Chinese Black Floor Slate - Slate Tiles & Indoor Flooring

Designers Landini Associates, in conjunction with Baxter Jacobson Architects chose our black slate for the floor of one of Sydney's iconic eateries - the famous Sydney Cove Oyster Bar at Circular Quay.

Our black slate has also been used for the Pyrmont restaurant, Momofuku Seiobo and Jamie's Italian Restaurant in the Sydney CBD.

It is an elegant, practical and durable surface that responds well to both natural light and specialty lighting used around the bar areas.

Black Floor Slate - The World's Greatest Flooring Stone?

If there is a more durable stone for flooring, we are not aware of it! The test results at the foot of this page are proof of the extraordinary quality of Bellstone's Black slate. This is truly an exceptionally durable stone.

Black Slate - Characteristics

This is a dark grey/black slate that is incredibly dense with a nice surface grain that provides character and excellent slip resistance.

It is suitable for almost any application including wet areas such as shower recesses, bathrooms or water features. It is a slate with a nicely textured surface.

The slate is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and has been used on walls just as successfully as it has been for flooring.

It is available in both honed and natural split form. The black, honed treads are really beautiful and are enormously popular for outdoor stairways.

Slate Flooring Tiles - Environmental Friend

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.

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!

Grout Colour Options

White grouts have been used on the floor in the bathroom (above right) and living area (below); this has the effect of accentuating the lines across the floor area. A chequer board pattern has been used on the bathroom floor and a brick bond pattern in the living room. The effect is to lighten the floor and delineate and highlight the floor area. The downside is that the white grout lines maybe a little harder to keep clean. This approach is quite different from the matching grey grout used at the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar where designers accented design features at eye level.

Black Slate & Showers - Soap Residues

Think carefully about using black slate on the floor of shower recesses. This slate has a very attractive natural grain that is quite adept at trapping soap residues on the surface; these dry and often leave white marks as you can see from the image on the right.

Honed slate is a better option to make cleaning easier, as the smooth surface allows soap residues to drain more easily. The smooth surface is also easier to wipe clean.

You may also notice that grout lines have been discoloured around the shower waste in the image on the right. This may not have happened if the floor area had been properly sealed. In hindsight, a matching dark grey grout might have been a more practical option.

Black Slate Tiles with Honed Surface - Soft & Smooth

Very few slates have the quality to take honing - they must be extraordinarily dense with small particle size.

The honing produces a wonderfully soft finish and is slightly lighter in colour than the natural split finish which is typical of all honed surfaces.

Honed slate has a silky smooth texture so it will scatch with time if not kept very well swept or free of grit. Over time the floor will develop an aged patina which is popular with some but not all! Certainly something to consider.

Black Slate Bullnose Treads - Honed

This is the most popular product for use outdoors on stairs and walls - one of our best sellers and in a range of lengths to suit a range of landscaping and outdoor designs.

Black Slate - Popular for Fire Hearths

Black slate is very popular for use on fire hearths in both natural split and honed form. There are very practical reasons for this! Apart from aesthetics - the surface shows no dust, soot etc emitted from the fire or slow combustion wood-fired heater. In winter, the glow of fire contrasts beautifully with the brooding slate providing an almost irresistable attraction. The hearth photographed in a country home in the image (right) has natural split tiles on the floor and walls coupled with a 1.5 metre long honed bullnose tread in front - a favourite spot for family members to stand and warm-up! Even better with a glass of red in one hand!

Seal It or Leave Natural?

The test results below indicate that this slate should not need to be sealed, afterall it's dark colour is not likely to show the usual coffee, tea or red wine stains! So there is a good argument for saving your money.

However, there are two very practical reasons for sealing. When used indoors, some people prefer the colour enhancement provided by surface sealers and on the natural split surface cleaning is much easier as well.

The other reason sealants are used is to protect the slate from oil and grease stains especially around food preparation areas. Unless these are wiped up quickly, they will leave marks on an unsealed surface.

Chinese Black Slate - Natural Split Surface

400x400mm	600x300mm

Chinese Black Slate - Honed Surface

For more information and images of honed black slate (separate page), click here

Chinese Black Tread - Honed Surface with Bullnose Edge

Chinese Black Slate - Random Flagstones for Outdoor Paving

Specifications

• Tiles natural split - 300x200, 300x300x10-12mm & 400x400, 600x300x12-14 & 600x600mm also available by special order
• Tiles honed - 600x300x15mm
• Bullnose treads honed - 1000x300x30 & 1500x300x30 + 2000x300x30mm by special order
  Random flagstone paving pieces for landscaping (image above) - variable size; thickness 20-40mm
• Honed slab - 1200x400x30 with aris (bevelled) edge around upper perimeter

For more information on floor & wall slate, go to specifications.

Stone Quality Rating - Chinese Black Slate

(5 stars = best quality)

Density
Porosity
Water absorption
Flexural strength (dry)
Flexural strength (wet)
Slip resistance (natural split)

Indicative Test Results

• Density (ASTM C97-02) - 2753 kg/m3
• Water absorption (ASTM C97-02) by volume (porosity) - 0.63%
• Water absorption (ASTM C97-02) by weight - 0.23%
• Flexural strength (ASTM C880) (dried) - 29.3 MPa
• Flexural strength (ASTM C880) (wet) - 22.6 MPa
• Slip resistance (AS/NZS 4586-2004) - 56V (risk of slipping when wet = very low)

For more information on floor & wall slate, go to test results

Quotes

If you have a project in mind and would like us to arrange a quote for both supply and fixing your slate floor, contact us on the number below.

There is absolutely no charge for this service and you are most assuredly free of any obligation to proceed.