The roof is the most important element of any home, because it is designed to protect the room from the effects of atmospheric phenomena. When it comes to the roof of a private house, then, in addition to reliability, its appearance is of great importance. Property owners are trying to choose a universal, aesthetic and durable coating. Euro slate (ondulin) meets all these requirements. Its laying is quite simple, and the material itself has excellent operational characteristics, which make it quite popular and popular both in the CIS countries and in Europe.
What is Ondulin so good for, what is it made of, and how complicated is its installation? These and many other issues relating to this type of roof, we will consider in this article.
What is euro slate and how is it made
Probably, each owner of a private house, before acquiring a roofing, will be interested in its characteristics and the material from which it is made. Many will be surprised, but ordinary pressed waste paper acts as the main raw material used in the production of ondulin.
Various mineral fillers and synthetic resins with coloring pigments are added to the cleaned paper waste. The resulting sheets under high pressure are impregnated with bitumen, which makes them sufficiently strong and resistant to atmospheric phenomena.
The main characteristics of the material
In appearance, bitumen sheets are very similar to ordinary slate, but if you look at their technical characteristics, you will notice a number of differences. Namely:
1. One of the most fire-hazardous roofing materials is considered to be ondulin. Its laying can be carried out exclusively on a non-combustible base. At a temperature of more than 250 degrees, the bituminous coating quickly ignites, which makes it impossible to use it on the roofs of schools, kindergartens, clinics and other public institutions.
2. Unlike slate, the weight of one sheet of ondulin does not exceed 6.5 kilograms. This feature allows us to classify the euro slate as the most lightweight materials that do not exert a large load on the rafter system. Laying ondulin on the roof can be done with your own hands, without special equipment and a large number of assistants. Transportation of material also does not require large expenditures, since sheets can be delivered to the site using your own car.
3. Ondulin, the laying of which is discussed in detail in this article, is able to withstand large physical loads (960 kgf / sq. M). Such a roof is not subject to deformation, is resistant to strong gusts of wind and does not lose strength under the influence of frosts and large layers of snow.
Sheet specifications
In order to correctly calculate the ondulin (to determine the right amount of material), you should pay attention to the dimensions of one sheet. Today, manufacturers produce products in the following sizes:
• the length of one sheet is 2000 mm;
• the width of each element is 960 mm;
• the indicator of sheet thickness is in the range of 2.8-3.2 mm;
• wave pitch is 95 mm;
• wave height - 36 mm;
• 10 waves are located on one sheet;
• the useful area of one element depends on the angle of the roof and can be 1.29 / 1.54 / 1.56 meters.
Color spectrum
The color scheme of Euroslate can hardly be called extensive. Most often on trading floors you can find red, green, black and brown ondulin. The colors are mostly muted, but on the roofs of the houses the material looks very attractive. The presence of a small number of shades does not interfere with choosing a roof, which will successfully combine with the facade of the house and additional buildings.
When choosing a Euro slate, you should not focus only on the color of the sheet, pay special attention to the quality of the products and the reliability of the manufacturer. For comparison, check out several soft roof samples at the same time.
You should not give preference to too cheap products, because if the price is prohibitively underestimated, then the manufacturer has saved something. Often, such savings are directly reflected in the quality of the material and its service life.
Today, there are many stores where you can buy high-quality ondulin (Leroy Merlin, Castorama, Maxidom, OBI, etc.). They offer a huge assortment of bitumen roofing from different manufacturers. In large retail chains, you can find products of all possible colors, in addition, large stores value their name very much and try to sell only certified goods of appropriate quality. Therefore, if you want to purchase high-quality ondulin, Leroy Merlin and similar stores visit first.
Euro slate cost
To cover the roof with bitumen sheets is a cost-effective solution. Ondulin manufacturers give a 15-year warranty on their products. However, practice shows that with strict observance of installation technology and proper operation, such a roof can last more than five decades. Therefore, we can safely say that the cost of acquiring the euro slate is justified.
If we talk about specific figures, the average price of ondulin today varies between 350-500 rubles.
The following factors also affect the total amount:
1. The volume of the order. For wholesale buyers, the price is usually slightly reduced.
2. The remoteness of enterprises producing bitumen roofing. The costs of delivering the material (from the manufacturer to the supplier) are always included in the cost of the product itself.
3. The shade in which the ondulin is painted. The colors of the sheets have a direct impact on the final cost. This is due to the fact that for the manufacture of multi-colored euro slate, expensive coloring technologies are used.
Remember: in addition to the main roofing material, you will need various accessories (skate, valley, tongs, apron covering, cornice sealant, etc.). Their cost must also be included in the estimate. Do not forget about nails for ondulin. It should be noted that they differ from ordinary slate nails , so we will dwell on their choice separately.
Fasteners for Euro Slate
Special nails for ondulin are distinguished by the presence of caps made of polypropylene or polyvinyl chloride. It is noteworthy that both of these materials are quite resistant to ultraviolet radiation and temperature fluctuations.
Enlarged hats provide the necessary tightness of the roofing and high reliability of fastening, which are not violated even with strong gusts of wind.
The concave shape of the gasket contributes to the most tight fixation of the fasteners on the sheet, and the presence of a plastic cover on the cap helps protect the nail from unwanted contact with water.
The metal part of the fastener is made of carbon steel. Its length is usually 70-75 mm, and the diameter is 3.5 mm. The nail itself is coated with a protective zinc solution, which makes the product resistant to corrosion.
Thanks to the use of special nails, the ondulin fastening is of high quality and quite durable.
For laying one sheet you will need at least 20 fasteners.
When all the necessary materials have already been purchased, you can proceed with their installation. Those who plan to hire professional roofers should be aware that their services will cost between 700-800 rubles per m². Nevertheless, experienced specialists will quickly and accurately lay ondulin. Do-it-yourself styling will help you avoid additional costs, but how to do this work yourself, we will consider further in our article.
Foundation preparation
Laying ondulin on the roof begins with the preparation of the base, which is a wooden crate. Most often, its step is 45 cm, however, depending on the angle of the roof, this distance can be adjusted. So, let's look at what criteria determine the step with which the crate will be installed under the ondulin.
1. If the level of the slope of the rafters is less than 10 degrees, you should install a solid base of plywood, boards or OSB boards. In this case, the sheets of euro slate are overlapped by 2 waves. The top slate should go 30 cm to the bottom. These recommendations should be considered for those who cannot figure out how to lay ondulin on a pitched roof. This method of laying is often used on non-residential buildings.
2. If the angle of inclination is from 10 to 15 degrees, the crate for the ondulin is installed in increments of 45 cm. The structure itself is assembled from bars of 5 x 5 cm or 4 x 6 cm. The sheets overlap the previous ones by 1 wave, and go each other in length friend at 20 cm.
3. In cases where the angle of inclination exceeds an indicator of 15 degrees, the step of the crate is approximately 60 cm. Wave overlap is performed on a single wave, and the vertical overlap will be equal to 17 cm.
4. If any curvature is present on the roof, the crate is equipped with a more frequent step. This is necessary so that in these places the material can normally withstand various loads.
You should also pay attention to the recommendations of the manufacturer who made ondulin. The installation instructions in the package usually indicate the maximum possible and minimum allowable step of the crate.
Please note that the installation of the lathing should be carried out at a temperature of at least 2 degrees, since at lower temperatures the wood has the property of cracking.
The procedure for laying ondulin
During the installation of the roofing, it is necessary to follow all the rules and recommendations for working with this material. The slightest deviations from the laying technology will entail a quick failure of the coating, which will lead to additional waste.
Laying ondulin on the roof involves the following work:
1. All material and cooked tools are lifted upstairs.
2. Laying of the flooring starts from the edge of the ramp (from its lower part), which is located opposite the windy side.
3. The first row is mounted taking into account the overhangs, the second is laid in a checkerboard pattern.
4. When mounting the second row, the sheets are positioned so that the corner overlap is formed not by four, but by three sheets. To do this, first, not a whole sheet of ondulin is put, but half of it.
5. Nails (at right angles) are driven into the ondulin in the middle of the upper wave. On the lower edge of the sheet, the fasteners are driven into each wave, and the middle part is pinned to the crate in a checkerboard pattern.
6. If in the process of work it becomes necessary to extract a previously hammered nail, for these purposes a small wooden block is taken and placed in an incident wave. A nail puller rests against it and carefully remove unnecessary fasteners from the slate.
7. To install the valleys, an additional crate is constructed. The work will be performed much faster if you use materials from the same company that manufactured the ondulin.
8. Skate elements are also better to buy original ones. Their installation is carried out from the leeward side. The overlap should be at least 12.5 cm. Fasteners are driven in all the waves of the sheet connecting with the ridge.
9. In the places where the roof and the walls of the house join, the material that was used to equip the valleys is laid. Seams are smeared with silicone sealant.
10. The design of the forceps is made of special forceps elements. They are bent and attached to the gable board and the edges of the ondulin sheet.
11. The joints of the slate with the ventilation and chimney pipes are insulated with silicone and covered with a covering apron. Its fastening is carried out along all the waves.
Ventilation and tightness of the roof
The technology of laying ondulin involves the implementation of work aimed at ensuring the tightness of the roof and the creation of natural ventilation of the roof. These requirements must not be neglected. What is their implementation necessary for?
Due to the fact that during the operation of the roof, warm air rises from the house upwards, it comes into contact with cold streams, as a result of which condensation forms on the crate. Because of this, the wood begins to rot, loses its strength, and the roof may collapse. That is why it is very important to make ventilation holes that will prevent the accumulation of moisture under the deck.
They are installed under the lower slope of the roof in the form of a kink, which is made from additional elements. It should help to ensure that moisture does not drain onto the walls of the building, but is diverted to the places you need.
The tightness of the flooring is created using all the same additional materials. They cover the ridge of the roof and the ends of the roof. As a result, moisture should drain in the right direction.
Particular attention should be paid to trimming the angles of ondulin at the joints. Why do you need to do this?
Since the sheets of euro slate are overlapped, thick seams are formed at the joints. Snow can penetrate under them, which, under the influence of heat rising from the house, will begin to melt, and water gets under the roofing material.
Cropped corners form less thick seams, as a result of which snow will not penetrate under the slate.
Useful tips for installing ondulin
As mentioned earlier, the installation of the euro slate is very simple. In the process, complex and expensive equipment is not required, it is enough to have a saw, a hammer and a tape measure on hand. Therefore, if you chose onulin as the roofing, laying it will not cause you much difficulty.
Before proceeding with the installation of the roofing material, each sheet is marked with a colored pencil or marker. This can speed up the process of cutting the right pieces. In order not to spend a lot of time measuring each sheet, a template can be cut out of the slate residues, according to which in the future, and marking up the remaining elements.
Ondulin can be cut with a conventional hacksaw on a tree (with small teeth). If it gets stuck in the roofing material, it should be lubricated with oil. Also for these purposes, you can use a circular or electric saw with carbide tips on the disk.
Ondulin should be laid at a temperature of 0 to 30 degrees. In frosty weather, the material becomes more fragile, there is a greater likelihood of cracks. In extreme heat, the sheets soften and, if fixed in this state, the material may crack after cooling.
You should move around the stacked sheets in shoes with soft soles, stepping only on convex waves.
We hope you found the information you are interested in in our article. Successful and easy repair for you!