Slate is Great

Click here for a great article on sealing and protecting slate.

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I was just waiting for the right moment to speak about a novel, greener transportation initiative and my colleague, Marc McPherson beats me to it! Read his blog here on the ‘new’ theory of using sail power for ocean going vessels. By the way, the above photo is me trying to jump over a cargo ship at a local beach in Vancouver. Something I learnt the hard way is that wind speed is quite important - the maximum energy available in the wind is proportional to the cube of the wind speed. This means that if the wind speed increases by a factor of 2, the energy in the wind increases by a factor of 8.  Yeehaa!!

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It is theorized that all of the Earth’s land masses were once joined together in a single continent known as ‘Pangaea’ which, around 180 million years ago, split in two - Laurasia in the north and Gondwanaland in the south. As time (a lot of it!) passed, these two land masses split apart several more times into the continents we now know. When one considers that the slate deposits that run up the east coast of North America are virtually identical to those found in Wales, it seems like a plausible explanation.

The former existence of a single ‘supercontinent’ was proposed by German meteorologist Alfred Wegener in 1912.

Click here to see a full size image of the above globe.

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California Gold 16″x16″ Indian slate tile, installed on a patio in Maryland.

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Click on the logo, for a great article about installing slate in bathrooms.

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I have been asked this question on many occasions - the answer is a resounding YES!! Slate is very popular for backsplash applications but many people do not know that slate is hard and durable enough to be used as the actual surface as well.

Here is an interesting article regarding natural stone countertops from HandyCanadian.com

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The joints in your body are cushioned with a type of tissue called articular cartilage. This tough, rubbery tissue covers the ends of bones inside a joint. As the joint moves, the cartilage helps to cushion the bones, and allows them to glide smoothly against one another.

Sometimes the cartilage inside a joint softens and breaks down. This condition is called chondromalacia. The cartilage loses its ability to protect the ends of the bones as the joint moves. The ends of the bones can rub together, causing pain.

Chondromalacia can affect any joint, but the most common location is inside the knee.

Workers who spend a lot of time kneeling — particularly carpet layers, tile setters and floor layers — are more likely to develop this problem.

To read about this condition in more detail, please click here.

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I wrote a post back in December entitled: “So what is slate anyway?”.

What’s really fascinating about geology is that it never stops its inherent onward progression! Slate, if subjected to further heat and pressure will change into other types of stone. With this additional metamorphism, slate turns to phyllite, then to schist or gneiss.

Check out the links - It makes for some very interesting reading.

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BuildDirect Supports Holmes on Homes™ with Donation to Help California Family.

A home improvement disaster is solved with the help of Mike Holmes, Canadian general contractor and popular TV host of Holmes on Homes, and BuildDirect, the world’s most efficient building materials channel.

A young couple in Pasadena, CA had decided to remodel their bungalow to make room for their growing family. Four months into a home renovation project they had paid for 90% of their contract but only a fraction of the work was completed. Their 1700 sq foot home was left in shambles and the family was left with nowhere to turn. Read the full story here.

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