We’re building a new home, and one of the last items to be completed is the installation of a slate countertop (5 pieces), about 60 SF. We worked with our contractor to develop a template, and ordered the slate ourselves. The pieces are just about finished and should be delivered any day now. The problem is that our contractor is now getting nervous about installing the slate, and the slate provider doesn’t do installations. How difficult is the installation, what kinds of precautions should we take, and what kind of adhesives should we use?
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Replies
It goes in like most any other stone. Use dollops of adhesive to attach the slabs to the top of the cabinets and a sealant between butted joints.
The edges that are to be butted together should not have eased edges...they should be sharp and square. Run a bead of a good quality resin based, silicon, polysulphide or polyurethane sealant on the edge of one slab. Butt the adjoining one to it. Get them tight together to minimize the gap between the slabs. Wipe off any sealant that escapes from the top of the joint. You can run a piece of blue painters tape on the tops of the slabs that are to be joined, right next to the edge. That way when you get squeeze out, it'll be easier to wipe it up without smearing it on the top of the slab near the joint. The last thing you want is staining, or sealing the surface of the stone, so it reflects light differently from the rest of the slab.
Viola.
Slate...good choice! It's one of my favorites for countertops.
Your advice is most greatly appreciated!
I find "C cure" epoxy grout/adhesive works great for a setting bed and also for seams as it offers some simple color matching options. When I used silicone (only once) for a seam it didn't feel as smooth as the surrounding stone and didn't blend well. I have used polyester resin and it is adequate but seems to break down and crumble/chip out in just a year or so. I now use only a two part epoxy for seams and have been having outstanding results.
If you need to do any significant leveling of the slabs and you are setting on a plywood deck, run blunted screws up through predrilled pilot holes and use the screws as a "screw jack" to raise or lower the uncooperative slab. Blunting the screw with a file or grinder reduces the point load on the stone. If you have applied your adhesive well you should be able to remove the screws after it is set up eliminating any worries about intense point loads.
Be sure to lay a straight edge down the countertop to ensure all sections are going down on the same plane otherwise you may get a surprise when you install backsplash.
I second the motion that Slate is a very appealing countertop!
Karl