What is Slate?
To understand the formation of the rock we call slate, we must first travel back in time a few billion years. As volcanic lava flowed over the ground, superheated clay deposits mixed with ash. This mixture eventually dried in layers, much like shale but noticeably harder. Slate can be split into slabs, and those slabs can be split once again into thin sheets. Slate has been used for a number of applications over the years. One common use is as a natural form of roof shingle. Individual slate shingles are manually carved from a master slab and sold to roofers and contractors. The tiles are arranged in offsetting rows over a few layers of tar paper and sealants. Slate shingles are desirable for their natural durability and heat absorption, but individual shingles can become fragile. Compared to other modern shingle materials, slate can also be relatively expensive. Slate is also used to form tiles for walkways and gardens. These tiles are generally thicker than roofing shingles, so they
Slate tiles are rigid and need a solid base, although there are special adhesives for laying them on timber floors. Over time, slate can become loose and drummy (hollow-sounding in places). Unsealed slate isn’t always easy to clean because its surface is irregular. Sealing brings out its colours and helps repel moisture and stains, but you’ll need to recoat regularly.
Slate is a fine-grained homogeneous sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash which has been metamorphosed in layers. Slate can be made into roofing shingles because it has two lines of breakability: cleavage and grain. This makes it possible to split slate into thin sheets Bozeman Marble & Granite offers one of the largest collections of natural stone slabs in Montana. We have several different types of stone available and in stock.
