In the process of using slate, one way or another, you have to get involved in a dispute regarding what slate is made of and whether it is harmful to health. Accordingly, you will have to figure out how to eliminate or partially reduce the risk of harm. The harm of this roofing material is a well-known topic for discussion on building forums on the Internet. In this regard, it will be useful to dot the i and see if the slate is actually harmful, or is this another myth.
Background
Natural flat slate slate began to be used for a very long time, in any case, led an investigation during the Middle Ages. They covered houses, protecting themselves from snow, rain and wind. Noble building owners considered the slate to be durable and comfortable. In the XX century, instead of natural slate, a more accessible type came - slate made of asbestos cement, which in a short time conquered first the European market, and then the domestic one.
He came up with what to make slate from and patented this production technology (from asbestos cement), an engineer from Austria - L. Gatchek. With its help, in 1902 a unique company was formed that produced slate. With incredible speed, industry "flowed" to the French, Italians and Czechs. In 1908, the manufacture of building material also captured the domestic market.
The resulting competition has contributed to a phased decline in prices for sheets of asbestos cement and an increase in demand among builders for a long period of time. By the way, at first asbestos-cement sheets were called “eternit”, meaning “eternal”. Using this roofing material, they solved the difficulties with roofing. In the process of destruction of buildings, the slate was dismantled and moved to other houses.
The first domestic slate
In the post-Soviet space, building material began to be made in 1908. Officially, production was launched in the village of Fokino, which is located near Bryansk. The manufacture of coatings quickly gained popularity, since Russia has the largest reserves of materials on the planet, from which slate was made in the USSR. Thus, before the Second World War 6 plants appeared in Rostov-on-Don, Voskresensk, Kramatorsk, Sukhoi Luga, Novorossiysk, and also Volsk.
During the period of hostilities, some enterprises were transported to the east. Most of the factories were destroyed during the war, after the end they were not reconstructed.
In the 60s, slate became the main building material - almost every building of that time shows slate. In addition to covering roofs, sheets were used for facing purposes, as well as for the construction of fences. At that time, a large number of new enterprises were opened. But the production volumes of chrysotile cement sheets suddenly decreased during the restructuring. Following the split of the Soviet Union, only 28 of the 58 plants remained operational, and some of them unwittingly reduced their assortment.
The composition of domestic slate
The full technological name of the roofing material in relation to GOST is asbestos cement sheets, wave or flat. From this we can conclude about its composition. What is slate made of? For the manufacture of 3 components are used: asbestos fibers, cement and water. Asbestos fibers included in the composition of the roofing material is a component that makes the sheets, according to some people, harmful and even dangerous to human health.
Types of Slate
Asbestos cement sheets were in great demand in Soviet times. What slate was made of at that time is described above. It is worth noting that before it was made exclusively in gray, but today materials of different colors come across. It is produced by pouring the mixture into specialized containers in which the roofing material reaches a reliable, strong form.
In the CIS countries, most builders today consider slate to be the best roofing material. Today in the building materials market there are different types of slate.
Seven-wave slate
Product with 7 waves on the coating. The sheet has the following parameters:
- length - 1 m 75 cm,
- thickness - 5.8 mm
- width 98 cm
- weight - 23.2 kg.
For the laying of this slate, specialized nails or an adhesive solution are used. The step of one wave with standard product parameters is 15 cm, and the height is 4 cm. The last (extreme) wave is slightly smaller than the others, but this characteristic does not violate the requirements of GOST.
Eight-wave slate
Roofing material manufacturing standards are established by GOST 30340-95. Due to the claimed details, it is easy to distinguish fiction from the original. One sheet has a length of 1 m 75 cm, a width of 1 m 13 cm, a thickness of 5.8 mm and a weight of 26.1 kg. The step of one wave is most often 15 cm, and the height is 4 cm.
Soft slate
It began to be produced relatively recently in the developed states of Europe. This type of slate is environmentally friendly, both for humans and for the environment. What is soft type slate made of? The fact is that the composition includes natural mineral substances. The main constituent material of the coating is a fiber of minerals impregnated with a substance based on bitumen. It is lightweight and has a fairly impressive shelf life.
Metal slate
The main component of what slate metal wave is made of is galvanized steel. Thanks to innovative technologies, it is placed under the press, thereby giving a wavy shape. Such coverage can be seen on the roofs of large industrial buildings.
Flat slate
What is flat slate made of? The composition of this roofing material does not differ from other types of material. The main components are asbestos and cement mixture. Such slate is used in the construction of skyscrapers, country houses and even ordinary household structures. Often, people mean by slate asbestos-cement mixture, which is given the shape of a wave, but now you can easily find other types of roofing material. Only the components of which flat slate are made remain unchanged.
The danger of slate. Myth or truth?
Many, reflecting on what slate is made of and whether it is harmful, argue that its negative effect on the human body is quite real. Others consider this to be another myth that manufacturers of more expensive roofing building materials came up with. Regarding this issue, there is ongoing debate, where each side is trying to prove its own point of view. Surprising as it may be, in part both sides are right.
So what is slate made of? Is the effect on the human body scientifically proven? The fact is that when mixing the initial solution, a harmful element, as is commonly believed, is included, namely asbestos fiber. It is considered a resource of carcinogen substances, which, if penetrated into the human body, can lead to serious illnesses.
However, there is one caveat, which is that not every type of asbestos fiber is dangerous. The bottom line is that an elastic material, consisting of thin fibers and being a mineral in its content, is divided into 2 key categories:
- Chrysotile is resistant to alkali, but breaks down in acid.
- Amphibole - difficult to respond to the influence of acid, but breaks down in alkali.
From the above it can be concluded that for living organisms, the second category of asbestos is considered the most harmful, but it was used in the manufacture of slate in Europe because of the lack of chrysotile asbestos. After the collapse of the USSR, the situation is reversed. In the production of roofing sheets, chrysotile asbestos is now used , which is less harmful to human health.
Quite recently, researchers found that amphibole asbestos is dangerous for the human body, and therefore a ban was introduced on the use of asbestos containing building materials, which also included slate.
What do the experts say?
Many researchers say that the harmfulness of roofing material made from asbestos and cement is “far-fetched.” In fact, their point of view is that you should not refuse a reliable slate. It is only necessary to secure the employees of the factories by giving them the necessary personal safety equipment.
The same applies to workers in the construction industry, cutting slate sheets, and household craftsmen who personally lay the roof or build a fence from sheets of asbestos cement. Do not forget that in the process of sawing, breaking or crushing the coating in the air, elements of asbestos fibers begin to soar, which are able to penetrate the lungs during breathing.
Implicit evidence in favor of a “dangerous” building material for the roof is the fact that reinforcing fibers are also included in today's types of asbestos-free coatings:
- polyethylene;
- cellulose;
- polypropylene;
- carbon and more.
Conclusion
It is believed that only asbestos dust, which is formed during the cutting process or during mechanical damage to the slate sheets, is dangerous. If they only lie on the roof or site, then they do not do any harm. According to the advocates of this highly demanded material for roofing, the hype about the harm of slate is done only to make asbestos-free materials more popular in the construction market.