Peace of Mined

Depending on the type of commission, we can offer a range of fixing techniques for both wall hung plaques and freestanding pieces. Have a look at this information page for further details and choices.

Wall Mounted Plaques

There are several methods we can use for hanging wall mounted plaques, as described below. For more information about types of plaque we offer see our Choice of Materials page.

Drilled holes

More suited to thinner plaques, holes can be drilled in the slate to enable it to be screwed to either wood or masonry. The screw heads are visible. We recommend either stainless steel or brass screws as they will not rust and stain the slate. Ideal for House Name signs to be screwed onto wood.

Chain hung

A rust proof chain fixed to the reverse of the plaque is a good choice for a plaque to be given as a celebratory gift, or one which is likely to be moved, as it can be hung anywhere there is a suitable hook to hang it from. The chain can either be hidden or visible above the plaque. This method is not suitable for very large heavy plaques as they need four solid fixing points for safety.

Hidden fixings

Our most popular fixing method is to set rods into the back of the stone (2 or 4 depending on the size of the plaque). We provide a paper template so that you can drill correspond holes in the wall. An epoxy resin glue is then squirted into the holes and the plaque pushed in to place. The fixings are completely hidden and very strong. This is the best choice for any plaque which is being mounted in a permanent place. It's safe as the stone has no chance of falling, and suitable for large heavy plaques too. Examples can be found in our Name Plaques and Celebratory Gifts galleries.

Free-standing Pieces

For freestanding signs and ornaments, the fixing methods can be as follows:

Set into the ground

Slate can be chosen of a length that allows for part of it to be buried in the ground, so that it has the look of a standing stone emerging from the earth. We choose a piece which will provide ample foundation for it's size to make it stable, leaving the required height showing above ground. The photo shows a huge monolith which was fixed in this way using concrete to fill in around the hole. For smaller stones, for example in the garden, soil could simply be packed in around the stone, giving the option to dig up the slate again so it could be moved.

Slate Base

A nice method for a gift as it is truly freestanding, can easily be moved around and doesn't require any fixing work to be done. You can see more examples of slates with bases in Jon's natural slate sculptures gallery. We supply the slate upright and base pre-drilled with steel bars, so when you receive the commission you can simply slot it together. You have the option to use an epoxy resin to fix the base on permanently, or can leave it so that it can be dismantled again if need be. Examples can found in our Natural Slate Sculpture gallery.

Sometimes  a fixing method is not required. A boulder shaped piece for example could simply sit on the ground, or you may have a plan to build a piece into a wall you are building or simply lean a heavy piece against a garden wall, see examples in our Rustic House Signs gallery. If you let us know where your commission is going to go we can choose a piece of stone suitable for you.