Here is one helpful link:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/good-questions-238-33129

Some pointers:
"Slate is usually ground to a matte finish with only mineral oil used to seal it, if you feel the need. But, you may need to buff it with a fine sanding attachment for your drill."

"So far I've learned a few things: You need to build up the counter to be as thick as a countertop by using a combo of MDF, concrete board and slate, all sandwiched together with flex mastic to make a 1.25 - 1.5 inch thick countertop. You'll also need a good diamond circular saw blade and some other stuff. Cutting the sink opening is by far the hardest part. For the front edge I am planning on cutting 1.25 inch wide strips of the slate and attaching them with marine grade adhesive."

"if you don't want to cut out a hole for the sink you could use an apron front sink...The tile-in version sits on the countertop substrate, so you could just butt the slate up to the side of the sink with a silicone caulk joint like you would tile."

Great idea! How thick are they?
If not for counter tops, then definitely as backsplash.

[Modern Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Seattle Architects & Designers Fivedot Design Build
Some links:
chalkboard counter tops
chalkboard

Here is a link that might be useful: [recyled chalkboard[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/blue-ridge-mid-century-modern-kitchen-modern-kitchen-seattle-phvw-vp~1061054)

They are about 1/4 inch, maybe 3/8 thick. I would definitely put 3/4 plywood under so they had no flex/cracking issues.

I am going to go up to the school and pay for them in the morning. I think we'll try using a piece for the laundry room counter - if it works well, and I like it, we can use more for the kitchen- if not then I might use them for blacksplash or some other option, if not, then I'm only down about $25/slab and can probably resell the rest.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the bathroom renos continue!

Always ;-)
Hunzi

Make sure to report back, with pictures.

Bump

My carpenter neighbor used old slate chalkboards as tile. Apparently the back side (the non-writing side ) is gorgeous.

Whatever you do with them, it sounds like FUN to me!

So... the latest trend in countertops is not the thick slab look, but the ethereal thin floating look shown in the image no posted. You may have to reinforce the slabs and laminate their edges, but don't feel the need to make them too thick, unless that's the look you like. Below is an image of a thin stainless steel counter by architect Jerome Buttrick.

Sounds like a great plan. Maybe karin_mt can weigh in on the stone properties.

I initially was looking at slate for my kitchen counters. It was so gorgeous. I love my marble, but might have enjoyed slate more because it is supposedly not as prone to staining, etching, etc. it is brittle though and the fabricator said it can crack easily.

Funny this should come up - I actually just purchased chalkboards to do the very same thing! I got about 50 linear feet of slate chalkboard (3/8" thick and 42" tall, I think) for about $50. There was a school a couple hours away that was being demolished that was auctioning off entire classrooms.

My kitchen renovation is still very far off, but I plan on treating the slate slabs as giant tiles - 3/4" plywood, then 1/4" cement board, then thinset mortar, then the slate. One of the chalkboards broke during removal, so I was going to use the broken pieces to experiment with edges and sanding and honing techniques. Epoxy mixed with slate dust from cutting should make the seams all but disappear completely.

As far as your immediate decision goes, though - DO IT! The chalkboards I got are absolutely gorgeous and I'm giddy with the possibilities. Of course my kids are having so much fun coloring on them with sidewalk chalk that the habit might be hard to break once they've been turned into counters :)

A couple of tips for transport. 1. Build a simple A-frame to put in your truck or trailer. Slate is strong but brittle. Transporting them nearly vertical will reduce the possibility of cracking in transit. We used an A-frame and drove 2.5 hours on both interstate and bumpy country highways without issue. 2. Bring some muscle! The sheets are thin but will probably weigh over 100 pounds each. I am pregnant and couldn't help my husband carry the chalkboards down two flights of stairs to the trailer, so he had to get help from the poor schmo that won the classroom next door to ours.

Good luck! I'm excited to see that somebody else has the same crazy idea as I had! And knowing our progress schedule, your kitchen will be done long before ours even starts, so I'll be able to learn from all your wisdom :)

The slates are in the house now (currently leaning against the wall in my dining room). DH is busy with the laundry room renovation, and we'll experiment with the chalkboards in the laundry room. I need a counter over the washer & dryer, and might need another piece for the sink area. And I will have a small bar area in the basement bonus room (home theater....exercise room, it's unclear still) that will need a counter.

Once we do those, I'll know if I want more in the kitchen, or if I want to play with them as backsplashes, or maybe just as a large message board zone on one wall.

Either way, it was a bargain at $200.

I'll keep y'all posted!

This post was edited by hunzi on Thu, Dec 26, 13 at 17:49

My question: What happens when oil and other food stuff gets on chalkboards? I'm thinking it'd be porous. I'd want to take a bit of the worst-quality chalkboards and experiment.

If it turns out to be a bad mix with food, you could definitely use it elsewhere in the house.

Would love to see/hear about the finished product

Mine are still propped up on the wall in the dining room! We are just rounding the corner on the very slow DIY laundry room/bathroom project, so I'll be working with them soon! Photos when it's done! Probably by Sept. ;-) (meanwhile there's a wedding to do).

I think I'd love these chalkboards throughout the house -- kids' rooms, of course, but also your bedroom, the laundry room, even hallways. But I don't think I'd use them for kitchen countertops. I'd be concerned about them absorbing oils, etc.

I'm sure you'll think of this yourself, but I'd pick the worst-condition chalkboard and give it a major workout: cut on it, let something oily sit on it overnight, let a glass of ice water "drip" on it, mustard, tomatoes, whatever you think might cause trouble later. You have enough boards to sacrifice a part of one for such a test.

Slate is non-porous, so it makes an excellent surface for kitchen countertops. No worries about staining from red wine, etc., and it holds up great around water. Getting ready to install some of our own chalkboards in September, which is how I stumbled upon this old thread. Anyone have updates to share?

Lmsme, I would love to hear how your chalkboard countertops turned out, and how you cleaned them. We are just working on installing some now, and are trying to decide whether or not to seal them. This might even out some of the lighter areas on the chalkboard? We have stripped the paint off with citrus and with a final clean with acetone. There are a few gouges, but we thought we would live with them because we cut them before stripping the paint and seeing them!

They look SO incredibly beautiful! You must be thrilled. Well done!

Thanks!! I'm pretty happy with them! I still have 6 more full slates and a partial, so there will be at least one more chalkboard counter for the coffee bar in the Pink Chic Babe Cave (my Mary Kay Studio office in the basement) and who knows what else!

Gorgeous! Thanks for sharing!

I used recycled chalkboard slate to install 24 linear feet of kitchen counter top / island / desktop. it turned out really well; but prep is EVERYTHING!

I reinforced each cabinet boxes with 3/4" plywood inserts and then topped with 3/4" marine plywood ( lots of cement board screws into substrate for each layer) which i coated with Aqua Defense, then wet thinset that i applied 1/2" tile backer board over with more cement screws. When this is dry and coated with another layer of Aqua Defense - i applied layer of wet thinset and layed the 42" x 60" pieces of chalkboard on top and set like giant tiles. I have had lots of tiling experience, or i may not have taken this on; but definitely DIY doable. I cut 1-3/4" x 42" strips that i attached to the front edges with thinset ( just like regular tile install).
it turned out great! I love it and get lots of compliments. Don't be afraid to take it on. I also haven't sealed; but do get some lighter colored spots where (acidic foods?) i do food prep. i'm going to try to steel wool, and maybe seal now. Your counters look great, by the way!

I would love an update!! I have just acquired 32 foot of antique slate chalkboard with 8 feet more on the way. I’m thinking about using it as a backsplash and a kitchen island counter! Will it hold up??

Babe Cave is in the finishing stages - DH hasn't made the coffee bar countertop yet! I'll post pictures when we do.

Will it hold up? I've had the one in the laundry room for a few years now, and it looks fab still.

I still love my countertops after a couple years of use. it's great when everyone is sitting around having a drink and I'm cooking they are writing on the chalkboard and having a good time. Great for writing myself messages. They're holding up very well. I have not sealed with mineral oil because I like to be able to write on them I do occasionally clean them and then spray a little pledge on there and buff- just a light coat. I have learned to be careful of acidic foods it will leave a little bit of a light spot a ghosting on the surface. I've not been able to buff that out but after a time it seems to go away. mine has scratches from its previous life and that does not bother me. but if you like things to look perfect probably not the countertop for you.
I also dreamed of soapstone countertops and this is a great substitute if you don't mind being a little careful and doing all the prep work to make sure you have a really strong level substrate. my biggest fear is if something heavy hit it in a small spot -that just like tile it could cause a break.

Thank you Ironpony!! Could you post a pic? My contractor (husband!) is feeling like the chalkboards would be hard to edge. What have you done around the edge so that it doesn't chip.

Ironpony, I too would love to see your countertops and that edge! I am getting ready to do my coffee bar area and I really do not want to do the same wood edge I used above the laundry machines but we weren't sure how to put a slate edge on them.

here are a few quick pics including one of the edge of the bar area where I used copper nails through a drilled hole to hold the pieces until the kwikset set up

another thought...since you have to use plywood as a substrate I used an overmount sink from Ikea. it would be really hard to do an undermount sink and a sure that your edges stayed dry.
that may be a deal-breaker for some people.
also the edges are done using mortar and thinset just as if you're doing a tile job. so that also necessitates having a thick enough base under your slate to give you a good edge to mount the strips of slate to.
On the bar overhang area I think I added an extra 3/4 of an inch to make sure that there was no flex to it if someone leaned on it. and that's why I have a thicker edge piece on that portion of the countertop.
good luck, all. I would love to see pictures of the year finished product

That looks great! I would have never thought of the copper nails! Great accent and good support while things dried! I have a drop-in sink ready to go, but thanks for the reminder! I hope MrHunzi gets back on the project as soon as we finish some work we are doing in the attic in prep for spray foaming (things are always happening here at The Shrine to Our Lady of Perpetual Renovation!) We'll want to do it soon - while we can still set up saws outside on the patio - so before winter strikes here in Upper Elbonia! ;-)

I really need to get some chalk and have fun in the laundry room! I love my chalkboards but I never write on them - definitely going to do it at the coffee bar nook! I'll take photos as soon as we are done (and during - I always have during pics, but I don't always post them.)

thanks. I would love to see your coffee bar when completed.
guest always grab chalk and leave messages or pictures when they're here. I love it.
I also used about a 30 inch tall piece as backsplash behind one of the countertops. had to be careful when cutting out for the outlet but other than that pretty easy.

With a bit of work old blackboard slate really comes to life!. Glad I still have some left for other projects.

Do you have any updates on your countertop? Seriously considering doing the same on a workspace in my kitchen. But probably oiling it. Any issues with rolling out dough, food contact, etc. leaving oil marks?