This type of roofing as slate roofing has been around for a long time. So, back in the 15th century, slate was considered one of the most "noble" materials for roofing - and therefore quite expensive. In this article, we will try to figure out what is the reason for the centuries-old popularity of slate roofing, and how such a roof is equipped.
Slate as a roofing material
Roofing slate is a natural stone with a pronounced layered structure. The thickness of each layer can vary from 1 to 8 mm, while the layers are easily separated from each other.
As a roofing material, slate covers the entire area of the roof, regardless of its configuration - this creates an almost complete coating.
Due to the structure of slate, the roof of this material acquires high thermal and sound insulation characteristics, does not pass or absorb moisture at all (due to the absence of pores and capillaries in the slate massif), retains its characteristics over a wide temperature range.
The mechanical properties of slate also became an argument in favor of its use for roofing: slate roofing sheets are strong, but at the same time resilient enough not to crumble or crack from accidental impacts.
Slate for do-it-yourself roofing work well sawn and drilled with the use of special tools.
Unlike modern roofing materials (ondulin, metal tiles, corrugated board, etc.), slate roofing cannot boast of a variety of colors and shades.
Most often, slate roofs have a gray color of natural stone with a recognizable graphite or oily sheen. At the same time, if necessary, an ornament can also be laid out on the roof - for this, slates with brown, burgundy and bottle green shades are used.
Renoplast polymer roofing is closest in shades to slate for roofing - therefore, options for their combination are possible.
Specifications of slate roofing
Now that we know what a slate roof is, let's analyze in more detail what its main parameters are.In other words, what do we need to consider when starting to install a slate roofing system on our own?
The slate tile used for roofing is a piece tile-like roofing material. Slate tiles have different geometric shapes, because after breaking off the plates from the slate mass, they are subjected to mechanical grinding and edge processing.
The key parameters of roofing slate are:
- Tile thickness - from 4 to 9 mm
- Tile size - from 20x25 cm to 60x30 cm.
- Weight 1 m2 slate roof - 25 kg. With double laying - respectively, 50 kg, so that the rafters and the crate must be appropriate. However, about the crate - below.
- The minimum slope of the roof slope on which roofing slate can be laid is 22.
Note! The steeper the slope, the smaller the slate tiles used for roofing can be.
- Bending strength - more than 6 MPa
- Service life - up to 200 years
- Colors - gray, dark green, dark brown, burgundy shades.
Benefits of slate roofing
What do we get by choosing slate as a roofing material? Slate roofing:
- Made from natural roof material, not subjected to chemical treatment, therefore it is absolutely safe for the environment.
- Resistant to UV radiation, so it does not fade over time, retaining its original color. This is especially important for roofs with a pattern of slates of different shades.
- Possesses high mechanical, heat-insulating and waterproofing characteristics: perfectly keeps heat, does not pass moisture, does not swell.
- Withstands temperature extremes and performs well in both heat and cold
- Not subject to temperature and other deformations
- They require periodic replacement, as they are extremely durable.
Preparation for laying slate roofing
Since slate roofing is still quite an expensive material, which is usually classified as “elite”, it is better to entrust its laying to professionals.
However, nothing is impossible, and if you are determined to cope with the installation of roofing slate on your own, then carefully study the recommendations that are given below.
As we have already said, the weight of a square meter of a slate roof is quite "feelable", therefore the truss system must be erected in strict compliance with the requirements of SNiP in terms of the bearing capacity of the roof frame.
The optimal pitch of the rafters is 80 cm; with a larger pitch, it is necessary to strengthen the crates in order to avoid its deflection.
As for the crate itself, on which the slate roof will be directly mounted, the best option is a solid crate made of plywood with a thickness of at least 20 mm, OSB-board or tongue-and-groove floorboard up to 150 mm wide.
A board for rafters with a pitch of up to 800 mm is selected with a thickness of 25 mm, with a rafter pitch of up to a meter - 30 mm or more.
After the crate is equipped, a layer of waterproofing material is laid on it. Waterproofing plays the role of a temporary roof, protecting the room under the roof from precipitation, and it is also convenient to apply a template for laying out slate tiles on the waterproofing.
Slate roofing options
Slate roofing can be installed in several ways.To determine the method, first of all, your preferences regarding the appearance of the roof, its pattern, as well as the slope of the roof and the climate in your area are important.
There are two main ways of laying slate roofing:
- German (simple)
- English (double)
Let's take a look at both methods in a nutshell:
- Simple laying of tiles according to the German method is carried out in ascending rows. With this method of laying, the tiles lying above overlap the underlying tiles with top and side overlap. The angle at which the rows of tiles are located in relation to the eaves is determined by the angle of the slope of the roof slope.
Note! When laying slate roof tiles according to the German method, the rows of tiles can ascend either to the right or to the left. The determining factor in this case is the dominant direction in the region: the slate roof is laid in such a way that the wind does not blow under the laid tiles, and thus does not violate the tightness of the roof.
- English (double) laying of roofing slate is carried out horizontally, in rows. For this method, square or rectangular tiles, as well as tiles with a pointed or rounded edge, are used. Rows of slate tiles are laid with a vertical overlap, each even row is shifted by half a tile to the side in relation to the previous odd one.
The main feature of the English laying method is that the third row of tiles partially overlaps the first in height.
To fix the tiles on the crate, we use special copper nails. With a slope up to 40 we fix each tile with two nails, and if roof pitch angle over 40 - then three.
Don't let all this seeming complexity scare you. In fact, slate roofing may well be laid on its own. So if you have the skill, and most importantly - the desire, then soon the roof of your house will literally change!
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