Today in our country there is a huge number of construction stores where you can purchase a wide variety of goods. Modern roofing materials are gradually replacing the slate familiar to most adults, and this is due to many advantages. Especially reliable today is the roof of ondulin. Some may hear this term for the first time, while professionals who have already tested the material in action, admire its strength, reliability and convenience. So what kind of material is this, how to use it correctly and what is the best way to cut ondulin?
General information
For a long time, this material was used by builders only as a means to repair existing roofs. But over time and the evaluation of all its advantages, it gained independence and began to be used as a separate version of the roof cladding. Manufacturers of ondulin give a guarantee for 15 years of using roofing material, but in reality, following from its characteristics, conclusions can be drawn about a much longer service, up to half a century.
Ondulin (how to cut the material will be described in detail below) completely does not contain asbestos, characteristic for the manufacture of slate sheets and very harmful to humans.
This makes it an environmentally friendly option for roofing, able to withstand any weather conditions:
- hurricane wind up to 53 m / s;
- extreme heat;
- severe frosts;
- heavy snow on the roof.
Material is made from bitumen and saturated cartonboard waste. Dyes for ondulin are also selected exclusively eco-friendly. You can find a wide variety of shades of black, brown, red and green.
Main advantages
In addition to the already listed qualities of the roofing material, a number of other characteristics should be attributed to its strengths.
So, ondulin (what to cut and how to do it right, will be discussed below) has:
- low moisture absorption;
- a wide selection of colors;
- resistance to fungi and other biological microorganisms;
- resistance to alkali, gases, acids and so on;
- environmental friendliness;
- ease of installation and cutting;
- durability.
In general, the installation of an ondulin roof is similar to the similar process of laying slate, but has a number of features in connection with the material for the manufacture of a roofing shelter.
Material properties
Many do not dare to purchase this option of roofing for personal needs even after acquaintance with the advantages listed above, since they doubt whether it is possible to cut ondulin and how to do it correctly. The question is actually very relevant, since the further indicator of the service of the entire roofing shelter depends precisely on how well the work will be done. With improper cutting or installation, even all the advantages of the material become insignificant, because the entire roof will not last long.
If you study in detail ondulin, how to cut it and how to properly lay it even before you start work, then even an inexperienced roofer can achieve good results. Material with proper installation and operation can last up to 50 years, which means that the roof will not need to be repaired all this time. Such indicators are achieved due to the high strength of the roofing shelter, its endurance, environmental friendliness, heat and moisture insulation, lightness and fire safety. As a roofing material, ondulin (how to cut it in more detail below) is ideal for use in all weather conditions, but according to its certificate, the material can ignite at a temperature of 250-300 degrees, this should be remembered by homeowners in especially hot regions.
What to use for cutting
To answer the question of what to cut ondulin correctly, one should not go deep into the properties of the material.
You can use for this:
- circular saw;
- electric jigsaw.
How can I cut ondulin yet? If you just need to fit individual sections of the roof under the unevenness on the roof or cut the sheets in a straight line, then you can use the usual construction knife or hacksaw. The selection of a working tool depends on the future volume of work. So, electrical devices that facilitate human efforts to complete the task are ideal when cutting a large amount of ondulin immediately. It is important to choose circular saws with a large number of teeth in a circle and hacksaws with large teeth.
Proper cutting
In order not to spoil the material and perform cutting according to measurements of the roof, it is necessary to carry out all work only on a flat surface, below. Installation and supply of material to the top should be done with ready-made cut sheets. For accuracy, before cutting the ondulin on the roof, it must be correctly marked, which should also be done on the ground. To keep the lines straight, you can use long wooden slats over two meters or another, uncut, sheet of material. All sections of the sections should be marked with bright contrasting crayons, and the transverse lines with risks on the protruding waves.
Work speed
If it is necessary to lay the ondulin on the roof as soon as possible and at the same time not to spoil its sheets in a hurry, cutting can be done immediately in batches. Since the material is quite light, an electric jigsaw or saw can cope with the cutting of several sheets at once, the main thing is that the diameter of the disk is enough and all the sheets are securely fastened together.
Before cutting ondulin at an angle, in a straight line or in other ways, it is necessary to periodically wet the cutting blades of the devices with water or machine oil, this will speed up the cutting process. In extreme heat, it is recommended that you even leave the hacksaw in a bucket of cool water until it is used.
To quickly clean the cutting elements of adhering bitumen and continue working, wet the blades in kerosene, toluene or solvent. For electrical appliances, it will be enough from time to time to walk along a wooden surface, making cuts on it, which will clean the teeth.
Why you can not cut the material directly on the roof
First of all, cutting directly on the roof creates the likelihood of accidental damage to other components of the roof, because the saw can jump off and cut the supporting beams or flooring materials. It is also difficult to fix the ondulin right at the height for accurate marking, because under the slope it can constantly move out.
Reviews
Among all those who used this material for sheltering the roofs, the absolute majority remained quite a result. First of all, the favorable cost of the material and the complete absence of smell are highlighted even with strong heating in the summer. Many are also pleased that during the rain no roar can be heard on the roof, and during a strong increase in temperature the roof does not crack. The lack of material can only be called its fading with time. Even after a few years it will be noticeable to the naked eye, but ondulin does not lose its properties. In general, a roof made of such a material leaves a restrained and positive impression, since cardboard, as a part of many, is scared by the risk of fire, and the softness of the material when heating is even more alarming, but there have not yet been cases that would confirm the fears. In reality, the material demonstrates only its positive qualities.
Conclusion
Based on the foregoing, it should be noted that cutting and cutting of material can easily be carried out even by a layman in this field, the main thing is to follow the advice:
- choose the right tool;
- mark and cut sheets on a flat surface of the earth;
- periodically clean cutting blades.
If there are doubts about your own strengths, then it is better not to take risks and entrust the installation of the roof to professionals. Moreover, there are currently quite a lot of organizations that provide a variety of construction services.