Granite or Slate Fireplace?
Hi,
I’m in the process of redoing a fireplace, and am trying to figure out which natural stone to use. The fireplace is a wood burning unit. We plan on using a 6-8? surround with the hearth. I need something that is durable. I’ve ruled soapstone out because of the green veins that through the stone. I want to use a honed black granite, but my husband wants to use slate. He likes the rustic look of the stone, but I’m afraid that it looks too blue. Everyone that I have spoken with tells me that it scratches very easy, and that I’d be disappointed with it in the long run.
What’s your advice for someone looking for a produce that is durable, easy to keep clean, and will give years of lasting satisfaction? I’ll look forward to your input, and appreciate your time, Melanie
Hello Melanie,
Slate is a nice rustic option, but given your concern with long durability, you should consider dark granite. You say you want a honed surface I strongly recommend dark granite and be sure to apply a good sealer. However, I do not recommend absolute black granite (honed) because it just shows too much dirt and it is hard to keep totally clean (eg. finger prints).
There are so many colors to choose that you should just take a look at a lot of colors and see what goes best with your decor and taste. I recommend going to www.GraniteStock.com to search from hundreds of granite colors. You can search by color (brown, black, green) and then see a swatch of the one you like. You can also see if a supplier is listed in your area that has it in stock so that you can look at the full size slab.
Best wishes,
Tom Cordova
January 6th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
This past June we had Ubatuba countertops installed in our kitchen. We are very happy with both the appearance and ease of care. Having read up on the characteristics of different stones and having a masters degree in Earth science we were convinced that the darker stones were the way to go. I am opening a barbershop in my home and on my wife’s advice, chose Kasmir White for the countertop. This was a great choice to go with the porcelain floor and oak cabinets. I remain somewhat concerned about staining, etc. Other than periodic sealing ( and what sealer do you recommend? ) do you have any suggestions for care. I am a cleaning fanatic about everything so I do not mind taking extra steps to preserve the stone. Thanks much! RgN
July 14th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
We are installing randon slate around a corner fireplace. Floor to ceiling. We installed the slate using type 2 mortar with a bonding agent. Now it is time to fillin between the rocks. My husband says to use more of the mortar, but I would like a slightly darker line. Some of the spaces are larger as the slate is quite random. We are back filling the larger spaces with small pieces of slate. It actually does look quite nice. But, my question is mortar or grout. I read the brochure on grout and it mentioned lines up to 1/2 for sanded grout. Some of ours will be slightly larger than 1/2″.
Thanks
February 1st, 2009 at 6:45 am
We are using indian slate to redo a fireplace. I’m looking for a sealant that will bring out the colors but has no shine.