Description The durability of slate is a byproduct of its origin. Most rocks have a medium or coarse texture. You can see crystals, fossils, or sand grains. Slate is very smooth, somewhat like plastic laminate. Very small silt and clay particles bonded together under high temperature and pressure give slate this monolithic texture. This ultra fine texture makes it tough for liquids (stains) to penetrate slate.

Suitability There are numerous stone flooring types. They are the most thermally conductive of all floor coverings so energy from the heating pipe array can transfer quickly to the surface of the stone. Increasing the thickness of the stone will have little effect on power output, but will slightly increase heat-up times. Tiles and flags should be bonded to the substructure using a quality 2 part flexible adhesive such as BAL Fastflex.
 
Stone can be fitted on to a floating floor that exhibits minimal deflection, so installing the floor heating over a flat level surface using insulation material with high compressive strength is essential. Special substrates such as Knauf Brio are beneficial for tiling on floating floors but manufacturer’s guidance should be followed.

Case studies
Interested in our previous projects that have used Slate as a floor covering? Visit our customer success pages to view these and other stories.