Thanks lindac & indianaslone :) The flooringlady link is a helpful one! At the moment, I'm moving away from slate & considering a mosaic, which is what I was thinking of in the first place, then decided it would be too pricey, but now have found an affordable option for pre-made mosaics. Trying to pull everything together during the decision-making process seems to be the hardest part of a remodel. Especially when so much of it is happening in the midst of construction mess!

We are collecting rock to re-do the entrance to our craftsman home. In our area, there was a spa built in the same arts and crafts style by the same owner and they made rock pilars, basically, to use as fence posts. That's a poor description, but if you've been looking at craftsman houses you may have some idea what I am talking about. The pilars start wide and narrow a bit at the top. They are 3-4 feet tall and hold up a wooden fence that is actually just two pieces of wood crossed like an "X." Geez, I think I may have some articulation problems today.

Lever, handle (thumb latch), or knob? Your definition of reasonable, like mine, is probably different than anyone else which reads this. If you chime in with some more information, I'm sure you'll get more answers.

Is the stem square in cross-section? Compare with Monarda.