I've seen lots of cheap chalkboards and other salvaged slate really cheap. The bargain hunter in me is having trouble passing these up. SO--
1. How hard would it be to cut to size?
2. Would you seal or otherwise finish the surface?
Easy to cut to size - Diamond blades are pretty cheap at Harbor Freight and even HD.
Possibly use a stone sealer - and maybe polyurethane. It was used at a large mall entrance on stamped concrete.
That's a really cool idea. Seems like it would work great with stone sealer or polyurethane as Glenn mentioned. I'm curious about what kind of places you've found such materials. Perhaps those sorts of places are in my area.
I might even consider using it as a wainscoting, or on the upper portion of a wall that had a wood wainscoting beneath it. I can picture a cleaned up dark gray slate blackboard above a natural pine wainscoting. That'd be cool. But I've been know to have some strange decor preferences.
My first question is whether or not slate is actually porous? I have no idea.
Put a few drops of water on it and wait 30 minutes. Come back and wipe the area. If the area is darker than the rest it means that it has adsorbed some of the water rendering it porous. On porous tops make sure to seal every 6 months.
Somewhere I have an article that I tore out of a magazine where they used chalkboards for the panels of frame and panel cabinet doors. They use they to write shopping and to-do lists on. I thought they looked interesting although not my thing.
That's cool too. Chalkboards are sounding pretty useful.
My experience is pretty limited but I've done 3 slate tile installations and I'd definitely seal it. Every tile was different and some seemed more susceptible than others but I managed to somehow stain a few spots before I was able to apply sealer. It wasn't really noticeable because each tile itself was so variegated, but I think on a big plain gray slate surface an oily substance would definitely leave a noticeable mark.
The big box stores have cheaper and pretty dang expensive stone tile sealers. I used both and I think the cheaper would be sufficient in this case. The expensive ones offer "color enhancement" which actually was noticeable but I don't think it would be needed on a plain gray surface. You might even be able to use a concrete sealer which I think would be even cheaper still. Thin coats seem best because a lot of the sealers I've seen are milky. They dry clear unless it pools up. If it pools or is too thick then there may be white or bluish spots.
Quote from: eric on May 07, 2008, 01:16:06 PM
That's a really cool idea. Seems like it would work great with stone sealer or polyurethane as Glenn mentioned. I'm curious about what kind of places you've found such materials. Perhaps those sorts of places are in my area.
I might even consider using it as a wainscoting, or on the upper portion of a wall that had a wood wainscoting beneath it. I can picture a cleaned up dark gray slate blackboard above a natural pine wainscoting. That'd be cool. But I've been know to have some strange decor preferences.
Found one post at the Second Use (Habitat) Store in Seattle, also auctions of school equipment for much less. Hadn't considered it until I saw something in a magazine about using it in the kitchen on an island so the kids could draw with chalk while you cooked.
Seal natural slate before grouting also to prevent stains per a pro.
sweet... I'm doing the same. I work at a school and they are cleaning out their basement so was able to get 3 4x8 size pieces for free . :)
I can't wait they will look awesome, and are affordable 8). I welcomed the sealing advice.
Hello:
I am new around here and maybe you already have your answer, but I thought I would chime in in case you have not done the work yet and are wondering.
I own a small Granite and natural stone company, we do kitchens and baths. So for your slate here is what you need to know
yes you can use it for you counter tops.... but.... if it is a chalk board it will be very thin and could crack or split very very easy. You will need to have a very solid surface underneath it to support it the entire length of the counter, (think counter on top of a plywood counter)
For cutting you can use a diamond blade on a grinder, but you will get a near perfect cut if you buy a 7" wet blade (diamond blade) and put it on a skill saw, then plug the skill saw into a GFI plug and use your garden hose to spray water on the blade as you cut. This will prevent most of the chipping and will keep you from being covered in dust as a bonus. As far as sealing, Yes you will need to seal this. I would not use polyurathane as it would prevent you from using this as a chalk board. A natural stone sealer from HD or lowes will do the job. It is very easy, you saturate the top (it works great to pout it into a spray bottle) and wait 5 mins, then spray it again. wait until it begins to haze (think car polish) wipe off excess and buff with a towel, do that once a year and your good. Clean with soap and water and mind bleach (though vinager is a natural disinfected and work wonderful).
again though slate is very very soft and could be chip/cracked very easy even by droping a pan or glass on it, so you will have to support it and it still may crack.
I love the idea of the cabinet door though, that would be really cool.
PEACE!!
Noel
good stuff mocsa ..thanks for the pratical way to get a good result.
Not to highjack the thread, but I knew a guy years ago who was given the oak flooring off a stage at the junior high school (if he would pull it up). He used it to cover his countertops at home. I think he put a couple of coats of poly on it, but it might have been something else too like maybe lacquer or varnish. Don't know how good the long term durability was, but it sure was nice to look at.