With all the variety of building roofing materials on the current market, it is sometimes very difficult for a simple layman to make a really worthy choice, since sellers often talk about each product only from the standpoint of its merits, while silent about the shortcomings. Today we will talk about what better: slate or ondulin? Moreover, we will do this from the standpoint of not only their positive qualities, but also their shortcomings.
Advantages and disadvantages of slate
Slate is perhaps the most common roofing material today. In the manufacture of this material, sheet asbestos is used.
There are 2 types of asbestos-cement slate slabs:
- wavy, used, as a rule, for roofing;
- profiled flat, which are used not only for roofing, but also for facade cladding.
In a nutshell, classic slate is an easy-to-install, reliable and durable, as well as a very inexpensive roofing material, the viability of which has been proven for many decades.
But, as we have already said, in order to find out which is better - ondulin or slate, you need to consider in detail the pros and cons of both materials.
So, the advantages of slate:
- Durability slate roof - here, probably, everyone met buildings of different conditions and ages, while noticing that slate roofs almost always remain in good condition;
- Affordable cost. Asbestos cement slate is the cheapest roofing material for hard roofs.
- Slate is not afraid of either high temperatures or solar radiation.
- It doesn't burn.
- Hardness. The material can easily withstand the average weight of a person.
- Quite easy to process with mechanical tools.
- Almost the same as ondulin - slate has good soundproofing qualities (unlike, for example, metal roofs).
- Does not conduct electricity.
- Easily repairable. Slate sheets can be easily replaced or repaired.
- It is not afraid of moisture, because it is not subject to corrosion at all.
If we touch on the shortcomings of asbestos-cement slate, they are often subjective and manifest themselves differently in each situation. However, still:
- Pretty decent weight. Both lifting to the roof and installing the slate usually require two pairs of hands.
- With all its water-repellent qualities, it is recommended that the material be treated with paint in order to avoid the formation of moss growths on it.
- Slate, although hard, is quite brittle, especially under impact.
- In comparison with other materials, slate does not have an enchanting appearance, although it looks quite decent when properly painted.
- Harmfulness of asbestos dust for the human body.
Advice! For this reason, it is recommended to protect the respiratory organs and eyes while working with the material.
Pros and cons of ondulin
To finally find out which is better: ondulin or slate? - you will need to give a description of the second "candidate". .
This French-made material is made from a cellulose base impregnated with various solutions and coated with bitumen.
This is a relatively new roofing material, which, however, has already gained popularity.
The cost of this material, which is slightly more than the price of ordinary slate, is still very, very low.
With its usable area of 1.29-1.56 sq.m. Depending on the angle of the roof slope, the mass of the ondulin sheet is only about 6.5 kg, thanks to which the installation of the roof can be carried out by one person, and the roof base can be arranged without any reinforcements.
So-called andulin slate not difficult to install. In accordance with the instructions, the roof lathing is carried out, with the help of a simple set of tools - a hammer, a hacksaw and a marker - the roof sheets are installed.
The multi-layer and plasticity of ondulin allow it not to be afraid of scratches and not to crack when hammering in nails.The resins included in the ondulin reliably protect the roof from leaks, and in the process of nailing the ondulin with nails, microscopic bitumen drops are released at the fastener passage points, reliably sealing the gap between the edges of the hole and the nail.
Among other things, andulin slate It is one of the best noise-absorbing roofing materials. With such a roof, the sound of raindrops or hail, the sound of water flowing from the roof, will be completely invisible.
Also, ondulin has a low thermal conductivity, which can significantly save on the use of roofing insulation in the construction of attics or warm attics. Ondulin, unlike tile and asbestos-cement materials, practically does not heat up in the sun, and it is distinguished from metal tiles by the almost complete absence of condensate.
And finally, this material is highly resistant to bacteria, fungi and other kinds of microorganisms, it is not afraid of either severe frosts or direct sunlight, which together guarantees a long service life of this type of material.
As for the negative aspects of the material, they, in general, are also not so few:
- One of them is the tendency to fade in the sun, causing the material to gradually fade in brightness, becoming dull and unsightly. In addition, burnout occurs unevenly, which further exacerbates the situation.
- As already mentioned, euroslate ondulin quite resistant to the effects of various kinds of microorganisms, however, these same microorganisms (mosses, fungi) actively use its velvety surface for settlement, which also affects the appearance of the roof.
"Ondulin roofing needs periodic cleaning from dirt and overgrown moss" - Well, the third obvious drawback of the material is that with the scorching sun, the bitumen in the composition of the material becomes soft, and the roof loses its rigidity from this. Walking on it in the hot summer is highly not recommended.
Strictly speaking, this information regarding the viability of each of the materials under consideration should be quite enough so that everyone can find for themselves the answer to the question: “ondulin or slate: which is better? Each material is good in its own way due to the conditions of its use, therefore, in any case, it is not worth making categorical conclusions in favor of any one.
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