When choosing a material for roofing, many developers prefer traditional slate. But today you can purchase not only asbestos cement material, but also other options, for example, rubber slate.
Advantages and disadvantages of the material
This roofing material has a large number of advantages, but it also has disadvantages, since a material that does not have a single disadvantage does not exist in nature.
It should be noted that the rubber slate is made from a special grade of rubber, to which a small amount of fiberglass is added.
Material advantages:
- Elasticity and flexibility. The material does not split upon impact, does not crumble.Even if you drop a slate sheet from a height, the slate will not be damaged.
- Such an easy installation slate roof. Sheets of rubber slate can be cut with an ordinary knife, it is suitable for installation on any roof, even if they have a complex shape.
- The material is resistant to temperature changes.
- Roofing rubber slate has a fairly long service life. With proper installation, you won’t have to think about repairing the roof for several decades.
- Rubber slate does not break when pressed, so you can safely walk on the roof without fear of destruction of the material.
- The material has a low weight, therefore, when using it, a reinforced roofing system is not required, and during installation, a small number of workers can be dispensed with.
The disadvantages of the material are:
- Instability to low temperatures. This material is not recommended for use in the northern regions of the country, where there are severe frosts in winter.
- The material, unlike asbestos-cement slate, is combustible, therefore it poses a threat in terms of fire safety.
Where are rubber slates used?
As a rule, rubber slate is used to cover the roof of buildings in low-rise construction, as well as for the construction of roofs of various outbuildings.
Due to its elasticity and flexibility, this material is excellent for covering roofs with complex geometries. In addition, it can be recommended for covering sloping and flat roofs.
How is rubber slate installed?
The technology of laying rubber slate differs little from laying conventional slate, but there are a few minor nuances that should be considered.
Stages of work:
- If the slate is not laid on a newly erected roof structure, but is used for repairs, then the old roofing should first be removed.
- It is also necessary to inspect the crate to make sure that there are no rotten boards and protruding nails in it.
- When performing roof repairs, the truss structure should also be inspected to make sure that there are no boards that have served their time in the system.
- Next, put roof waterproofing. As a rule, this is roofing material coated with modified bitumen. The waterproofing material is overlapped to prevent moisture from entering inside.
- Laying sheets should begin from one of the lower corners of the roof. This is done so that when laying subsequent sheets, an overlap is formed that prevents the penetration of moisture under the coating.
Advice! The recommended overlap width when laying slate is 10 cm. This value is optimal in order to provide the necessary tightness and prevent material overrun.
- However, if the slopes are gentle or tall trees are located above the roof, the overlap must be increased to 15 cm to ensure the greatest degree of tightness. In this case, fastening nails should be placed closer to the outer overlap line. If these conditions are not met, then dry foliage and tree seeds will be driven under the overlap line. Swelling under the influence of moisture, this debris will begin to lift the edges of the sheets located on top and violate the tightness of the roof covering.
- The main difference between the installation of rubber slate is that slate nails it is recommended to hammer into the deflection of the wave, and not into the crest, as is recommended when installing the classic variety of slate.
Conclusion
Thus, rubber slate is a modern roofing material that is recommended for use on roofs of any geometry in a mild climate that excludes severe frosts in winter.
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