Bespoke Slate Inset Fireplace Surround Hearths & Inglenook Chambers
Slate is a wonderful material and often used to complement marble fire surrounds. Slate is a natural quarried sedimentary stone that is found in many countries the world over:
Sources of slate imported in the UK:
1. German slate is extremely popular (slight green shade)
2. Welsh slate has a perfect dark background color and subtle veining and indentation
3. Indian Slate has a lighter rich background color with gentle indentations
Bespoke Slate Interiors and Hearths
1. At Creative Fireplaces we manufacture bespoke inglenook chambers frequently used to line the inside of stove chambers. A wood burning stove is frequently used to line the inside chamber where the stove is positioned
2. T-Shaped hearths (base section of fire surround) are frequently used to cover the area behind the stove which is recessed into the fire chamber. We recommend having a cut and re-joined fireplace hearth which has purpose built expansion and contraction joints which allows the heat to disperse without cracking the hearth. It is also advisable to fill the back of the hearth with cement to increase the resistance to heat 
3. Slips are three strips used to hide where the inglenook chamber meets the fire surround. These three strips are often made in Black Granite or Slate and used to hide the joint where the inglenook chamber meets the fire surround (please see image below) 
