Slate stone texture refers to the
distinctive physical composition or structure of the stone, especially
with respect to the size, shape and arrangement of its parts. Texture
usually refers to the natural stone properties but of late, artificial
techniques are used to bring about a variety to the range of slate
stone. The surfaces may be sawn, hammered, sand blasted, honed, polished
or flamed.
Heavy Textures
Heavy Textures are mostly utilized for rustic design needs and for slip
resistance and most of them benefit from treatment with repellents. The
major kind of heavy textures are:
- Split face: Rough surface texture, rustic.
- Saw-cut: Rough saw finish, saw marks visible.
- Flamed: Damp stone spalled by acetylene torch.
- Sandblasted: Pitted, roughness depends upon grit used.
Smooth Textures
Smooth texture is imparted to the slate stone, which can be classified
as below:
- Honed: Being smooth to touch but not reflective, honed
flooring surfaces do not show wear damage as dramatically as
polished surfaces do and therefore are more economically maintained
than polished surfaces.
- Polished: Distinguished by mirror finish achieved by
abrasive process, polished surfaces are ideally suited to low
abrasive areas and historically are best utilized as vertical
surfaces. If polished surfaces are used as flooring, restoration
type processes become a normal part of regular maintenance.
