Today, wave slate is one of the most popular and affordable building materials for roofing. It has a lot of advantages, among which the main ones are strength, frost resistance and a long service life. But any, even the most durable material, sooner or later becomes worthless. What is the service life of the slate on the roof? Unfortunately, not as great as its long history.
Roof Slate Life
The regulatory documents indicate a clear service life of this type of roof. He is 30 years old. But there are several ways to extend the life of the slate on the roof to 50 years. Let's consider them in more detail.
It is advisable to purchase a coated slate
It is better to choose a wave slate with a factory coating, which will significantly reduce water absorption and increase resistance to weathering. Such a roof retains its attractive appearance for 10-12 years, and does not lose its protective characteristics for at least 30 years.
Factory slate coating protects the roof from:
- sudden changes in temperature, severe frosts and heat;
- UV radiation
- wind, high humidity, rain and other atmospheric phenomena;
- abrasion;
- alkaline exposure.
Only need to cooperate with an experienced construction company
There are many reasons why you need to choose professionals, not amateurs, but we will give only two examples.
- Transportation. Workers throw slate in the truck. Many people think that if there is no visible damage, then you can not worry about the integrity of the building material. But this is an erroneous opinion. During transportation, the sheets must be folded very carefully, to prevent friction, not to hit. Otherwise, damage may occur when unloading or laying the cover.
- Mounting. One builder drilled holes for fasteners in advance, and his partner missed this stage of work and screwed it into a solid sheet, which immediately increased the risk of microcracks. Also, do not forget about polymer or rubber gaskets that absorb the displacement of the slate relative to the fasteners. If the temperature changes, this will reduce the likelihood of damage.
Very often, unskilled specialists do not know all the secrets and subtleties of roofing, which is important to consider when choosing a contractor. To verify the professionalism and skill of workers, you need to check the availability of documents at the construction team: it must have a license for roofing and installation works.
Twice a year to check the condition of the roof
This will allow you to detect a possible problem in time.
To extend the life of the slate on the roof, it is important to provide periodic care for it. So, in the winter it is required to clean from snow, since at this time of the year the load on the roof increases significantly, as a result of which cracks and breaks can appear. You need to start cleaning with a cornice and gradually move to the visor - this way you can avoid the formation of a large snowdrift on the surface. You can not try to clean the ice, as there is a risk of damaging the roof.
In summer, it is necessary to conduct an inspection and, if necessary, to make a simple repair, which will delay the replacement of slate for 5 years or more.
There are several ways to upgrade slate and regain appeal and integrity. Usually it is enough to clean this roofing and cover it with a layer of paint made of polymers or acrylic. But often there is a need for more serious restoration work, which includes sealing holes and cracks.
How and how to paint the slate on the roof
To update the slate roofing, special paints are used. Staining gives the surface aesthetics, increases the service life of the slate on the roof, reduces the likelihood of cracking. Acrylic and polymer paints are used for painting , creating a strong protective film that prevents ultraviolet and atmospheric influences.
Before painting, the slate must be cleaned of debris, rinsed from the hose and left to dry completely. A cloudy day is chosen for painting, since work at high temperature will cause the surface to peel off very quickly. They paint the slate using the most ordinary paint brush, which allows not only to apply an even layer of the coloring composition, but also to achieve good absorption in the material.