How to lay slate on a roof evenly. Rules for laying slate on the roof - how to lay it yourself. Laying slate sheets

Asbestos-cement corrugated slate is a traditional roofing material that has dominated the territory of our country for many decades. Technical parameters differ significantly from modern roofing materials, knowledge of operational characteristics is required in order to avoid mistakes during roofing.

About 20 years ago, an attack on asbestos-cement slate began, the controlling organizations of developed world countries banned the manufacture of such slate. The reason is that it contains asbestos in its composition, which is considered a dangerous carcinogen. Our country resisted for several years, and then also limited the use of such slate. Consumers do not understand why houses with such roofs stand for many decades, and their residents do not experience a surge in cancer? One gets the impression that the bans are not caused by concern for the health of the population, but by the competitive struggle of manufacturers of roofing materials.

Why? For the manufacture of slate, asbestos is really used, but not the one that accumulates in the body (amphibole) and provokes the development cancer cells, but safe for health (chrysotile). Chrysotile is acid-soluble and is excreted from the body after a short time. In addition, a substance can enter the body only during cutting with a grinder or when manufacturing slate at a factory; even theoretically, house coatings cannot pose any danger. Wave slate is produced in accordance with the provisions of GOST 30340-95.

Prices for various types of slate

What technological features should a roofer know

You can find a fairly large list of advantages of wave slate, but experienced builders confirm only two: relatively low cost and long service life. The second advantage is possible only in case of full compliance with the recommendations for laying slate and the absence of hail during its operation. After hail, the roof will have to be completely changed, the roof becomes like a sieve with huge holes.

Disadvantages of asbestos-cement wave slate

There are quite a few of them, before the final choice of roofing material, you should familiarize yourself with all of them. This refers not only to technical parameters, but also to objective difficulties during installation and operation.

Specialists with little practical experience can glue bituminous tiles or screw metal coatings, only experienced roofers can work with wave slate. The material is poorly cut, collapses under slight loads, you must have experience in driving in slate nails, etc.

In order to protect inexperienced craftsmen from annoying mistakes, we will tell you what not to do when installing wave slate on the roof.

Painting of external surfaces

The design look of a slate roof does not satisfy many developers, some of them try to paint the surface of the sheets in the hope of getting a beautiful roof. Doing this is strictly prohibited.

Why? Self-painting will never provide a uniform surface coverage. Some places will be saturated, others pale. On freshly painted slate, the difference is imperceptible, but after a few years the roof of the house will become mottled, dark and light areas of various sizes and shapes will appear on it.

Today in the implementation there is an industrial painted slate. It is painted in two ways: dyes are added to the mass during manufacture or the surfaces of finished products are painted. The first option is much better, it is more durable, chips are invisible on it. But the price is higher, you have to pay for the quality. For painting, special dyes are used that penetrate deep into the slate and are resistant to hard ultraviolet rays.

Special requirements for the truss system

The distance between the battens of the batten is selected depending on the angle of inclination, but for most gable roofs, a universal condition must be met - each sheet must rest on at least four slats. The crate must be perfectly flat, stable and durable. Before starting work, it is recommended to check these parameters, walk around the roof, shake it with your hands. It is impossible to level the plane of the slopes with slate sheets, in this position they are in constant tension. Slate is quite fragile, under the influence of prolonged efforts, albeit insignificant, it does not deform over time, but cracks.

Sheet fastening features

Only amateurs drill holes in the slate for fixing. This method of laying sheets takes a lot of time, in addition, it is difficult to work with a drill, it is difficult to screw in self-tapping screws.

Professionals nail the sheets with slate nails.

Nothing additionally needs to be sealed, you should not use silicone or rubber gaskets.

There is no need to be afraid of the appearance of leaks and rust, slate nails have been used for decades and no problems have arisen because of this. A hole is made on the crest of the wave, water does not flow there.

Slate sheets overlap in one wave. In order to make the joints less visible, the last wave of each sheet is thinner than the others.

It is on it that the marking of the material is applied. During laying, the inscriptions must be covered with the next sheet. This indicates the correct location of the roof.

Nails are always driven only into a single sheet, the material is durable, the lock holds perfectly even without special fixation. If there is no experience in hammering nails, then you need to practice on unnecessary pieces of the roof. In a few minutes, experience and confidence will appear, nails will be driven in without problems.

Due to the fact that the material is very thick, overlaps can be problematic. Two methods are used to improve the quality of laying sheets.

1. The side edges of the rows lie on the same line. This method is used on small-sized houses, it requires more effort and time. To align the joints of the corners, they are trimmed. How to cut correctly, we will tell a little below. Sheets can also be cut on the ground, but for this you need to have extensive practical experience in the construction of corrugated slate roofs. Otherwise, it is easy to get confused, cut the wrong sheets and make other mistakes.
2. The side edges of the rows are offset by one or more waves. The method makes it possible to work on the roof without a grinder, all preparatory activities are done on the ground. The first row starts with a whole sheet, and the second with a cut one, and so on. Most often, sheets are cut in the middle, so the appearance of the roof improves, but the final decision is made by the master on the spot. It takes into account all the features of the house and the truss system.

Step by step instructions for laying slate

Sheets are stacked in one line with cutting corners. It should be noted that trimming corners is done more for the appearance of the roof than to improve performance. If trimming is not done, then in places where four sheets overlap, the latter protrudes slightly. The reason is the large thickness of the material. During trimming, two corners are removed and the plane is levelled. It is believed that if pruning is not done, then snow or water can blow into this gap. Practice shows that such statements have no basis. A large overlap of sheets (at least ten centimeters) and small gap sizes (no more than 4–5 mm) exclude snow and rain blowing. But this technology is recommended by building codes, it is better to stick to it.

Step 1. Check the condition and dimensions of the truss system. As we mentioned above, the mass of the coating is large, the rafter system must be strong and stable.

Step 2 At the bottom of the truss system, nail a board or pull a rope. Sheets will be aligned on these elements. It is better to use a board, it not only controls the position, but also serves as an emphasis for the sheets, it is much more convenient to work with it. After the slate laying is completed, the board is dismantled.

Step 3 Prepare your tools. You will need a hammer, grinder with a diamond blade, nails. If you wish, apply sealant to the caps.

Prices for polyurethane sealant

Polyurethane sealant

You can find tips on screwing slate sheets with self-tapping screws into pre-drilled holes. Professionals never do that. This method only takes time and money and has no real operational benefits.

Practical advice. Waves should be blocked from the leeward side.

Step 4 Fix the first row of slate, do not forget to align each sheet with the eaves. The amount of overhang depends on the type of drain system. Overlapping is done on one wave, inscriptions are covered. Slate nails are driven in through two waves, 10 pcs are required per sheet.

In the corner places, you need to cut the second and third sheets, the first and fourth should remain intact. How to cut sheets correctly?

If there is a desire, then a hole can be drilled for each nail, with a diameter of 0.1–0.3 mm larger than the diameter of the body of the nail. Lubricate the reverse side of the cap with sealant and only then fix the slate. This technology enhances the strength of the tightness of the roof fastening. The fact is that the hole punched with a nail has one drawback - on the back of the slate it increases in diameter and looks like an inverted cone. As a result, the thickness of the slate near the hole decreases, which has a negative impact on the strength of the roof to the crate.

Theoretically, the justification for using a drill sounds correct, but in practice everything is simpler. Cordless drills appeared not so long ago, and roofs made by the old method with a hammer without drilling are still standing. The large diameter of the cap completely covers the small cone on the reverse side of the slate.

Practical advice. To move along the slopes of the roof, be sure to make a special ladder. In total, it will take no more than an hour, but working with it is not only convenient, but also safe. The ladder can be welded and metal or use lumber waste.

Step 5 Fix the ridge row, if the roof is warm, then there should be a gap of at least five centimeters between the slopes in the ridge. This is necessary to ensure effective under-roof ventilation of the roof.

Nail the ridge, wind and cornice boards. The skate can be made independently from galvanized steel or bought from the factory from asbestos cement. Which option to choose is the business of each developer.

For example, we took the simplest gable roof. If it is more complex, then it is necessary to make valleys, various connections to walls and chimneys.

Important. Always try to follow safety rules, work with insurance, make devices for comfortable movement on the roof. It is strictly forbidden to carry out high-altitude construction work alone, you should not risk your health.

Remember that slate roofing is much harder than any other roofing material. As for the design, it hardly meets the modern requirements of developers; such coatings are best used on various extensions. Developers have no complaints about reliability and durability.

The laying of the slate is completed, the installation of the drainage system can begin.

How to raise slate to the roof

The mass of one sheet can reach 35 kg, it takes quite a lot of effort to supply the material to the house. To facilitate the process, it is recommended to make the simplest device.

Step 1. Pick up two slats of the appropriate length. The dimensions of the rails are approximately 50x50mm, such dimensions will allow them to enter the waves of the slate and hold it in position. The length of the rails should be approximately 1.5–2.0 m more than the height of the lower slope of the truss system. Due to this, the slats can be set at an angle of approximately 60°–70°. At this angle, it is much easier to lift sheets - the minimum friction between slate and lumber. In addition, a large angle greatly reduces the load on the rails, minimizing the likelihood of cracking during sheet transportation.

Step 2 To fix the sheet, you can make a special grip. This is an ordinary bar about 20 cm longer than the length of the slate. At the lower end, the edge of the sheet is emphasized, and a rope is tied to the upper end.

Slate lies on the slats in such a way that the waves are in place. The grip clings to the lower end and is pulled onto the roof by the rope. In order for long slats not to change their position, it is recommended to fix them among themselves with any pieces of boards.

If there is no desire to waste time on fixtures, then you can put two ordinary boards at an angle, and lift the slate with a rope. To do this, wrap the slate with a rope on both sides, fix the lower end with a hook to the upper vertical one. If you have experience, and throw the rope in the middle of the sheet, then during pulling it out it will not go anywhere.

How to cut slate

Previously, cutting sheets was a big problem. Holes were preliminarily made on the surface, for this they used nails, a chisel or a carpenter's hammer with a sharp nose. The process was difficult and long, often the slate cracked in the wrong place. For cutting, a hand saw with fine teeth was sometimes used, but after several sheets they became dull and had to be sharpened again. Only with the advent of grinders and diamond blades, the cutting process has become much simpler.

What requirements should be observed when cutting slate?

It is advisable to do all trimming on the ground, on the roof only to assemble the roof.

Prices for angle grinders (grinders)

Angle grinders (grinders)

Video - How to fit slate tightly

How to cover the roof with slate: laying features

Laying slate on the roof is not particularly difficult if you first familiarize yourself with the technology of work, prepare the necessary tools and fasteners.

The main characteristics of slate

Despite the emergence of new roofing materials, the popularity of traditional asbestos-cement slate remains quite high. This is due to the affordable cost of the material, the ability to install the roofing with your own hands, without the use of specialized tools. Classic slate is suitable for simple single-pitched and double-pitched roofs; it can be used to cover a hip or hip hipped roof.

Slate is highly resistant to static loads, resistant to aggressive environments, and easy to process. The disadvantages include a fairly large weight of the material - when doing the installation with your own hands, you need to involve one or two assistants in order to lift the slate sheets onto the roof without the risk of damaging them.

Considering the question of how to cover the roof with slate, it should be noted that this material is best used for laying on roofs with simple geometry. It is best if the roof has a slope of up to 20 ° or more than 35 °, since in this case the likelihood of snow accumulation in winter is reduced.

The technology of laying the coating on a pitched roof involves the installation of slate sheets that comply with GOST 30340-95. It could be slate :

• six-wave (sheet thickness 5/6/7 mm, width 1125 mm)
• seven-wave (sheet thickness 5 - 8 mm, width 980 mm)
• eight-wave (sheet thickness 5 - 8 mm, width 1130 mm).

The length of a slate sheet of any type is 1750 mm .

When choosing a slate, you need to pay attention to its marking, which indicates the height and step of the wave. The layout of the sheets of material on the roof should be developed taking into account these parameters. The wider the wave step, the greater the area of ​​the material goes to the vertical overlap. The choice of slate and the method of its installation is based on the size and configuration of the roof slopes.

When determining how to cover the roof with slate, it is necessary to take into account the drainage system. If the gutter for collecting precipitation is supposed to be located under the roof overhang, it is enough to lay the extreme row with an overhang of 200-250 mm relative to the wall of the building. If water from the roof will drain directly to the ground, the overhang must be at least 400 mm.

Rafter system under slate

Before you install the roofing with your own hands, you should make sure that the truss system is suitable for laying slate. This material belongs to the heavy category, so the design of the roof frame must be designed for high loads, which include:

• total weight of the roofing cake
• atmospheric loads
• the weight of people installing, maintaining or repairing the roof.

If the roof is designed for metal tiles, ondulin or other lightweight materials, it may be necessary to reduce the pitch of the rafter legs or use braces to increase the rigidity of the wooden trusses. Particular attention should be paid to the roof frame if the slate is supposed to be used in order to cover the old soft roof.

The minimum cross-section of rafters for a slate roof is 50#215 180 mm, the lathing is made of bars 60#215 60 mm or unedged boards with a thickness of 15-25 mm. The step of the lathing from the board should be 200 - 1000 mm. When using lathing from bars, it should be borne in mind that each sheet must be supported by at least three horizontal lintels. A beam 60#215 120 m or a board 60#215 150 mm is mounted in the ridge part.

To properly lay the slate, the crate must be made of dry lumber that does not have deformations.

If a chimney or chimney is to be installed on the roof, a special crate must be made for the structures before laying the roofing. The installation of the drainage system should be completed before laying the roofing. It is necessary to fill a strip of metal with a width of about 300 mm and a thickness of 2-3 mm on the bottom row of the crate, which will prevent the destruction of the lower edge of the roof under load. The metal strip should be waterproofed on both sides, and holes for roof fasteners should be made.

How to cover the roof with slate?

If you have to do the installation of a slate coating with your own hands for the first time, you should know that this material allows you to attach no more than two layers at one point. Thus, the laying scheme should be well thought out at the design stage of the roof. .

Sheets are required to be mounted with an overlap horizontally in one or two waves. Overlapping in one wave is most often used if it is required to cover a rather steep slope with a small snow load. An overlap in two waves is required for gentle slopes, such a design is much more reliable, but the total cost of the coating during such installation increases, especially with a large wave step. Vertically, the top sheet must overlap the bottom sheet by at least 200 mm .

Laying technology requires starting installation from one of the lower corners of the slope and continuing along the cornice overhang. Slate should be laid taking into account the wind rose: the overlap should be located on the leeward side. It is recommended to lay the first row of sheets along a pre-tensioned rope so that the overhang is neat and even. To avoid combining more than two layers of slate at one point, various laying options are used. The most popular methods are staggered mounting (with offset) and without offset.

Side-by-side mounting is popular due to its simplicity. In this case, the laying of a new row is carried out with an offset relative to the lower one. Thanks to this, it is possible to avoid the coincidence of wave overlaps and no more than two sheets of slate are joined at any point. When mounting with an offset, it is necessary to trim the outer sheets and trim the upper edge of the last row on the roof slope.

Staggered laying is ideal for installing eight-wave slates - it is enough to make a four-wave offset and use the halves of the cut sheets to start each odd row. The offset lines in this installation option are arranged aesthetically, in a checkerboard pattern.

If you lay the slate without offset, you can save roofing material, but this is a more time-consuming option, which should be taken into account when starting installation with your own hands. In this case, it is required to trim the corners to the width of the wave and 120-140 mm in height. To lay the cover elements from left to right, the lower corner of each sheet of the upper row is cut from the side covering the previous slate sheet of the horizontal row.

The question of how to cover the roof with slate is directly related to the choice of fasteners and the method of their installation. Slate nails, self-tapping screws and screws are characterized by an enlarged head and are installed using a special rubber gasket, which ensures the tightness of the attachment point. Fasteners should not be driven in or screwed in until they stop. .

To avoid damage to the slate sheets during installation, it is recommended to pre-mark and drill holes in them for fasteners. Holes should have a diameter of 2-3 mm larger than the diameter of a nail or self-tapping screw.

The slate is fixed on the roof only in the crest of the wave. The first attachment point is located in the lower part in the second (overlapped) wave with an indent from the edge of 120-150 mm. The second attachment point is diagonally from the first, and the attachment at the top into the second wave is carried out after laying the overlapping sheet of the slate roof.

After installing the coating with your own hands, you should install special ridge elements made of asbestos cement, equip all junctions and joints, ensuring reliable waterproofing.

Safety rules and maintaining the integrity of the slate

When working on the roof, not only installation technology, but also safety precautions must be observed. It is necessary to use safety ropes, ropes. If the height of the building exceeds 6 meters, a fence should be provided. To carefully lift the slate sheet, it is recommended to use a nylon cable and a block system. If you need to cover a low building, the material can be supplied by assistants.

Walk on the mounted coating should be carefully. In order to walk freely on a slate roof during its repair or maintenance, it is necessary to lay wooden ladders to distribute the load.

Compliance with safety precautions implies the use of protective equipment when working with asbestos-cement material: when drilling and cutting slate sheets, it is correct to use a respirator to protect the respiratory tract from harmful dust.

Slate laying. How to put slate correctly?

For many years, slate has confidently held its primacy among roofing materials, which is not at all accidental. The latest developments of slate manufacturers have made it possible not only to significantly improve its performance, but also to make it a real decoration of any home.

Now on the market there are slate sheets of various sizes and colors, which makes it possible to choose exactly what your home needs.

But the choice of slate is only half the battle. Incorrectly mounted slate. even if it is of high quality, it can quickly fail. To prevent this from happening, you need to follow a few simple rules for laying slate.

Where to start installing slate?

First you need to prepare the roof structure itself, to which the slate will be attached. The basis for fastening the sheets are the boards of the crate. They are nailed to the rafters with a minimum clearance of 500 mm between them. You can make the crate solid, but this option requires additional material costs and is almost never practiced. A distance of more than 500 mm between the crates is also not allowed. Because the size of standard slate sheets is 530 mm, and otherwise there will be gaps between the sheets.

To insulate an attic or other room under a roof, the crate is covered with a heat-insulating material, for example, roofing material. If there is no such need, you can attach slate sheets directly to the wooden structure of the crate.

Another point to consider before starting the slate laying is #8211 organization of drains. Some people prefer to deal with the drain after installing the slate, but it is easier and faster to do it at the initial stage.

Roof slate installation

Installation of slate can be carried out in two ways: in a run or with offset edges. The first method is the most common and fairly easy to use. In this case, the waves of adjacent slate sheets overlap one another. In this case, you do not need to spend time on fitting the edges of the sheets, which saves a lot of time, but more materials are used, and the edge at the end of the roof will need to be further leveled.

The second method - with offset edges - is more laborious, but less expensive. It involves fitting the edges of adjacent sheets by cutting their corners.

To cut corners or align the edges of sheets, a hacksaw or grinder is used. "Bulgarian" in this case is the most suitable option, since it allows you to cut metal without extra effort and time, and the edges will turn out to be more even.

Slate cutting scheme

Slate laying technology

Sheets are attached to the crate with nails in three places - in the center and from two edges. Holes for nails are pre-drilled in the sheets, and their diameter should be slightly larger than the diameter of the nails. The beginning of laying the slate takes the right lower prick of the roof, then the sheets are attached from right to left. But there are exceptions to this unwritten rule. The direction of laying depends on the direction of the wind in the region: the edges of the slate should be on the side from which the wind blows.

When attaching sheets, small pieces of rubber or roofing felt are placed under the head of the nails. The nails themselves should not be driven in to the very head - there should be a gap between the head and the sheet. Nails are driven in on the crest of a wave of slate. If you drive a nail on the edge, the slate material may collapse. In some cases, nails are replaced with special screws, for example, if the building is built on an area where strong winds constantly blow. The connection with screws will give the structure greater strength and the ability to resist wind pressure.

Following the tips above, you can independently perform the installation of slate so that the result pleases for more than one year. High-quality slate material in combination with its competent installation is the key to the reliability of the roof of your house.

How and what to cut slate

by the most in a simple way cutting slate there is a grinder, as mentioned above. In the video below, slate is cut by a 1 kW grinder with a 180 mm disc. Disc abrasive for metal, 1.6 mm thick. More thickness of the disk should not be taken, as it can get stuck in the sheet. Do not press the grinder hard on the sheet, just lower it smoothly and slowly.

How to hammer a nail into a slate?

You need to arrive slate in the upper wave. We attach the slate nail to the slate and gently hit the nail head with not very strong blows until a hole is formed. You can seal the hole with rubber gaskets or a sealant that is applied under the nail head.

How to lay slate

Roofing slate for many years remains the most affordable and popular material for arranging roofs of various buildings and structures. Today, this roofing is produced in two types: flat and wavy sheets. When choosing a material, preference should be given to slate, which is most suitable for the slope of the roof slope. Corrugated sheets are recommended for use with a roof slope of 20%, and flat slabs of at least 30-35%. In most regions of Russia, due to the peculiarities of the climate, design standards recommend laying slate from corrugated sheets with a slope of at least 25%. Knowing how to properly lay the slate, and having done all the work correctly, you will receive a high-quality roof covering that will serve without fail for many years.

Arrangement of the crate

Before laying the slate with your own hands, prepare a high-quality and reliable foundation for the roof structure. The basis for the slate sheets is a crate of high-quality dry wood bars with a cross section of at least 50x50 mm. Wood blanks are used at least 2 grades, and boards with a width of not more than 140 mm. Knotty blanks should not be purchased, as they can break under a significant snow load.

The bars are placed from the eaves of the building to the ridge with a standard construction step of about 530 mm. The size of the crate is planned so that an integer number of sheets can fit on it in all directions. It is recommended to cut the penultimate sheets of slate in the transverse row at the gable overhangs. You can also adjust trimming by reducing or increasing the overhang.

A wooden beam is attached to the ridge, and two beams are fastened from it on both sides along the entire length of the structure for framing. After mounting the slopes, brackets are installed on the bars and a ridge bar is attached to them. Before laying the ridge slate along the entire length, the ridge bar is covered with roofing material.

Slate laying technology

After arranging the base, a thorough inspection of the slate is carried out and prepared for installation: they measure the dimensions, pre-drill holes for fastening, if necessary, cut the corners of the material or longitudinal strips (depending on the chosen methods of laying technology).

A slate roof can be laid in two ways:

• Sheets in a run (with offset)
• With the organization of cutting corners of the material

The choice of method depends on the configuration of the roof and other actual conditions. If the design has a wide horizontal slope and a small vertical one, it is recommended to carry out installation with an offset of one wave. When using this method, the cornice overhang is not satisfied. The second method is used if the slope of the roof structure is not wide horizontally and long vertically. Some sheets will have to saw off the corners (you should also make sure that four sheets do not overlap at the same time in the corner). When laying from left to right, it is necessary to cut off the left corners, when installing from right to left #8212 the right ones.

Before starting work, it is necessary to ensure the straightness of laying the first row by nailing the rail or pulling the cord. It is recommended to mount the slate from the bottom up. When choosing from which edge to start laying, take into account the priority direction of the wind. Waterproofing and vapor barrier can not be organized, but if it is planned to operate the room under the roof (attic), then Yutafol and any soft thermal insulation are additionally laid.

Slate fixing

Holes are drilled with an electric drill or a hand drill. The diameter of the holes must be 2 mm larger than the fasteners. Nails are used with a metal washer (it is advisable to lay a washer made of roofing felt under the nail). High-quality washers eliminate warping of the material and increase the water resistance of the structure.

Slate cannot be nailed tightly. Weak fastening of sheets will allow the roof to vibrate. According to the arrangement standard, the nails should lightly touch the surface of the material. The number of nails depends on the design of the crate. The older the base, the more nails will be required. Slate sheets located at the edges must be fixed with additional nails.

1. Before laying the slate, it must be taken into account that when considering the design of the roof covering, it is necessary to strive for simpler design solutions, without the installation of valleys and grooves, which greatly complicate the work.

2. If the slope is not observed according to the permissible standard, there will be problems with water permeability and durability of the finished structure.

3. If the finished base of the roof structure has a slope of 12-15%, the following conditions must be met:

• Fasten additional sheets of material on the second wave
• Fixing holes in the slate should only be drilled with an electric drill, avoiding sheet punching.
• Installation of slate should be carried out using a sealing cord or mastic under the fastening washers and at the joints
• The overlap of slate sheets should be at least 20 cm.

The usual and familiar traditional does not apply to innovative products. However, it remains popular in our domestic market: consumers value it for its reliability and durability.

In addition, it has a very affordable price. Not surprisingly, the method is still of interest to homeowners.
Today, many different purposes are produced.

The pile located on the inside will become an additional obstacle for moisture. This is especially important if there is an insulating layer under the waterproofing. It is allowed to use two layers of film.

Fixation is carried out with a construction stapler. For comfortable work, at least two pairs of working hands are required. One master gradually rolls out and stretches the film from the roll, the second attaches it to. The joints of the film must be reinforced with construction tape or sealant. On top of the insulating layer, you can start mounting the bars.

Lathing in the scheme of laying slate

It is one of the most important steps. What should you pay attention to?

If the percentage of dampness exceeds 12, then the finished crate will not be stable. Drying, the individual bars will begin to decrease in size, and the crate will begin to “float”.

For the manufacture, you can use wood of several different varieties. These are aspen, pine, spruce and fir. The bars must be treated with resin or drying oil before work, coated with one of the fire retardants. The length of the bars is calculated according to the number and size of the slate sheets: they can be either 6.5 m or 3.5 m. The ideal option is if the slate does not have to be cut along the edges of the roof, that is, the slope will definitely close with solid sheets.

The size of the bars 60 by 60 mm is considered universal for the crate. In fact, it will be most correct to select their cross section based on the thickness of the prepared slate - from 50 to 75 mm.

The distance between the individual bars is directly related to the grade of the material:

• 75-80 cm for reinforced and medium;
• 50-55 cm for ordinary;
• 60-80 cm for unified.

Sometimes bars are used that differ in width: there is nothing wrong with that. The widest are placed at the ridge and where there will be joints of individual sheets.

The beam closest to the ridge is placed with an edge, rising a thickness (1-3.5 cm) above the rest: for cornice beams, the indicator is from 6 to 10 mm (also with an edge).

The lathing bars are attached to the rafters from below, taking into account 30-50 cm of overhang. During the laying process, all important construction nuances are taken into account, especially for cornices and places near pipes.

Slate laying

The order of laying slate sheets

Slate sheets to the crate are fixed with special galvanized nails. To make holes, you will need a drill with a diameter larger than that of nails by 2 mm.

To protect the roof from possible leaks, nails are driven into the crest of the wave through a washer with a rubber gasket. The work is carried out carefully, do not go too deep: contact with the slate should be minimal. Otherwise, even with a small temperature difference, a crack may form on the material.

Usually, installation starts from the bottom of the more windy side of the roof.

It is very important how the first sheet of slate is laid, setting the tone for the rest: the evenness of its laying is controlled by a plumb line.

The overlap of the next rows of slate sheets depends directly on the magnitude of the slope of the roof (with indicators from 20 to 45 degrees, 10 cm of overlap will be enough).

Slate laying methods

There are two ways to lay slate:

• apart - in which the sheets are laid down like brickwork;
• without displacement, with trimming of corners - in this case, each slate sheet needs to be adjusted.

The first option is easier to use, and, accordingly, is more popular.

Laying slate apart

Already at the stage of acquiring slate, it is desirable to have at least an approximate plan for laying it on the roof. This will allow you to more accurately determine the amount of material needed, which is better to buy with a small margin.

Before starting work, the material must be prepared, inspected for cracks or chips. Damaged sheets are not used. With the help of the sheets going to work are cut off. Experts advise to pre-moisten the places of future incisions.

Direct installation of slate starts from the bottom. For one of the upper corners, the sheet is attached to the crate, docked with the edge of the roof itself. After that, it is fixed in different corners with three more nails, one of which is certainly driven into the crest of the wave. The next sheet is fixed in the same way, with one or two waves of overlap.

Along the entire perimeter of the roof, the bottom row is laid in this way, each sheet with four nails. The next row, the second, begins with half of the lower slate sheet. So you should go further, with an overlap on the sheet below, and on the previous sheet of the same row. This is the "spread" effect.

Are you asking yourself how to cover and cover the entire roof with slate correctly? Installing slate on the roof does not present any difficulties, if you first familiarize yourself with all the technology of work, prepare the right tools and fasteners. In this article, you will learn in detail about masonry with your own hands and its advantages.

Many new ones have appeared on the modern market, but the popularity of conventional asbestos-cement slate remains consistently high. This can be explained by the affordable cost of this material, the ability to install the roofing on your own, without the use of specialized construction tools. Classic slate is suitable for simple roofs, with it you can cover or hip roof.

• Slate has a high resistance to static loads, resistance to aggressive external environments, easy workability.
• The disadvantages include a fairly large mass of material - doing the installation yourself, you need to involve several assistants to lift the slate sheets to the roof without a certain risk of damaging them.

Having considered the question of how to cover the roof with slate, we note that such material is best used for installation on roofs with simple geometry.

The coating installation technology implies the correct laying of slate on the roof in accordance with GOST 30340-95.

The slate can be of the following type:

• six-wave;
• seven-wave;
• eight-wave.

When choosing the type of slate, you need to know its marking, which will indicate its height and wave pitch. The final layout of the sheets of this material on the roof should be drawn up taking into account these parameters. With a wide wave step, a large area of ​​building material will go to the vertical overlap. It is worth choosing a slate and the method of its installation, focusing on its dimensions and the configuration of all roof slopes.

When determining how to cover the roof with slate, the system must also be taken into account. When the gutter is located for collecting precipitation under an overhang, it is necessary to lay the outer row with an overhang 250 mm from the wall of the building. When water drains from the roof to the ground, the overhang must be set at least 400 mm.

Rafter systems for slate

If a chimney or chimney is installed on the roof, then a special crate will be required before laying the final roofing. The device of the drainage system is carried out before laying the coating. On the lowest row, you need to fill a strip of metal, which will prevent the destruction of the lower edge of the roof under external loads. A metal strip is necessary on both sides, and make holes for the roof fasteners.

Roof covering with slate

If you are installing a slate coating for the first time, it must be borne in mind that this building material allows you to mount no more than two layers at one point. Therefore, the laying scheme must be well thought out at the design stage.

Sheets are required to be installed with a certain overlap along the horizontal plane in one or two waves. When overlapping in one wave, a rather steep slope is covered with a slight external snow load. The overlap in two waves is for more gentle slopes, this design is much more reliable, but the final cost of the coating with this installation increases, this is especially noticeable with a wider wave pitch. The top sheet is vertically overlapped by the bottom sheet by at least 200 mm.

The installation technology requires starting laying from the corner of the lower slope and continuing along the entire cornice edge. It is necessary to lay the slate taking into account the wind rose: and the overlap of the sheets must be located on the leeward side. The first row of sheets must be laid along a special rope stretched in advance so that the overhang is very neat and even. To avoid combining several layers of slate at one point, different types of laying are used. The most common methods are mounting with and without offset.

Offset installation is popular due to its simplicity. In this case, the laying of the next row comes with an offset relative to the first. Thanks to this method, it is possible to avoid a certain overlap of wave overlaps and no more than two sheets of slate are joined at any different point.

When installing with an offset, trim the extreme slate sheets and trim the upper edge of the extreme row on the roof slope.

Offset laying is ideal for mounting eight-wave slate. With this method, it will be enough to make a four-wave offset and apply halves of cut slate sheets to the beginning of each odd row. And all the offset lines in this laying option will be arranged very nicely and evenly in a checkerboard pattern.

If you install slate without offset, you save roofing material, but this is the most time-consuming method, which should be considered when starting installation and installation yourself. In this case, you will need to trim the corners by one wave width and 140 mm in height. To lay the cover pieces from left to right, you need to cut the bottom corner of each slate sheet of the top row from the side that will cover the previous sheet in the horizontal row.

Slate roofing is directly related to the choice of fasteners and the way they are installed. Slate nails, self-tapping screws and various screws are characterized by a wider head and are mounted using a certain rubber gasket, which ensures sufficient tightness of the attachment point. It is important to remember that the fasteners are not driven in or screwed in until they stop.

To avoid damage to the slate sheets during installation, you must pre-mark and drill the necessary holes for the fasteners. Holes in diameter should be 3 mm larger than the diameter of the slate nail or self-tapping screw.

It is necessary to lay slate on the roof only in the crest of the wave. The first attachment point is considered to be the lower part in the overlapped wave with a certain indent from the edge. The second attachment point is considered to be a point diagonally from the first, and its attachment at the top in the second wave is carried out after the installation of the overlapping slate roofing sheet.

After installing the coating with your own hands, you need to lay special asbestos-cement ridge parts, mount all junctions and joints, and ensure reliable and high-quality waterproofing.

If you want to paint the slate, then before painting, we clean and coat it with a silicone primer. Then you can already cover it, waterproof silicone or acrylic-based paint is suitable for this purpose, and we recommend it to you.

Safety rules when working with slate sheets

When working on the roof, it is necessary to observe not only installation technologies, but also safety precautions. It is necessary to use safety cables and special ropes. If the height of the house is higher than 6 meters, appropriate fencing must be provided. To carefully lift slate sheets, you need to use a special nylon cable and a system of blocks. With a low building, the material is served by assistants.

Among a large assortment of roofing materials, people often choose slate, proven over the years and known since early childhood. Many want to save money and want to independently lay the slate on the roof. This process is quite simple and anyone can handle it, even if they have no experience in this industry. You just need to familiarize yourself with the instructions for performing and the sequence of work, prepare the necessary materials and call friends for help.

In this article

About slate

Asbestos-cement slate is used in much the same way as it once was. And there are explanations for this. First of all, the cost of this material is affordable for every inhabitant of our country, and its installation can be carried out independently without the use of special tools, it is easily processed.

Classical slate can be used to cover shed, tent and hip roofs. It is important that their slope does not exceed 35 degrees. In this case, moisture will accumulate at the junction points, which will negatively affect the operation of the roof in the future.

This roofing material is characterized by high resistance to stress. He is not afraid of the negative effects of the environment.

Weight is a disadvantage of slate. If you decide to install a slate roof yourself, you need the help of friends who will help you safely lift the material directly onto the roof of the structure.
Manufacturers offer consumers the following types of slate sheets:

• 6-wave;
• 7-wave;
• 8-wave.

When choosing a material, you should pay attention to its labeling. In this place indicate its height and wave pitch.

After a suitable material has been selected, a layout of the material on the roof is needed. For different parameters, the laying pattern will be different. Each of them has its own characteristics, for example, slate with a wide step when laying eats a lot of material at the overlap in length.

When developing a scheme, one should also remember about the location of the drain. Overhang length from 2.5 cm from the wall. If you yourself cannot calculate the location of the slate, or are not confident in your abilities, it is better to seek help from specialists. Roof design is an important step. If you make a mistake at this stage, in the future you can get a lot of unpleasant surprises not only at the construction stage, but also during the operation of the roof. It doesn't matter how much this project costs. The main thing is that a well-designed roof will last for many years.

truss system

Laying slate on the roof requires preparatory work. First of all, it is necessary to build a high-quality, reliable truss system. Slate is a heavy material that must have a reliable construction of the truss system. It must withstand significant loads.

For the construction of a rafter system for such a roof, rafters 5 x 18 cm, bars 6 x 6 cm are used.

The crate is made from quality lumber. They should not have knots and cracks. All wood must be dry, covered with special antiseptics.

If a chimney or exhaust pipe is provided on the roof, then a special crate must be built at their locations. The drainage system is also installed before covering with roofing material.

At the bottom of the crate, you need to fill a strip of galvanized metal, which prevents the lower edge from collapsing from loads. The metal must be waterproofed on both sides.

How to cover the roof with slate

Slate sheets must be laid with an overlap of 1-2 waves. Installation of slate with an overlap in one wave occurs only on steep roof slopes, on which an insignificant load from snow is created. For other roofs, the overlap is 2 waves. This design is more reliable, but this is reflected in a greater consumption of material, and hence the cost of building a roof as a whole. The overlap in length must be at least 2 cm.

First row

Installation of slate begins from the corner of the lower slope in the opposite direction along the eaves. The overlap should be located on the other side, from where the wind most often blows in the area.

How to lay the first row? To do this, use a special rope stretched before work along the cornice beam. So the overhang will be even.

There are several options for how to cover the roof with slate. Most often, the method is used without displacement or with it. Let's get acquainted with them and choose your suitable option.

Offset roof installation

Installing a roof with an offset is a simple option, so it is most often used. The first row is laid as usual. In the second, there will be a displacement of the material to the side by several waves. Then repeat alternately the 1st and 2nd row. This method avoids overlap overlaps. And at any point, no more than 2 sheets are connected. Remember, this is a necessity.

How to cover the roof with slate in this way correctly? First of all, the extreme slate sheets must be cut, and the upper edge of the extreme row on the slope is trimmed. This roof covering method is ideal for installing 8-wave slate. With it, you can carry out a shift of 4 waves, and the other part is used for subsequent rows.
As a result, all offset lines are staggered at the same distance from each other. Such a roof is attractive. And this method of installation provides a minimum of waste.

No offset

The technology of laying the roof with a slate method without displacement will save money. But in this case, you will have to spend a lot of effort. The corners are cut to the width of one wave and 14 cm vertically. Corners need to be trimmed in order to avoid fastening in more than 2 layers.

Fasteners

Now you need to deal with the fasteners. Do not use ordinary screws or nails. They must have a wide hat. In addition, special rubber gaskets must be present in the kit. They ensure the tightness of the place where the fastening was carried out. Fasteners do not need to be screwed in all the way.

The slate begins to be laid in the crest of the wave. The installation of the slate occurs in the same way. The difference lies in the features and order of fastening. The installation of the second attachment point occurs only when the overlapping slate sheet has been laid.

Regardless of how the material is installed, you need to confidently stand on the roof. To do this, you need to worry about the presence of safety ropes. Remember to always think about your safety.

After laying the slate on the roof, asbestos-cement ridge parts should be laid, all joints and junctions should be installed, and high-quality waterproofing should be ensured.

We paint the made roof

Do you want to make the roof of your house attractive? You can color it. To do this, the surface of the slate must be thoroughly cleaned and coated with a primer. Now you need to prepare the required amount of silicone-based waterproof paint and paint the surface of the roofing material.

Now you know how to cover the roof with slate. Lay the material carefully, so you need to worry about your safety in advance. It is easy to cover the Roof with this material. You need to know some features and sequence of work. Such information will allow you to independently cover the roof, which will last for many years.

Watch the video: how to cover the roof with slate with your own hands