Is riven slate the best for a hearth?

Slate has been used for fireplace hearthstones for many, many years due to its natural flat nature, durability and in recent times, its appearance.

When slate was first used, it was always in it’s “naturally riven” state. The surface of natural riven slate has plenty of character, it’s smooth, flat and has that desirable “natural” look to it.

As manufacturing processes developed over the years, it became possible to “polish” the already flat surface of slate to give a totally smooth surface, this process is known as “Honing” and although it does have a certain appeal with it’s clean finish, it comes at a cost, both practically and financially.

On a practical side, a piece of “Honed” slate, with its machined surface, becomes more susceptible to surface scratching and damage.

On the financial side, this process takes time and costs more to produce

“At Slatehearth.co.uk we specialise in custom-made, natural riven slate hearths as standard”