Causes of cracks in slate
The roof is damaged not only by old age, sometimes this situation occurs long before the specified time. There may be several reasons for this: when manufacturing slate, the technology of manufacturing this material was not maintained, there was insufficient quantity of cement in the solution, short asbestos fibers were used, and the final processing of the sheets was poor.
Some manufacturers reduce the hardening time of this material from 28 days to much less, which leads to increased fragility of the slate. In addition, the appearance of chipped and cracked inclined roofs with the wrong slope slope.
Premature repair of slate causes and its improper laying, which can create unnecessary stress. In addition, if you do not use rubber and other seals under the nail heads, this also leads to cracks in the material.
Ways to restore slate
There are a huge number of ways to make roof repair from slate: from the simplest putty to the cardinal measure, such as the replacement of slate. Consider the most common methods of repairing slate roofing.
The crack in the slate sheet can be sealed with 's own mortar made from cement, dissolved asbestos, water and PVA glue. Before applying such a solution, it is desirable to break a crack and only then to process. This roof repair from the slate will allow it to serve with faith and truth for another ten years.
In addition to this solution, you can also use special butyl-rubber tape , the top of which consists of a non-woven material and allows it to be painted in any shades. On the question of how to seal a hole in the slate with the help of this tape, experts say that this is extremely simple.
It is necessary to thoroughly clean the repaired area of the slate, degrease with gasoline, remove a special protective layer from the tape and simply stick it on the damaged place.
Many folk craftsmen do not suffer from torment, than to seal a crack in slate. They have a long proven way. To apply this method, the surface is cleaned( cleaning is an integral part of any repair work), and foam is applied to / cracks. When it dries, a sealant is applied from above, and after it is dried, a third layer of resin is smeared. This "cake" reliably protects the roof from leaking.
In addition to all the above methods, there is a great deal of solutions to the problem of how to seal a hole in the slate. To do this, different compounds are used, which are based on epoxy resins, liquid foam, which must be covered from above with a piece of roofing material, silicone sealant, by means of which the "cut" carved from the plastic bottle is glued, etc.
How to approach slate repair?
If the crack or cleavage is sufficiently wide, the correct output is the replacement of the whole sheet, becausein this case, you protect yourself from the future rotting of the rafter system as a result of profuse flow.
Due to the fact that these repair works are quite complicated, all questions about how to repair the slate in this case, it is better to address the specialist. And the most acceptable option would be to hire a skilled worker.
As mentioned above, before you seal a hole in the slate, you need to prepare the base. To do this, the required part of the roof is obscured by the broom, so all the debris and dirt is removed, after that the crack itself is thoroughly washed and degreased with gasoline.
To improve adhesion, the crack can be treated with a primer with PVA glue. We apply a cement mixture to the repair surface, or any other repair material, and let it dry out. After this, you can proceed with any further planned actions.
When repairing the roof, you must clearly remember and comply with all safety rules, becausetheir non-compliance leads to sad consequences.
