How to make a fence from old slate - the trick of attaching a sheet. How to make a slate fence? How to make a slate fence

Slate was a common building material in the 80s and 90s. Then it was produced so much that the sheets were used not only for the construction of roofs of houses, but also for the construction of fences. And today, despite the abundance of materials on the construction market, there are many who want to build a slate fence, because this is a budget option for a fence.

Slate is a generalized name for materials used for facing and roofing works . He can be:

• asbestos-cement - consisting of asbestos (10%), cement (85%) and water (5%). A mixture of these ingredients is compressed, resulting in sheets different size and forms;
• plastic - is a polymer plate, painted in various colors, with full or partial light transmission;
• metal - these are thin steel sheets coated with a protective polymer composition (corrugated board).

Note: most often, under the name "slate" they mean precisely asbestos-cement products.

If plastic and metal sheets were originally supplied to different colors, then asbestos-cement for a long time were exclusively gray. To date, this material is produced in an extensive color scheme, which allows you to give products from it a more aesthetic appearance.

Distinguish slate:

• wave - with a corrugated surface. Roofs of houses are built from wavy slate, industrial facilities, domestic buildings;
• flat - even sheets. Their main use is for the construction of fences, partitions, wall cladding.

Advantages and disadvantages

The slate fence has the following advantages:

• affordability. Depending on the type of material, its cost varies;
• moderate durability - in the absence of severe mechanical damage, it can last several decades;
• ease of maintenance;
• soundproofing properties - a solid sheet fence softens street noise;
• resistance to corrosion, temperature extremes, impact chemical substances.

With such positive qualities, the slate fence has several disadvantages. She:

• unsafe for people. With prolonged contact, asbestos negatively affects the human body, provoking the development of certain pathologies;
• afraid of moisture. Under its influence, a fungus is formed on the sheets, which is difficult to remove;
• fragile. A strong point impact can destroy the slate segment;
• has a lot of weight. A minimum of 2 people are required to install such a fence.

Making a slate barrier

Before you build a fence, you need to decide on its design, installation methods.

Design choice

Wavy slate is mounted on a frame constructed from metal poles and horizontal lintels. Under such a barrier, a strip foundation is poured or supports are concreted in the ground.

Note: also a wave slate fence can consist of supports (profiled pipes) and horizontal wooden logs, to which sheet material is attached.

Installation flat slate carried out in three ways:

1. On horizontal runs from a professional pipe (similar to a wave). In this case, the sheets are fixed pointwise with special nails.
2. Directly to the supports. Sections are fastened with studs.
3. In a frame welded from steel corners.

Please note: a flat slate fence is more reliable, the segments of which are fixed in a metal frame. The remaining two options for point fastening increase the risk of material splitting during installation and operation.

Tools

To install a slate fence you will need:

• asbestos cement sheets;
• corrugated pipes for poles;
• logs from metal or wood;
• concrete, crushed stone, sand;
• fittings;
• boards / flat slate for formwork;
• fasteners, bolts, self-tapping screws / slate nails;
• welding machine;
• grinder, drill;
• manual drill;
• shovel, level;
• tape measure, pegs and thread for marking.

Markup implementation

First, the territory is marked. Start from any corner using wooden pegs and rope. The first two elements are installed at a distance equal to the width of the foundation. They are connected with a rail. Thus, all corners of the building envelope are marked. A thread is pulled between them, outlining the boundaries of the future foundation.

Remember: the evenness of the slate fence depends on the quality of the marking.

trench digging

According to the markings, they dig a trench under the strip foundation with a depth of 30-40 cm. At the installation sites of the supports, drill holes of 10-12 cm with a drill. The maximum allowable distance between the posts is 2.5 m.

Attention: the size of the pit should exceed the section of the pillars by 20-30 cm. This distance is necessary for high-quality compaction of the supports.

laying the foundation

At the bottom of the trench, a 10-15 cm sand cushion is poured, which is well tamped. Then there should be an 8-10 cm layer of rubble.

After that, you should install the supports. They are inserted into the drilled holes, checking the verticality with a level. Free space in the pits are filled with mortar. The concrete must dry for at least a day.

After that, the structure is reinforced. Steel rods are fastened together with wire. The reinforcing mesh should be 3-5 cm below the surface of the future foundation.

The next step is the installation of the formwork. It is made of wood or flat slate. The formwork should protrude 30-50 cm above the soil surface. The trench is poured with concrete mixture, leveling its surface. The foundation is left to dry for 8-10 days.

Installation of horizontal logs

How to make a slate fence with your own hands? Wavy material is best attached to wooden guides, flat - to metal. Steel logs are welded to the poles, wooden logs are screwed to pre-welded hinges.

Important: all wooden and metal elements must be coated with a primer, different for each material.

Slate fixing

The final stage in the construction of a slate fence is the installation of girders. Wave material is attached to wooden logs with self-tapping screws or special bunches. The holes for them are pre-drilled with a drill.

Remember: before you begin to fasten the slate sheets, rubber gaskets are put on the nails / self-tapping screws. This will make the connection stronger and more elastic.

Flat slate is best installed in a frame made of a metal corner. It is made to the size of the sheet. We put the slate section into the frame and fix it with a metal stopper. We check the evenness of the installation of slate sections with a level.

Construction finish

In order for the fence to be not just a fence, but a decoration of the site, it needs to be given a presentable look. You can do this with:

• the use of colored sheets (for example, the color of the roof of the house);
• paintwork materials. You can paint the slate fence in one color or draw an ornament, a landscape on the sections;
• combinations various materials. Slate goes well with stone, brick, allowing you to create original fences.

If you need to enclose the site quickly and without significant financial investments, it is recommended to put up a slate fence. Using imagination, you can create an interesting fence that will perform not only protective functions, but also decorative.

Almost every owner of a private house or summer cottage, acquiring a building or building a new one, takes care of the safety of the territory of his possession from extraneous intrusions and prying eyes. To do this, he installs a fence around the perimeter of his site.

Peculiarities

Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of building materials for creating a fence. Fences can be made of wood, brick, natural stone, nets gitter or netting, corrugated board, concrete slabs. There are status variants of iron fences made of forged, welded metal and their combinations.

Any type of such fences has a number of advantages. Most of them are beautiful and solid, distinguished by reliability and durability, as well as a variety of designs, but they also have a certain number of disadvantages. Here is a solid cost, and the complexity of their installation, and the need to involve them in their construction professional specialists and construction equipment. Often all these factors are predominant when choosing a fence.

Nevertheless, there is another material that is affordable and does not create technological difficulties in the construction of a territory fence from it - slate. A fence from it can be equally soundly and thoroughly erected both in a rustic or suburban area as well as in the city. True, slate is rather fragile and is afraid of shock loads. It is better to build fences from it away from the roadway, for fear of a random stone from under the wheels or some kind of surprise from street vandals. It is more expedient to build a fence from this material somewhere inside the site, enclosing, for example, a yard from a vegetable garden or a garden with a slate fence, or to install such a fence on the border with the neighbors' possessions.

Slate is a well-known construction material. It is made by mixing asbestos with cement and water.

Asbestos fibers, evenly distributed in this mass, create a strong mesh, providing tensile stability of the material and giving it the appropriate impact strength.

Varieties

Most people distinguish between two types of gray slate: wave and flat, without knowing some of the nuances, information about which can be useful when choosing suitable material. So, flat slate exists in two forms: pressed and non-pressed.

The first option is much more massive, so its strength characteristics are very high. Because of high density its sheets, their strength increases up to 25%, and the impact strength of such slate reaches 2.5 kJ / m2. Due to this circumstance, the fragility of this material is not so high. This also implies its other property - frost resistance, which is why the pressed type of slate should be considered the most favorable option for creating a fairly strong fence.

Wave type slate also exists in several varieties, of which the most interesting are its painted sheets from modern manufacturers who have managed to significantly expand the range of this building material. Therefore, now he has acquired a more attractive appearance, relieving the consumer of the need to deal with the painting of the fence. Sheets of such slate, due to the specific shape of the asbestos cement profile, are more rigid and durable, even having a slight thickness of the order of 4.7-7.5 mm.

If a wave slate is chosen for the construction of the fence, then the best option for this would be the brand "UV" - a unified type of profile. Its sheets are distinguished by a density that is more significant compared to wave analogues, and their dimensions make it possible to work with them with sufficient ease and convenience.

The weight of one sheet of this brand does not exceed 26 kg, and its width minimizes material consumption.

Properties

Slate is a material made from a mixture of asbestos with Portland cement and modifying additives. All these components are mixed during the manufacturing process in water until a thick homogeneous mixture is obtained. It is subjected to pressing on the appropriate technological equipment and further high-temperature drying.

The advantage of this material lies in its affordability. So, the cost of a sheet of wave slate 1750 × 970 mm with a thickness of 5.2 mm is about 205 rubles.

Asbestos cement slate is a fairly durable material. Its sheet is able to withstand a point load of about 70 kg or more. At the same time, such material is not subjected to deformation and is not covered with cracks, continuing to retain its factory shape.

one more useful property slate, produced along with other building materials in accordance with GOST, is its durability. For unpainted material, the minimum service life is about 30 years.

Sheets of the painted product will serve over 50 years.

In addition, it is very cold hardy. Asbestos cement is one of the porous materials. This allows slate to retain its properties for a long time under the influence of low temperatures for a very long time. Slate is also a very reliable material, since it is not affected by corrosion, cannot serve as a breeding ground for insects and molds, it is not affected by moisture and heating to high temperatures.

Due to the presence of a protective coloring layer, colored grades of wavy slate are not so sensitive to the action of water on them and withstand negative temperatures better. A painted sheet lasts 1.5 times longer than its conventional counterpart of the same thickness.

All these qualities are manifested by slate in situations where it is used directly as a roofing material. When it is used to build fences, it can manifest itself somewhat differently. In such a fence, a slate sheet is placed vertically, so there is a risk of impact on its sheet perpendicularly or tangentially, which is fraught with cracks or chipping.

The weight of the smallest wave-type slate sheet is 18.5 kg, and for its flat counterpart, this figure ranges from 75-350 kg. The use of such heavy sheets will require more reliable concreting of the base for the bearing supports and the use of appropriate fasteners.

Asbestos, which is present in the composition of this material, when it is drilled and cut, forms dust harmful to humans.

Therefore, it is necessary to work with him in respiratory and eye protection.

fence construction

The length of the fence is measured with a tape measure around the perimeter of the site.

Its construction is carried out in several ways. The most reliable and stable type of such a design is a fence installed on a tape-type foundation. To obtain such a foundation, it will be necessary to pour concrete into a pre-installed formwork. If the territory of the site has irregularities with height differences, then for an even arrangement of the formwork, it will be necessary to prepare the base.

A simpler technology is to install a fence on concrete supports. This method is used for stony soils and sand types soil.

If the fence is erected according to this method without pouring the strip foundation, then the perimeter of the fence is marked, and the installation sites of the corner supports are indicated. For this purpose, the estimated parameters of such a fence are measured. At the nodal points, pieces of reinforcement or wooden stakes are driven in, between which a fishing line is stretched.

At these points, a manual or gasoline drill excavates at a depth of about 70–90 cm. Drilling on rocky soils requires special attention, since the cutting edge of the tool is damaged and blunted at high speeds. The traditional alternative to such a drill will always be a crowbar, a shovel and a pickaxe.

Pole supports are treated twice with bituminous varnish to protect the metal from corrosion. After they dry, the concrete is mixed.

Before installing each of the supports, a piece of roofing material folded in half is laid on the bottom of the pit. Then the support is vertically installed in the pit, leveled and poured with concrete with its periodic ramming.

If necessary, you can pre-fill the post with stones or small gravel.

Concrete is mixed from 1 part cement, 4 parts sand, 6 volumes of crushed stone and water. With this mixture, the pit with racks is filled to the top. Subsequent work is carried out after the concrete has hardened.

Steel support posts can be installed using a method called "concrete collar". Having a hole 0.5 m deep, the pipe is hammered into it another 0.5 m below the bottom and poured with concrete.

Similarly, work is being carried out to excavate the soil for the pits and install supports in them at the remaining reference points of the entire perimeter of the territory. When this work is completed, intermediate poles are marked and set up with a step of 2.5 m and amendments for gates and gates.

After the concreting of all pillars is completed, it is necessary to wait for the final hardening of the concrete mix, which lasts about 7 days, so that the concrete gains the strength necessary to withstand the mass of sheet slate.

While the concrete is hardening, you should start cutting steel strips from the corner, which is cut by the “grinder” into fragments 200–250 mm long. Holes are drilled at the edges of these elements for attaching guides to them. Then these fragments of the corner are welded to the post in its upper and lower parts with indents from the top and bottom of 200–300 mm.

Guides for fastening sheets of slate will serve wooden bars with a section of 50 × 130 mm, which are adjusted along the length of the span. The beam should be treated with a wood antiseptic before installation on the supports.

Then, at the point of attachment of the guide bar to the corners, pre-welded to the pole supports, through holes are drilled for the tie bolts with which the guide bars are attached to the support.

It is unlikely that today it would occur to anyone to specifically buy slate for the construction of a fence. Against the backdrop of a variety of modern building materials, slate looks frankly poor, although for the price this is not the cheapest option. But if there is an opportunity to put into action and give a second life to the slate, which was removed, for example, from the roof, then you can build a blind fence around a summer house, a farm, a small industrial enterprise. It is quite possible to build a slate fence on your own.

Issue price

Many people remember the time when there was an abundance of slate on the construction market, and there was practically no competition for this building material. That is why slate fences were more common than others. And not because it’s cheap or beautiful, but because other options either cost a pretty penny or simply didn’t fit. standard design simple buildings.

To date, a slate fence is not the cheapest option. This is in the event that the material will have to be purchased. Among the budget types of fences, welded mesh, type-setting can compete wooden fence. The cost of slate at a price can be correlated with the cost of a profiled sheet. At all budget option slate will look against the backdrop of the cost of brick, metal or natural stone.

Benefits of slate fencing

Despite the huge number of options, a do-it-yourself slate fence is simple, fast, fairly inexpensive, and neat. So, it makes sense to consider all the advantages and disadvantages of slate. It has been successfully used in construction for many decades. During this time, many advantages of this material have been revealed:

• The average price category of the material indicates its availability to the buyer with different financial capabilities. However, do not forget that additional costs will have to be incurred for the purchase of support poles, material for the frame, and fasteners.

For your information!At a cost, a flat slate fence will be slightly more expensive than a wave slate fence.

• Slate fencing in regions with a temperate and dry climate will last a very long time. But mechanical damage will immediately lead to the end of the service life of such a structure.
• Slate is a non-combustible material. But at very high temperatures it cracks. Therefore, during a fire, the fence is unlikely to withstand, but harmful products combustion will not be emitted.
• This building material is resistant to temperature extremes characteristic of a temperate climate. This gives it advantages over other popular material - corrugated board.
• Caring for slate fencing is very simple. In case of damage, individual sections are easily changed. It can be cleaned, washed, painted. Although the latter is not particularly necessary, because today you can find colored slate on sale.
• A slate fence is unlikely to save from street noise. But during hail or heavy rain, the noise from it will be much less compared to profiled sheet, stainless steel, tin or metal.
• The material is resistant to aggressive chemicals, corrosion, and does not conduct current. The fence from it does not let in light and is reliable protection from prying eyes.

Disadvantages of slate fencing

Slate, like any other material, has some disadvantages:

• A controversial drawback is the presence of asbestos in the slate. Asbestos is harmful to human health in the event that its dust has to be inhaled during cutting or during work in a warehouse or in production shop. During operation, the slate does not emit any harmful substances and is therefore considered a safe material.
• The heavy weight of the material requires special attention during installation. In order to avoid tilting the fence during operation, care should be taken to ensure the reliability of the frame.
• In regions with a humid climate, slate fencing is not the best option. Under the influence of moisture, it will be covered with moss, darken and crack.
• This building material is not resistant to mechanical stress. Any damage will require replacement of the sections. Over time, if the fence begins to slope, the slate sheets may begin to crack from contact with the base, as well as at the attachment points with support pillars.
• Attractive slate fence you won't name. Made of wave slate, it looks very cheap. A more attractive option is to enclose the area with flat slate.

Which slate to choose for the fence

Thinking about how to make a slate fence with your own hands, you need to decide on the type and features of the installation.

The building materials market offers two types of slate - flat and wave. Flat slate is more expensive. It is believed that the appearance of the fence from it is more aesthetic. A kind of flat slate - pressed. It is much heavier than usual, but it also withstands a serious load. When installing a fence, flat sheets of slate are recommended to be laid in metal carcass from the corners. Thus, two tasks are solved: the strength of the structure is enhanced and the appearance is improved.

Flat slate fence on a metal corner

It is much easier to mount a fence from a wave slate than from a flat one. The sheets will have to be overlapped, carefully combining the waves.

Finished wave slate fence

Features of mounting a slate fence

It is quite possible to install a slate fence on your own, without the involvement of specialists, without building skills and complex tools. You just have to follow simple recommendations and consistently perform all stages of work.

How to make markup

The marking procedure for a slate fence is no different from the identical stage of work in the construction of other types of fences. The area around the perimeter of the future structure must be cleared of debris, branches, stones, and then leveled. Pull the thread along the line of the fence that has not yet been built. You can fix it on pieces of reinforcement, wooden pegs or steel bars.

Immediately you need to make marks in the places where the support pillars will be installed. In order to avoid difficulties during the installation of the entire structure, these marks must be made especially carefully. It should be borne in mind that slate cannot be built up or welded. And in case of deviation of one slate sheet by several centimeters, all subsequent sections will have to be moved with the transfer of supports. Accurate marking will facilitate all subsequent work.

How to install support poles

Depending on which pillars and what width of slate sheets you have chosen for the fence, pits are made for the supports. Depth can vary from 50 to 80 centimeters. The deeper the holes, the less likely the fence will move to the side, especially if the structure is high.

You can concrete the support pillars in one of the following ways:

• Pour liquid solution
• Fill with gravel and pour with concrete
• Install with stone or metal spacers

To protect metal poles from corrosion, special attention must be paid to the part that is being deepened: wrap it with roofing material, paint oil paint or treat with grease or used engine oil.

Section mounting

There are several ways to mount the frame and install sections on bolts:

• Between the posts, fix two lines of a horizontal base. These lines can serve as a corner or a profile pipe. On such a base, the slate is screwed with bolts and nuts. Given the fragility of the material, it is necessary to reduce the load of fasteners on slate sheets. To do this, washers or silicone or rubber gaskets are used on both sides of the mount.
• Another way: in addition to metal crossbars, build concrete base in the form of a border or pole. Another option is a strip foundation. This will help to better hold the weight of the fence, as well as prevent cracking of the slate at the attachment points.
• The next option is to do without a foundation and leave a gap between the ground and the slate at the level of 7 - 8 centimeters. The fence will not come into contact with wet soil, which means it will last much longer. A metal crossbar is welded between adjacent pillars at the right level from the ground. It should be wide enough so that wave slate can be easily installed on it. Connection method - bolted.
• The easiest option is to install a fence made of flat asbestos-cement sheets. They are installed on two crossbars between the supporting pillars. Flat sheets can be scalded around the perimeter with a corner. In this case, the base is welded to the supporting pillars.

Ways to decorate a slate fence

Usually a slate fence is left completely unfinished. Perhaps because they do not know how to embellish it. The easiest way is to paint or apply patterns using a stencil. It is worth considering that with the help of acrylic and alkyd paints you can not only transform the fence, but also significantly increase its service life. In stores you can find a special paint for coloring slate. If applied over a primer, the quality of the painting will be much higher.

Flat slate sheets can be given relief. Do it with cement mortar and stencils. The solution should resemble dough in its consistency. The surface of the sheet is leveled with the prepared solution, and then different patterns are applied using stencils.

A unique embossed pattern can be applied with decorative plaster. It is applied by spraying onto a pre-plastered surface.

Slate fencing can be made simple and neat, or you can build a whole work of art. Before starting work, you need to evaluate the features of the site, operating conditions, as well as your own requirements for the functionality and appearance of the fence.

It is easy to build a fence from an inexpensive and reliable material. It is enough to deal with fasteners, markings and a plan for future construction. For example, a slate fence will last longer than an untreated board. Yes, and in the private sector they try to use even the old roofing material- from it you can make a fence of the back of the site. It turns out that both new and already used slate is suitable for work.

Features of using slate for the construction of a fence

Slate is one of the simplest and inexpensive materials to make a fence. Moreover, any side of the fence will look neat. Modern slate is suitable for both countryside, and for houses in the city.

The slate is made of asbestos cement, so there is no need to wait for maximum strength. It is easy to guess that even the thinnest iron is more stable. However, there are developments in the use of slate. It is advisable to place the front part of the fence away from the road so that random debris from under the wheels does not damage the sheets. And the usual barriers between neighboring areas are easiest to make from slate, even one person can handle such work.

This material has been known for a long time. It is obtained by mixing Portland cement, asbestos and water. Evenly distributed asbestos fibers form a strong mesh that increases the impact strength and tensile strength of the material.

Advantages and disadvantages of using slate fence

Advantages:

• low cost;
• average fire resistance;
• the possibility of decorative processing with any paint;
• simple installation.

Of the shortcomings:

• asbestos in the composition is not an environmentally friendly material;
• explodes when heated;
• service life depends on the specific location. And the lower the temperature winter time the faster cracks will appear. If you protect with acrylic (paint), then the service life will increase;
• protection is required when working with slate. Construction respirators must be worn so that dust does not enter the respiratory tract.

Types of slate used for fences

Wave sheets created from asbestos cement have a curly shape. The material has the following advantages:

Flat sheets of slate have the same composition, the difference is only in the form.

Both types of slate have flaws that can be ironed out. Appearance material deteriorates somewhat over the years, fades, fades. However, if you cover it with special substances, this can be prevented.

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Flat or wave slate for a fence is a weak, more precisely, material that is fragile in bending. Do not forget about the weight of such a building unit, it is quite large compared to the same metal sheet.

If you decide to buy slate, and not use the old one from the roof of a house or outbuilding, then you should keep in mind that it is easier to mount and ship flat sheets.

Do-it-yourself slate fence installation

Making a slate fence is easy. On a not very large area, such work can be done in a few days.

Preparation for construction: marking the territory

Some important feature there is no slate fence in the marking. This working moment is the same as the layout for any type of fence. To begin with, it is worth clearing the part of the territory where construction will be carried out. Next, you need to pull the thread and install it in such a way that along the entire length it repeats the line of the future fence. The markings are usually fixed to pegs, posts, steel reinforcement or any other remnant of building material. Accuracy in size and the location of the thread along the entire length of the future slate fence is the main requirement for marking.

When calculating the building material, it turns out the required number of pillars for the entire fence. In the process of marking, it is necessary to accurately put a landmark in their place. A specific distance is maintained between each pillar, with a careless attitude to this stage, further work will only become more difficult. After all, all sheets of slate have the same size. It is under him that they plan to mark the pillars.

The choice of material and its dimensions

A good construction market or supermarket can offer:

• euroslate, aka ondulin;
• asbestos cement slate;
• plastic slate.

All of these materials are designed for roofing, but are also great for fences. When choosing, you need to focus on the characteristics:

• plasticity;
• stiffness;
• hardness.

When buying a new fence material, many prefer flexible slate. It certainly won't break it. strong wind. Such a building material has a rectangular shape, its surface is either flat or wavy. The downside is this: the declared service life is only 15 years, and every 5 years it is necessary to replace the protective layer. The interior of the flexible slate is subject to burning.

Video: flexible polycarbonate slate

Calculation of the required amount of material

The standard dimensions of wave slate are 1750 by 1135 millimeters.

The long side of the sheet is usually attached horizontally. Wave material must be mounted on an overlapping fence, for which there is a margin of 125 mm. This makes it easier to calculate the length of the fence. It is easy to guess that for 1 meter of construction you will need one sheet, set horizontally by a wave.

Interestingly, it is when working with wave slate that you should not be afraid of incorrect marking, because the sheets can hide all the errors between the pillars.

Flat material is available in four sizes:

1. Length 3 meters, width 1.5 meters.
2. Length 2 meters, width 1.5 meters.
3. Length 1.75 meters, width 1.13 meters.
4. Length 1.5 meters, width 1 meter.

Most often they try to buy the third option, paying attention to the thickness. This parameter should be equal to 10 mm, then the sheet itself will weigh 40 kg. For comparison: a thickness of 8 mm is already lighter - 30 kg.

Calculating the amount of material is very simple: you need to measure the total length of the fence and divide by one sheet. More precisely, by the amount that remains without overlap. Having received the required number of units, it is necessary to purchase with a margin of 2 or 3 pieces.

An example of calculating the number of sheets of wave slate

Assume that the total length of the perimeter is 40 meters. The wave slate 1750 by 1135 mm in the amount of 40 units is being worked on (the working surface of one sheet is 1 m). With a margin, they buy not 40 sheets, but 42-43, because marriage and mistakes in construction are inevitable.

Necessary tools for building a fence

When installing on your own, it’s better to work in pairs, but you can’t do it without the following set of tools:

• grinder or screwdriver with a cutting nozzle;
• drill;
• welding machine;
• spanners;
• levels;
• plumb;
• construction hammers;
• fixing bolts.

Step by step guide to making a slate fence

The work is performed in the following sequence:

1. Using a hand drill around the perimeter of the marking, arrange holes for the poles. When there is no such tool, they take an ordinary shovel to work and carefully dig deep, but not wide holes. They try to make sure that further pouring with a solution is economical. Pits are made one third of the length of the pillars.
2. Install poles. The corners can serve as a support metal profile or pieces of pipes. These components, together with the pillar, must subsequently be poured with concrete or cement. The distance between the posts is no more than two and a half meters.
3. Install veins. Between the pillars you need to fix horizontal strips, which are usually made of timber, and when budget construction- from poles. These elements must be fixed with screws. If the veins are made from profile pipe, they are mounted using welding machine. In the absence of such a tool, you can drill holes in iron posts and fasten any kind of pole to the bolts. When this part of the work is done, it is desirable to protect the fence frame with automotive mastic. Usually they try to apply more than one layer, then the frame structure will be completely protected from corrosion.
4. Lay out the preparatory base along the entire fence line. An old brick is being put into work, a special platform is being poured less often.
5. Install the fence sheet. Sheets of slate are alternately fixed on the frame with nails or self-tapping screws.

Video: how to paint fence posts

Finishing and decorating a slate fence

It is not difficult to protect, decorate and maintain this type of fence. It is enough to follow some established rules:

Any mechanical damage to the slate is thought out in advance, otherwise its service life is reduced several times.

Video: installing a slate fence

Slate was invented for roofing, but it is not always worth creating reliable fences or barriers from it. They stop on this material only if there is a large residue after construction or there is no suitable modern material in the shop. While in the back alleys of the countryside, where the likelihood of theft good material too high, nail on the poles old slate would be the best solution.

A slate fence is an economical and quickly erected structure, but does not differ in spectacular appearance. The fence has a sufficient level of reliability to protect the territory from the penetration of stray animals and unauthorized persons.

Advantages and disadvantages

When designing a fence, it is necessary to take into account the disadvantages of using slate. They can affect the durability and comfort of operation of the structure. Of the minuses, the following properties and characteristics of slate can be noted:

• hygroscopicity, due to which the use of this material is recommended for regions with a moderately humid climate;
• weight (at least 10 kg / m²), which requires the installation of powerful supports;
• low degree of aesthetic appeal;
• fragility, characterized by instability to mechanical stress, as a result of which the fence can be damaged by a stone from under the wheels of a passing car.

A fence made of slate has its advantages. They are often a decisive factor in favor of choosing this material for fencing:

• Fire resistance.
• UV resistant.
• Durability (the service life of a flat slate is at least 15 years, and a wave slate is at least 20).
• Low price.
• Frost resistance.
• Flexibility in processing.

If you choose between chain-link mesh and slate, the advantages of the second are obvious. But in all respects it loses to corrugated board, except for the price.

Types of slate for fencing

Slate is made from an asbestos-cement composition, which can include modifying additives in an amount of not more than 5% of the total volume of the mixture. There are 2 types of this material:

• flat;
• wave.

Each group has different types materials, the properties of which you need to know when choosing a method of fencing garden plot or home area.

Wave

A wave slate fence can hardly be called an aesthetically attractive design, but it is advantageous for its low price. In the first years of production of this material, only 1 type was produced. Subsequently, the range expanded and today you can buy slate with different heights and wave pitch. These 2 sheet parameters are indicated through a slash: 40/150 mm and 54/200 mm. The thickness of the sheets depends on their dimensions. The larger the canvas, the thicker it is.

In accordance with GOST, the following types of wave slate are distinguished:

• sheet 175x112.5 cm, type 40/150 (6 waves), thickness 5.8 mm, weight 23.2 kg;
• sheet 175x98 cm (7 waves), thickness 5.8 mm, weight 26.1 kg;
• sheet 175x113.5 cm, type 40/150 (8 waves), thickness 5.8-7.5 mm, weight 26.1-35 kg.

Manufacturers can produce products in other sizes. Today the market offers painted wave and flat slates. The service life of these materials is 1.5 times higher than that of traditional gray slate. Strength is achieved by introducing special additives and pigments into the composition.

Flat

A flat slate fence has more advantages than a wave slate fence. Smooth flat sheets are easy to install and have greater strength due to the increased thickness. A wider range of sizes of canvases is also important. But first of all, you need to decide what kind of slate is required for the construction of the fence: pressed (LPP) or non-pressed (LNP). The corresponding abbreviation is on each asbestos-cement sheet.

Pressed flat slate has the best strength and other performance characteristics. But LDL also has its advantage: it is lighter in weight. LPP is a commonly used material for fencing various industrial and agricultural facilities. The demand is due to high strength, durability, suitability for re-assembly.

Metal

Metal slate is a popular building material - corrugated board. These blades are made of sheet steel, galvanized and painted. powder paint. A protective layer is applied over it, the thickness and composition of which can be different.

Manufacturers offer a wide range of corrugated sheets with different colors and wave profiles. Metal slate is more durable and aesthetically attractive than asbestos cement. But the price of these materials differs in favor of the second.

How to make a slate fence?

1. In order to make a slate fence with your own hands, you need to calculate the amount of required materials.
2. Determine the length of the fence along the perimeter.
3. Subtract the distance required to install the gate and gate.
4. Divide the resulting value by the width of the selected type of material. If the result is a fractional number, it is rounded up.
5. Add 1-2 canvases for stock.
6. If you buy a wave slate, take into account that it is laid with an overlap of 1 wave.

Choose the material of the pillars and their cross section. You can use metal or wooden supports. Consider that you will need hinged and feigned poles for arranging gates and wickets.

It is recommended to buy slate with a size of 175x113.5 cm. Be sure to pay attention to the thickness of the sheets. Not only the strength of the material depends on it, but also the ease of its installation. So, a sheet measuring 175x113.5 cm and 10 mm thick weighs 40 kg. And a similar canvas with a thickness of 8 mm - 30 kg.

Tool and material preparation

Metal supports are good for their strength and durability. In order to prevent the formation of rust, the poles are covered with anti-corrosion primer. You can use any compositions based on alkyd, epoxy, polyurethane, oil, polyvinyl chloride. If further painting of the supports is planned, anti-corrosion treatment of the metal is carried out in 2 stages:

• if pipes with signs of rust, apply special primers for rust;
• alkyd primer "GF 017" or epoxy "EP 076" is applied to pure metal;
• after the first layer has dried, the pipes are covered with a second type of primer: a two-component primer for painting.

With such preparation, the supports for the fence and gate will last for many years. But in order for them to be stable, they need to be installed correctly. The optimal cross-section of pipes is 50 mm. If it is decided to install wooden supports, they are also prepared by covering them with a protective antiseptic primer. The optimal section of wooden poles is 100x100 mm.

Choose and buy slate. Cloths are stored in the place where they will be protected from accidental impact. If wave material is purchased, The best way stacking - without displacement of waves horizontally.

A slate fence is erected in different ways:

• install flat canvases in frames welded from metal corners;
• a concrete tape is poured and slate sheets rest on it;
• fasten the canvases to the poles with the help of self-tapping screws and screws, reinforce the structure with veins.

To perform the work you will need tools:

• grinder with a disk for metal (for cutting metal poles and frames from corners);
• screwdriver with drills (if wooden poles are installed);
• roulette;
• bubble level;
• plumb;
• fasteners (wood screws for wooden supports, screws with nuts for metal ones);
• pegs and rope for marking.

Frame device

In order to build a slate fence, first of all, mark the site. Pegs are driven in at its corner points. If the distance between them is too great, intermediate ones are driven in. Stretch a rope between these supports. Then follow the step by step instructions:

1. With the help of a tape measure, they find the places for installing the pillars. The optimal distance between them is 2-2.5 m.
2. At the points found, pits are dug with a hand drill or with a shovel. Each post should be set 1/3 into the ground. At the same time, its lower end should be buried 20-30 cm below the freezing point of the soil in the construction region. In this case, the column will not change its vertical position during seasonal soil movements associated with the processes of freezing or thawing.
3. The lower part of the pillars, intended for immersion in the ground, is waterproofed with coating insulation - bitumen-based mastic. Pay special attention to the ends.
4. The bottom of each pit is leveled and compacted.
5. Pour a layer of sand 5-7 cm thick on the bottom and ram it.
6. Pour 10 cm of gravel on the sand and compact it.
7. Install the pole and align it vertically using a level and jibs.
8. The pit is either filled with concrete or filled with gravel, with each layer carefully compacted.
9. Install all poles.
10. Wooden logs (veins) are mounted between the supports from boards or metal pipes. You can use the corner.

For greater stability of the fence, a formwork is mounted along its line and a concrete tape is poured with pillars embedded in it. But this stage of work is not required.

Sheet mounting

Do-it-yourself slate fence is built by installing sheets one by one and fixing them with self-tapping screws or screws. The simplest but most reliable way of attaching asbestos-cement sheets is to nails. In this process, dexterity is important so as not to break the slate fence by accidentally hitting it with a hammer. If screws are used to fasten the sheets, a wrench is required.

It is important to install the first canvas correctly, carefully aligning it horizontally. All the following sheets are mounted, focusing on the first. You can do the following: install the first and last sheet in the same fence line and pull a thin rope between these canvases. It is important to ensure that it does not sag and, if necessary, install intermediate canvases.

Finishing and decoration

The gray slate fence has an unsightly and dull look. There are several options for its design, each of which is able to give the fence an aesthetic appeal. Metal corners installed along the bottom and top lines of the canvases will provide the fence with a finished look. Metal can be painted with any suitable moisture resistant paint.

Slate is also painted. This will not only give it visual appeal, but also provide resistance to moisture. Acrylic paints are recommended for coloring slate. Before starting work, you need to decide how the paint will be applied: with a brush or spray gun. The second option is most preferable, since slate has a porous, difficult to paint surface. The composition applied by spraying will penetrate into all cracks and create a durable waterproof layer.

In order for the finishing layer to be firmly held on the surface of the slate, all fencing sheets are pre-coated with a deep penetration primer. Choose a composition that is recommended for surface treatment before painting. There are also special paints for slate, but not every building supermarket can buy them.

Another way to decorate the fence is to plant along the fence. climbing plants. Growing, they will fill all the sheets, pillars and veins. The appearance of the fence will resemble a hedge with its beauty.

Despite the low price of slate, fencing from it cannot be called the most inexpensive. But it is cheaper than brick or corrugated board. At self installation fence can save on installation work.