It’s a DIY dream!
See Installation Videos HERE
Installation Quick Tips
Loose Tile:
Clean, Flat Wall Surface
Use Titebond Fast Grab FRP Mastic or Clear 100% Silicone Adhesive. More info on adhesive HERE
Start at the bottom and work your way up - using painters tape to hold tiles in place until dry if necessary. If you have more than one case, mix tiles from multiple cases.
Cut with a miter saw - carbide tipped blades work best.
For more visible texture, you can add another tile over the top of your installation. Use Silicone adhesive - not much is needed (you don’t want any to squeeze out). Hold in place with painter’s tape to hold until dry. (Check our Video section too see it in action!)
If you smear adhesive - let it dry and cut away later, or use a utility knife blade. Keep a paper towel handy to wipe your hands when necessary during installation!
You did it! It looks amazing!
Planks – Nail Up (Removable)
Start with a clean, flat wall surface.
Start at the bottom of your wall, working from one side to to the other in one row. Pin nail the top flange every 6-8”, at a downward angle, just on top of the tile.
Apply your next row up, resting the bottom of the Plank backer on the flange of the row below, and pin-nailing the top flange.
Use a Miter Saw or Table Saw to cut the first piece of your 2nd row in ½ (or thirds – the actual dimension isn’t important), so that your rows are offset. Cut Planks to fit, as necessary.
You can use Loose Tile pieces of Slate-ish to help disguise your seams, by applying adhesive to the back of the tile and adhering over seams between Planks. Do this only where tiles from adjacent Planks are roughly the same thickness. Loose Tile Pieces can be full length or cut shorter for more variation. Use Clear 100% Silicone adhesive, and tape in place while drying, if necessary.
To remove these planks, simply pry off the wall. You will have pin-nails to repair, but a simple skim and repaint are all that’s needed!
Planks – Glue Up (Permanent)
Our Glue Up method is similar to the Nail Up method, except you add dime size dollops of adhesive every 8 inches or so to the back of each Plank before adhering to the wall.
Nail the top flange of each Plank, which will hold the Plank in place while the adhesive dries.
Follow steps 4 and 5 above for placement.
This is a permanent installation.
Cuts like wood.
Miter saw, jigsaw, or table saw.
Slate-ish can easily be cut with standard woodworking tools. We prefer a miter saw, but a table saw or even jigsaw can be used.
Carbide tipped blades are best, as Slate-ish is VERY hard, and can be tough on blades if you are cutting a lot of pieces.
For Loose Tiles, you can cut to fit, or overlap thin tiles for a no-cut version.
If you’re comfortable with a table saw, you can use a 2x4 or 2x6 vertically to apply even pressure to a tile to rip a narrower piece. Sometimes these are needed for the top of your installation area, or around windows or other wall interruptions.
Use a jig for cutting Loose Tile.
We use a full-support jig on our saw - so the thin pieces won’t chatter and chip when they are cut. You can even cut several of the thin pieces at a time.
For the thick pieces, cut one at a time, and go slowly!
Note - the area above the fireplace opeining wall called out by the fireplace manufacturer as an area that should have no combustible materials. We built a fiber cement panel to comply with thier published distances.