getting closer: Hearthpad Project
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What do you use to seal the tiles? My hearthpad is a single piece of gray slate 3 foot square. I've tried to wash it and it turns a lovely charcoal gray when wet, but then dries again to a very bland, dusty streambed color.
Terrier Lady said:
Have you tried some linseed or mineral oil on the tile, a light coat will keep it looking that lovely color.
Aha! Of course. I'll have to try an edge and see if the dogs are compelled to try and lick it off.....
Really nice hearth Cac. I'd try HD or Lowes, and see if they have a sealer made for stone.
That will look great when it's all done, and there's a stove sitting on it!
That will look great when it's all done, and there's a stove sitting on it!
I got sealer from Lowe's...along with everything else. The pic is just the bare stone; the camera flash actually makes it look dryer/dustier than it really is. I've seen flash pics of sealed slate, too, and it probably makes them look shinier than they really are....but anyway...
Lowe's will cut the tiles for you, for free. They made the larger cuts...only 1 tile, cut in half, really. I had a couple of the 2 inch mosaics in half for me, too, and the "pizza pie" pieces that I used to wrap the odd angles in the mosaic band came off the half-tile.
Cutting slate is much trickier than ceramic. The cut pieces tend to want to split apart, like disassembling an oreo cookie. The only cuts I made myself were at the outer ends of the mosaics....had to cut a couple of those in half, and it took several attempts on each piece. I used a roto-zip with a diamond wheel. It made the cuts easily enough, but when I went to pick up the cut pieces, they just fell apart in my hands. Just had to keep trying, till I got lucky.
I put a couple of coats of sealer on last night, and it doesn't look a whole lot different than the pic....yet. It takes a few coats. The instructions say to keep applying coats until it beads water. So, a couple of more coats tonight. I read that its best to seal slate before grouting, as its a real pita to clean the excess grout off the tile. I believe it...its very absorbant. soaked up the sealer pretty quickly.
Lowe's will cut the tiles for you, for free. They made the larger cuts...only 1 tile, cut in half, really. I had a couple of the 2 inch mosaics in half for me, too, and the "pizza pie" pieces that I used to wrap the odd angles in the mosaic band came off the half-tile.
Cutting slate is much trickier than ceramic. The cut pieces tend to want to split apart, like disassembling an oreo cookie. The only cuts I made myself were at the outer ends of the mosaics....had to cut a couple of those in half, and it took several attempts on each piece. I used a roto-zip with a diamond wheel. It made the cuts easily enough, but when I went to pick up the cut pieces, they just fell apart in my hands. Just had to keep trying, till I got lucky.
I put a couple of coats of sealer on last night, and it doesn't look a whole lot different than the pic....yet. It takes a few coats. The instructions say to keep applying coats until it beads water. So, a couple of more coats tonight. I read that its best to seal slate before grouting, as its a real pita to clean the excess grout off the tile. I believe it...its very absorbant. soaked up the sealer pretty quickly.
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