that the stone is high enough quality to split naturally and that it is genuinely slate. The flakes if present, are easily removed prior to laying as explained in the FAQ section.
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING
"Everyone who came to our house commented on how beautiful our slate tiles [Pink Autumn] were laid on our living room & kitchen floors and we honestly think these slate tiles help sell our house recently. We decided to seal with a penetrating sealer [Sealer's Choice Gold] because we preferred the natural look and have been more than happy with protection this sealer gave our floor" - Mr & Mrs Warneford, Berry, NSW January, 2011
FIRESAFE, CHEMICAL FREE & ALLERGY FREE
Slate used for flooring is as it is quarried from the earth - chemical free and therefore allergy free. Best of all - it won't burn! Slate has become the building product of choice in fire prone areas because it is non-combustible and free of nasty odors.
MICRO-MAINTENANCE & NATURAL
The look and feel of slate is an emotional experience for many people. Slate has enormous loyalty - this is mostly because it is a hard wearing surface that requires little maintenance and doesn't show the dirt. A measure of the environmental credentials of a building product is the involvement by man and process up to the point where it is fixed to a building. On that basis this slate is a clear winner - slate is very unprocessed & very natural.