RIVEN or HONED SLATE FOR YOUR HEARTH
Riven Slate
What Is Riven Slate?
Riven Slate is just the way nature made it!
When the slate comes from the quarry it’s split into slabs. When the slate slabs split, the “split” follows the natural layer in the slate and separates giving 2 natural riven surfaces.
This process gives the most natural surface. It can be quite smooth with a reasonably flat surface and even pattern if the layer splits evenly or it can give quite an uneven pattern if the split runs through multiple layers.
No two pieces of natural riven slate will have the same pattern, ever!
Honed Slate
What is Honed Slate?
Honed Slate is what we do to make it smooth!
All slate starts of naturally riven, with a textured surface. which it naturally beautiful to some people. But it’s not for everyone!
Through a process of grinding and polishing we can take the natural surface down to give a smooth finish.
Although this process gives a very smooth and clean surface, this makes the surface more susceptible to noticeable surface scratches from general wear and tear. with the natural riven surface, any scratching that occurs will be less noticeable by comparison.
The honing process will also incur additional cost due to stock, time and the manufacturing process.
Just like the riven finish, no two pieces will ever be the same!
So do you go for Riven or Honed slate?
From a practical point, the natural riven surface is generally a smooth and even surface, and honed is a fine polished surface with a dull sheen. The honed surface can be more prone to surface scratching due to the finer finished surface.
From “Looking Good” point…
Riven is a natural look.
it’s got that contemporary look, whilst still being at home in a more rustic cottage setting.
This is by far our most popular finish, especially with the growing trend of woodburning and multi fuel stoves.
Honed is a “finished” look.
It’s got that smooth surface finish, clean and even. The pattern when the slate is honed has a random cloud-like appearance when all the ruggedness is smoothed out. Due to stock availability and additional manufacturing times, the honed slate is more expensive and not always as readily available.
Would you like a price for a Hearth?
You can either just email us – hearth@slatehearth.co.uk
Or, use one of our forms to put your measurements on. you can find them here: Form Download Page
