SLATE MATCHING

 

Matching Old SlatES


 

If you are extending your house or wanting to match old slate,  9 times out of 10, we will be able to identify the old slate and supply you matching product. To assist you in the task of diagnosing the slate you have on your floor, we've prepared a set of instructions below. Failing that, we can assist you in this task for a fee of $25 . Whilst prefer not to charge a fee, the process of matching slate is usually very time consuming and We often get up to 10 requests per week - the fee helps us to cover the time spent on this task.


1. USE OUR 'DIY GUIDE' TO IDENTIFY YOUR SLATE

Matching slate that has been laid 20 or 30 years ago is very difficult - sometimes impossible because quarries become uneconomical and close over time. Bellstone stocks 12 different slates. In order to match your slate to our slates you need to follow the following steps:

1. Measure the size of the slates - length, width & thickness. If we do not have the size you are after, you have only 2 options - (1) pick another slate that looks similar or (2) use the size we have in stock and get your tiler to cut to suit

2. Examine the edges of your slate are they (a) sawn edge or (b) chipped edge

3. Assess the colours of your slate floor. Take into account that new slate is unsealed and that once laid and sealed the slate darkens & colours become more vivid

4. Checkout our product range and pick the slate that looks most like your floor

5. Remember that once you choose a slate and have it laid, it will look different to your old floor. It will be fresher and newer looking even in perfectly matched slates. The only way to avert this problem is to strip off the sealer from the old floor and re-seal it.

2. FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS: SLATE MATCHING

Identifying slate is not easy. If you are unable to identify the slate on your floor from our DIY guide then please follow the steps below: 

  1. Visit our slate pages and try to narrow down the possibilities to 2 or perhaps 3 slate options. We will do our best to help you but the final decision will be yours! That's because you know what your floor looks like, you see it every day but we don't.

  2. Email us with screenshots of your selected options along with 3 clear photographs of your floor taken in good light from different aspects of the room. The photos should show as much of the floor as possible with no light reflection (overhead lights, flash etc) that might distort the slate colour.

  3. We will strive to get back to you within a few days. If not, feel free to give us a call to follow up. 

Be aware that slate laid 20 years ago probably came from an old quarry that might no longer be in operation.Slate from a different quarry or even a different site in the original quarry, will not be the same. Nature doesn't work that way!

Also, keep in mind that old slate usually has multiple layers of polyurethane based sealers applied which usually makes the surface dark and dull. New slate using modern sealants will be fresh and new looking, revealing vivid colour. Matching the old slate to new will be difficult unless the old floor is stripped back and resealed at the same time as your new slate floor. 

3. SEEK OUR HELP: $25 FEE APPLIES

If you are struggling, please seek our help by completing the form below. Please be aware that we this service comes at a charge of $25 to cover some of the time involved. This process can be very time consuming and will involve escorting you into our warehouse and showing you slates in open crates to make sure you are confident about which slate most closely matches the old slate on your floor.


READ WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT OUR SLATE MATCHING SERVICE

"Just a quick email to thank you for your prompt and professional response to rectifying the mix up with our slate order. The replacement slate arrived today and is as close to a match to our existing floor as we could have hoped for. Again many thanks for your professional service in meeting our needs. We would have no hesitation on recommending your service to anyone - Graham and Isobel Meredith, QLD 3/11/14

"I really appreciate your help in this matter [identifying a slate] and am so grateful for your extensive knowledge and willingness to source the right slate for us" -- Rachael DÁrcy, Campbelltown.
"This is wonderful!! I didn't have to decide if this slate matched my floor, as you recognized it straight away. You did all the work for me suggesting what I could use in some of the areas I wanting to improve. I can't believe how helpful you all have been" - Karen Prentice, Berrilee 12/8/11

"Once again thank you so much for helping me find a replacement tile - I really appreciate the extra effort you have gone to help me replace just one tile! Carolyn Mclaren, Senior Account Manager, Link Group Pty Ltd, 18/8/14
Just a quick thank you for taking the trouble to find who had the light Indian rajah slate tiles in stock today. The drive out to Kings Park was worthwhile as they had the perfect match – thanks very much as we thought we would have to make do with the darker Indian rajah – thanks for your honesty in sending us elsewhere" - Mark and Roslyn McKinley 23/12/10

"The tiles arrived safely today and they are a perfect match. Thank you for your expertise in identifying the slate and all the help in acquiring them. I am very grateful." Joy De Martini 14/1/14
"I just want to say thank you and let you know how delighted we are with the slate that we ordered from India. The tiler finished laying the last of the slate last week and it looks FANTASTIC!! The match is very, very good and the seam where the old slate meets the new slate is almost indistinguishable. Thank you! It would not have been possible without your expertise and enthusiasm to get it right"
- Rachel D'Arcy 23/9/2010