Slate laying by one's own hands

Slate is a popular roofing material. Sheets of slate are both flat and wavy profile - they are more popular, as they provide better drainage of water from roofs and have great strength. The service life of the slate depends on the correct styling.

Laying of slate with your own hands

Preparation of roof roofing

To perform the roofing you need a block of square section 60 mm. It is fastened to the rafters with a pitch of about 50 cm. For the battens, well-dried wood is needed, otherwise the bar will diminish in size and the fastening of the slate will weaken. Editions of the crate over the edge of the roof must be calculated in such a way as to avoid cutting slate sheets - the cut edges do not look aesthetically pleasing.

Preparation of roof roofing

Ways of laying the slate

Slate are laid in two ways: with or without cutting corners. Slate laying is less laborious. For this method of laying, it is better to buy an eight-wave slate, since it is stacked with a half-sheet shift, and from the seven-wave layer there will be many unused cuttings. The method of laying with the cutting of corners requires more time, as it is necessary to cut each slate sheet.

Slate laying starts from the bottom edge of the ramp from the most windy side. The first sheet is necessarily aligned with a plumb line, since it will be difficult to correct the skew. Each subsequent row is overlapped, its size depends on the angle of slope of the ramp. For a roof with an inclination angle of 20-45 degrees, an overlap of 10 cm is sufficient.

Attach slate to the crate with galvanized roofing nails for slate, clogging them into the crest of the wave.

1 - a bar of a crate;2 - slate;3 - nail;4 - a washer;5 - rubber gasket.

It is impossible to hammer a nail too deeply - this can create an overvoltage of the material, and at the first load or temperature drop it will crack. The nails are clogged to light touch with a slate cap and in no case are bent from the attic side - this can also cause splitting of the sheets. Holes for fastening it is better to drill a drill with a drill diameter 1-2 mm larger than the diameter of the nails.

Technology of laying slate

1. Slate laying technology

1. It is necessary to draw a layout plan and determine the number of sheets that need to be cut in half. Cut the sheets with a hacksaw or grinder. Slate before cutting can be moistened along the line of the cut - this will facilitate the work.
2. Prepared sheets should be inspected for chips and cracks. Even minor damage can subsequently leak, so it is better to immediately reject such sheets.
3. Begin laying the slate from the bottom row from the side of the ramp, opposite to the direction of the prevailing winds. The lower row is made of solid sheets. The sheet is applied to the crate, fastened at the top corner and leveled against the edge of the roof and eaves, and then fastened for 2-3 more nails along the edge of the sheet.
4. The next sheet of the horizontal row is laid with a overlap of one or two waves. Continue laying the slate to the opposite edge of the roof. Each sheet is fastened in at least four places with the help of slate nails with a large bonnet and a rubber gasket. Nails are clogged in the upper wave - this technique eliminates accidental damage to the sheet when struck. In addition, when operating the roof, water flows will not run along the wave, but along the gutter, hence, clogging the nail into the upper wave will protect the roof from leaking.
5. The next row starts with a half sheet - this achieves a shift in the rows. The joints are completely overlapped by the next row, and the gap between the sheets remains minimal. The cut edge is hidden as far as possible under the wave of the next sheet.
6. Continue laying the rows in a checkerboard pattern. The last horizontal row is laid so that there remains a vent hole under the ridge. Similarly, the second roof slope is laid.
7. The blade is made of sheet metal. You can buy a ready-made horse in the shops selling metal. The skate is attached to the slate and the crate by the upper wave of the slate.

Slate laying technology with cutting corners

In general, the technology is similar to laying unrestricted, but the sheets are laid flat, without shear, and to avoid double overlap and large gaps, the corners of the sheets are butt-cut in accordance with the scheme.

Slate laying with corners cutting

This technology is more laborious, but the finished roofing is obtained more evenly, the gaps are smaller, and the roof life is longer.

1. The first sheet is laid without cutting, aligned to the lower left edge of the roof and fastened. In the following sheets, the upper left corner is cut in the first row.
2. The first sheet of the second row is cut at the bottom right corner and joins the second sheet of the first row with a small gap, as shown in the diagram. The middle leaves of the second row are cut already two corners - the upper left and lower right. At the extreme right - only the upper left.
3. The top row is cut only at the bottom corners.

With this laying and observing the clearances, all cut corners are overlapped by the topsheets, and the roof reliably protects the structure from precipitation and meltwater.

To protect against lichens, a slate roof can be covered with an antiseptic. Also, if desired, it can be painted with slate paint. Thus, you get a reliable, durable and, at the same time, inexpensive roofing.

In conclusion, we advise you to read how to cover the roof with ondulin, as well as about the installation of soft tiles.