Paint as a means to protect slate
Slate remains a very popular roofing material today. This is not surprising, because it is available, durable and is relatively cheap. But over time it becomes covered with dust and dirt, and under the influence of climatic conditions, microcracks appear on it, although it is in a suitable condition. Avoid this help protect the roofing material.
The easiest and most affordable way to protect roofing property is paint. Its layer fastens the superficial microlayers of the slate on one side and protects against precipitation, sun, wind from the other side. And modern means of painting contain additives from fungi, mold and other troubles. If you just plan to put slate, then immediately think about painting it, then not to return to the issue of resuscitation and repair.
And if you got the house by inheritance, but you just learned about this method of protection, then you will have to make a small revision of the roof, and then refine it. But, as is known, not all gold that glitters. So now it is worth talking about all the works in order. Before painting the slate, you need to choose the right paint, which is represented by a fairly wide range. When choosing, consider its average consumption and basic characteristics.
Types of paint for slate
The paint for the painting of slate can be of two types: acrylic enamel, it is also water-dispersible, and polymer enamel, or liquid plastic. Acrylic paint fills the microcracks and covers the roof with a protective layer, protecting the slate from destruction under the influence of the atmosphere and increasing its service life. Roofing acquires water-repellent properties, while water and snow melts off the roof faster.
Slate, painted with liquid plastic , is covered with a fairly strong film, resistant to the influence of the atmosphere. Polymer enamel has in its composition special pigments, which protect the asbestos-cement sheet from direct sunlight. This type of roofing is attractive at an attractive price, but it is worth noting that it is very harmful to humans.
What color to paint slate, to solve exclusively to the owner, as both that, and other type of a covering possesses both advantages, and lacks. When you still chose your enamel, you can start work.
Preparation and painting of the slate roof
Before you can paint the slate, you need to do some pretty laborious preparatory work. The first step is to check each roof sheet for cracks and damage. If there are sheets with such defects, they should be replaced. Also, you need to make sure that all the sheets are securely fastened.
After that, the entire roof must be thoroughly cleaned of dirt, soot, moss and so on. Then, using sandpaper, it is required to clean the slate from the old plaque and treat it with a special antifungal acrylic primer. Priming is used to remove dust and fill pores.
After the primer has dried, it is necessary to coat the slate with a very liquid cement mortar. The consistency of the solution should be, as, for example, kefir. This mixture is applied to the roof with a brush, the roller for this work will not work. Further the roof must be primed once again after the cement mixture has dried completely. After that, the color of the slate is produced. Only thanks to such preparation, the paint will not get off the roof for many years.
Before starting the painting, the enamel must be thoroughly mixed and added to it with a fraction of the organic solvent, which contributes to deeper penetration of the composition into the painted surface.
Many people ask themselves: is it possible to paint slate in wet weather, at what time of the year is this best done? Slate painting is carried out in dry and warm weather. To do this, you can use a brush, roller or spray. Painting is necessary in two layers. Before applying the second layer, it is necessary to completely dry the first one.
As practice shows, the slate, which is painted in the spring, will be the most durable and with a more durable protective coating. Do not take up work on especially hot or rainy days. The paint applied to such a roof will give the roof a neat appearance, prevent the appearance of moss and extend the overall life of the roof.