Is it possible to make a fence from slate. How to make a slate fence. Slate fence. More advantages than disadvantages

Slate fences have been very popular for many years. Especially among residents of private houses, since this material is considered to be very popular and wear-resistant, and also not the most expensive. Each building material has its advantages and disadvantages, and slate is no exception. In addition, when choosing this material as a fence, you need to know about it some of the nuances that you will learn in this article.

Peculiarities

Slate is considered a very popular material that is used to build fences. The material itself is simple, inexpensive and does not raise many questions during installation. A fence made entirely of slate will look very neat and will not attract undue attention.

Many domestic brands are engaged in the release of modern slate. Finding and purchasing it will not be difficult. Such material is suitable for creating high-quality fencing, even in urban areas.

A slate fence is ideal for delimiting adjacent areas. You can easily install it yourself.

Pros and cons

If you decide to choose slate for the construction of a fence, then you should definitely know its main advantages and disadvantages:

• Slate is considered a very durable and wear-resistant material. According to many experts, asbestos slate can last up to thirty years.
• This type of material is considered completely safe and non-combustible. In addition, it is non-toxic.
• Slate is a rather dense material, as a result of which it is very resistant to various types of chemical, thermal and other external influences.
• Ideal for installation even in areas with a harsh climate, because it is not afraid of not only heavy rainfall, but also strong winds. In addition, slate is very frost-resistant. Even during periods when there are strong winds outside, slate will not make unpleasant sounds and interfere with household members, unlike, for example, noisy corrugated board.
• Slate is considered a fairly light material for installation and installation, it is easy to cut and drill. Many are engaged in the installation of a slate fence on their own, without resorting to the help of specialists.
• In addition, the creation of a slate fence does not take much time and effort.

Slate is affordable for many people, however, it can be a little more expensive than some of the materials from which fences are erected in summer cottages or in private estates. Nevertheless, its positive aspects are obvious, and the entire cost will pay off for many years of quality service.

To choose a decent building material, it is worth buying slate only with good characteristics and a top layer that is coated with a special protective pigment. In addition to the fact that slate looks more beautiful with an additional coating, this coating protects the material itself from temperature changes.

The minor disadvantages of slate include the following:

• Despite the fact that the slate fence is not afraid of temperature changes, it is highly not recommended for installation in regions with excessively high humidity, which can significantly reduce the quality of the material over time.
• Asbestos-cement slate sheets are considered very heavy, they should be installed as firmly as possible so that not only the wind cannot shake them, but also so that the fence does not fall under its own weight.
• Some buyers are reluctant to purchase fence slate because they believe it is only suitable for installation in rural areas.

Varieties

If you have already decided that you will build a slate fence, then you should familiarize yourself with all its varieties.

Most people are familiar with only two types of slate coatings, which include flat and wave, however, that's not all.

Flat slate can be:

• Pressed.
• Unpressed.

Pressed slate is considered slightly denser and heavier than unpressed slate.

By all characteristics, it is most suitable for the construction of a durable fence that will last for many years and will not collapse from regular temperature changes.

Wave slate sheets can also please with an assortment of varieties. In addition, today more improved types are appearing on the market, which are in especially high demand. Asbestos cement wave slate is considered to be tougher and more durable compared to other options.

Wave slate also comes in the following varieties:

• Standard or as it is called normal.
• Reinforced.
• Unified.

The main differences are in the height and size of the waves.

DIY fence

In order to build a fence correctly, first of all, it is very important to calculate the amount of material that you will need for construction. The calculation itself is simple, the main thing is to correctly measure the perimeter of the territory (plot), with the exception of those places where the gate and gate, as well as other possible openings, will be located.

After the measurements have been taken, it is recommended to draw up a drawing where it is necessary to arrange all the supports in the corners and along the lines of the future fence. More detailed calculations should be made upon purchase of the material. If you are not sure that you can independently make the correct calculations or build a fence, then it is best to use the services of professionals who will certainly meet all your expectations.

Tools

Be sure to pick up a complete set of tools that will come in handy when building a fence.

The main ones that are used in the preparation process include:

• Level.
• Shovel (most often bayonet).
• Plumb.

Directly for the construction of the slate fence itself, you need:

• Mixer for concrete.
• Welding machine.
• Drill, Bulgarian.
• Hacksaw.
• Spanners.

This list is indicative and may vary slightly, depending on the type of site and the type of slate used. As for the purchase of fence posts, it is best to use metal options. They are considered the most reliable and stable. In addition, they will serve you for many years.

Operating procedure

Despite the fact that on the Internet there are a lot of instructions and video tutorials on how to make a slate fence on your own, before you start work, you should study a lot of information on this subject:

• Before installing a fence, it is necessary to clear the area on which it will be located.
• It is very important to correctly tension the thread along the entire length of the fence so that the future slate fence is even. Do not forget about the markup, which is important to perform, for example, with pegs.
• So that the preparatory procedures do not take you a lot of time and at the same time you do not have many questions, be guided by a pre-prepared drawing, which must be made on paper.
• After you have completed the markings with pegs on the site, you need to start digging holes for the supports.
• Next, iron transverse strips will need to be welded onto the supports, on which the timber should be fixed.
• The trench, which will serve as the foundation, between the posts can be laid out with bricks.
• In the bars, it is necessary to make special holes with a drill. This is done to place fasteners.
• Slate sheets should be installed on a brick base in a vertical position. After that, the sheets should be fixed to the fence beams.

Of the slate sheets, this is the simplest and most affordable protective structure, which is firmly entrenched in the memory of every person who has caught the time of perestroika. The modern market of building finishing materials is replete with a huge range of such products, but just a few decades ago, slate tile fencing was found everywhere and was widely used among people who want to hide the expanses of the local area and personal households. This material has not lost its relevance even today, since every person can build a slate fence with their own hands, while significantly saving money.

Not so long ago, slate sheet fences were widely used and were in vogue due to the fact that the demand for the named material tended to a minimum, and in many industrial enterprises it lay in piles and rotted in the open air. In addition, in most cases, work on equipping the roof of houses was accompanied by the use of slate, since other analogues were much more expensive, and it was more problematic to get them. In view of all these circumstances, we can say with confidence that slate sheathing was the most budgetary option for making a fence.

However, at present the situation has changed somewhat. Comparing the entire presented set of materials suitable for the manufacture of the structure under study, it should be said that a fence made of wooden products will be significantly lower, at the level of corrugated board, the price policy of slate is evened out, and when moving to metal or decorative stones, it is significantly reduced.

Distinctive features of slate

Like any building material, slate has a number of advantages and disadvantages. The main defining benefits are:

• price affordability;
• moderate durability;
• resistance to sudden changes in temperature conditions, the formation of corrosion and the effects of most household chemicals;
• ease of processing and maintenance;
• optimal sound insulation;
• high electrical resistance.

Along with such a significant list of positive characteristics, slate also has a number of negative properties. Significant disadvantages are:

• the negative impact of asbestos (this component of slate, with prolonged exposure to the human body, is capable of developing some pathologies, but with short-term contact, its harm is completely excluded);
• high weight of the final structure;
• poor susceptibility to moisture (installation in regions with high humidity, slate sheets darken over time, and mold begins to form on them);
• high brittleness (with strong point impacts, sheets of material collapse).

When choosing any type of cladding, it should be borne in mind that the concept of the availability of material use includes not only the cost of raw materials, but also the price of the frame, support posts and fasteners. In addition, it should be said that in the studied variant, the wave slate is somewhat more economical than its flat counterpart.

In order to answer the question of how to make a slate fence yourself, you need to perform a number of preparatory procedures. They include similar procedures for the construction of any fence: drawing up a sketch, clearing the site, stretching the guide thread around the perimeter of the future fence and digging foundation pits.

The thread is fastened with the help of improvised means: wooden pegs, pieces of reinforcement or metal rods. The main thing is the implementation of accurate marking of the base in accordance with the planned plan. Slate sheets are a material of a certain shape, so extra or missing centimeters can lead to a redoing of the entire foundation system.

Having decided on the type of raw material underlying the supporting pillars, you should dig holes along the perimeter of the fence with a depth of 80-100 cm. Next, the racks are installed and concrete is poured in any convenient and affordable way: by placing the pillars on a sand and gravel substrate or fixing additional spacers. In addition, do not forget about the main thing - taking into account the characteristics of materials and their protective treatment. To achieve the latter goal, it is more expedient to paint with several layers of antiseptics, wrap with roofing material, coat with resin, etc.

When installing support bases, it is important to consider one important rule - the greater the depth, the better. A reliable deep foundation will subsequently make it possible to avoid deformation of the slate sheets and vertical deviations of the racks, especially during periods of seasonal ground fluctuations, which are characteristic of the middle lane.

The named type of work is performed in the classical way - the frame is mounted and the sections are fixed with bolts. However, even a simple procedure requires precise adherence to dimensions and a certain sequence of actions, so it is more expedient to highlight a few of the most affordable options.

Installation from the outside of the support posts of two horizontal transverse wooden or metal beams made of timber, angle or profile pipes. This method of execution is able to give the structure a certain practicality, however, after some time, cracks and kinks may appear, since the fasteners themselves, due to seasonal changes, will destroy the facing material. To reduce the load created, the pressure should be removed as much as possible by installing silicone or rubber gaskets on both sides of the slate section.

Along with this, it will be useful to install additional base supports under the spans between the pillars. In their quality, concrete curbs or pillars will look good, as well as a strip foundation, rows of stone and brick.

However, you can stop your choice exclusively on metal, leaving a slight gap of 3-5 cm from the soil surface, which will eliminate the contact of the cladding with the ground and premature saturation of the slate with moisture. For this purpose, in the variant of making a fence made of corrugated slate, in the center, between two pillars, a transverse metal beam is welded, on which a sheet is subsequently installed. In the embodiment of a fence made of flat slate, a channel of the appropriate thickness can easily act as an analogue of a flat metal beam.

The width of the retaining base should be sufficient to allow the installation of material with the required wave depth or sheet thickness. To give greater reliability in the option of sheathing the fence with wave slate, the sheets of material should be overlapped on top of each other and fasten the points of contact with bolts.

But in practice, there is another classic, but the simplest way. It is the manufacture of a metal frame around the perimeter of the slate sheet and its subsequent fastening to the supporting pillars by means of a welding machine on two metal crossbars on each side.

Having decided for ourselves with the most suitable type of frame and having completed its construction, we proceed to fixing the slate. The named process is carried out depending on the material chosen for the frame base and in most cases involves the use of two main types of fasteners: slate nails and self-tapping screws.

The first option, in turn, is divided into galvanized and rubberized roofing nails. The difference between the fastening between these elements is that galvanized nails are fixed on the crest of the wave of the asbestos-cement sheet, and rubberized nails are fixed along the gutter. Fasteners are placed in increments of 20–30 cm.

In the option of attaching sheets to a metal base, it is most advisable to use roofing screws for working on metal. The course and features of the work are similar to the process of fastening with nails.

Since slate is a rather fragile material, before attaching the sheets to the prepared base, holes with a diameter slightly smaller than the same value of the fastener should be drilled in the places of intended fixation. In order to avoid distortions, it will be useful to pull the thread along the lower intended border of the placement of sheets.

In conclusion, I would like to highlight the fact that self-construction of a slate fence is a good idea to implement in your country house, which will help save a lot of money. However, it cannot be said with certainty that such a fence will play its owner an infinitely long service, but for ten years, with proper installation and proper care, it can function reliably.

A slate fence is a design that has not been seen too often lately.

This budget version of the fence was replaced by more durable, reliable and aesthetic options.

However, in some cases, slate becomes, if not the only, then the best choice for building a fence.

Most often, to make a slate fence (a cost calculator can be easily found on the Internet), they use material dismantled from the old roof, so the appearance and quality characteristics of such a fence leave much to be desired.

The cost of a new slate sheet is quite affordable for the average consumer, and the fence will have the following undeniable advantages:

• sufficient durability. The average service life of a properly executed slate fence is measured in several decades;
• affordable cost compared to many other, more modern building and finishing materials;
• unpretentiousness in care. A feature of the material is its resistance to decay and corrosive changes, as well as high resistance to temperature extremes;
• simplicity and speed of self-assembly, as well as no need to involve specialists or use expensive professional equipment and tools.

A creative approach allows you to get a fence that is distinguished by a presentable and very original appearance. The most notable disadvantage of a slate fence is its increased fragility. A point, strong enough blow, can cause cracking.

A fence made of flat slate is maintainable, so the damaged area can be restored with steel overlays, and a sheet of wave-type building and finishing material can only be completely replaced.

Fencing examples

A significant mass of slate sheet involves the construction of sufficiently strong load-bearing structures, therefore, when choosing the type and external design of the fence, you must definitely focus on this feature.

There are also a few key factors to consider:

• flat slate sheets are more expensive, but allow you to make fences with the most aesthetic appearance;
• one of the popular varieties of flat sheets is pressed slate, which is characterized by high weight and the ability to withstand a fairly serious level of load;
• flat sheet slate is recommended to be laid in supporting structures, represented by a frame based on metal corners, which allows to increase the strength of the fence, and also significantly improves the appearance;
• fences based on wave slate foliage are mounted very simply, and the material is overlapped, with accurate alignment of the waves.

Slate fence: photo of a combination with a stone

Among other things, slate sheets are perfectly combined with other materials, including brick, metal, wood and stone. Therefore, with the right approach to choosing a design, you can independently build a very original and stylish, inexpensive fence.

In addition to sheets based on asbestos cement, metal and plastic type slate is often used for the installation of fences. The second option is more preferable, due to the ability to build the lightest and most translucent fence.

For those who do not want, like everyone else, there is a large and interesting material and their design features.

And when you want to not only fence yourself off from your neighbors, but decorate your backyard, decorative fences come to the rescue. You will find some interesting design ideas in.

Useful video

The video shows the entire process of installing a new slate fence, except for concreting the fence posts:

At the final stage, the erected fence is decorated by applying an acrylic or alkyd-acrylic coloring composition. Also, a decorative plaster coating can be applied to slate sheets, which will make it possible to obtain not only an economical and practical, but also a very attractive option for fencing.

Slate fences are not considered traditional fencing options, but, under certain circumstances, they can help solve the problem quickly and inexpensively.

• Long service life of the material. Asbestos-cement sheets, even without additional processing, can serve for several decades. They do not change their original properties under the influence of low and high temperatures, are not subject to decay and oxidation;
• The cost of the new material is affordable, although most often for permanent and temporary fences use sheets that were in use, but retained their shape;
• Assembling a fence from flat slate with your own hands, as well as from wavy material, will not be difficult even for a novice builder;
• Asbestos cement sheets allow the maximum use of the imagination of the master. If desired, the sheets can be cut and create original design elements. Paint can be applied to flat surfaces, creating whole paintings.

Slate fences have and negative qualities:

• Fragility. Asbestos-cement sheets are quite easy to damage when struck with a hard object or when bent. The sheets burst, crack, and as a result, for repair, the whole element has to be replaced;
• The slate does not burn, but bursts at high temperatures, firing individual pieces.

What slate to use

You can make a slate fence with your own hands from wavy or flat sheets. Wave material is more often used as a roof covering, while flat slate has many more applications.

flat slate

This material is abbreviated LP-P and LP-NP, which means pressed flat sheet and non-pressed flat sheet.

The difference between pressed and unpressed material is determined by the different value of bending strength.

Pressed sheets have greater strength due to a denser structure, which increases the service life of the material, its frost resistance and resistance to shock loads. The positive aspects of non-pressed products include their small, compared with pressed sheets, weight, as well as lower cost.

The industry produces flat slate in three main sizes:

• 1x1.5 m;
• 2x1.5 m;
• 3x1.5 m.

Wavy slate

The following abbreviations are used to designate corrugated sheets VO, VU and UV, which means wave ordinary, wave enhanced and unified wave. Sheets differ not only in strength characteristics, but also in size: VO - 1120x680 mm, VU - 2800x1000 mm, UV - 1750x1125 mm.

Ordinary corrugated products are used for organizing roofing at small private housing construction facilities (sheds, summer cottages, bathhouses), reinforced sheets can be used to cover roofs at industrial facilities, and universal slate is suitable for any buildings and structures.

For the fencing device, the most suitable option would be to use a reinforced corrugated sheet.

It has the highest strength among the considered asbestos-cement wave materials, which means it will last longer as a material for the fence. In addition, reinforced sheets are light in weight (27 kg), which is important when making a do-it-yourself wave slate fence.

Specially buying slate in order to build a fence does not make much sense. If you have to spend on fencing, especially if you have to make a fence on the facade of the site, it is better to purchase stronger and more durable sheets of metal profiled sheet, but if you have to make a fence between neighboring areas, then it is best to make a fence from old slate with your own hands.

Which base to choose

Two options can be used as a foundation for a slate fence: a strip base and individual concreting for each pillar.

Tape base

This type of foundation involves the selection of soil around the entire perimeter of the future fence. The width of the tape should be at least twice the diameter of the post, and the depth depends on the depth of soil freezing in the area, but cannot be less than 0.8 m.

A wooden formwork is being prepared for pouring. The pillars are installed at the time of pouring, tracking the verticality with a plumb line.

This type of foundation is quite expensive and its organization for the construction of a slate fence is not reasonable. The use of slate implies savings, and strip foundations are best used for the construction of capital brick or concrete fences.

Individual concreting of pillars

It is much more efficient and cheaper to perform concreting of each support. Individual concreting is carried out as follows:

1. Holes are dug at the marked points using a drill or manually. The diameter of the hole should be twice the diameter of the column. The depth of the hole must be at least 800 mm.
2. Sand is poured at the bottom of the hole and compacted, fine gravel is poured on top and also compacted.
3. Roofing material is used for waterproofing equipment. It is laid along the length of the hole in such a way that it fits snugly against the walls, in this case the roofing material also plays the role of a formwork for concrete.
4. Concrete for pouring the support is made from M400 cement and sand in a ratio of 1:3.
5. The solution prepared in a concrete mixer is poured into a hole, after which a pole is inserted.
6. To install the post strictly vertically, you need to check it with a plumb line and a vertical level.
7. The full set of concrete strength occurs within 28 days, but to continue the installation of the fence, it is enough to withstand 7 days. The gained strength will be enough for the installation of guides and slate.

Necessary materials and tools

To make a slate fence, you will need to prepare the following materials:

• flat slate. The height of the fence will correspond to the height of the slate - 1.5 m, the length of the slate should be chosen based on the convenience of work and the marking of the supporting pillars;
• support. For corner posts and gate supports, it is best to use more powerful metal pipes with a cross section of 100 mm; for intermediate supports and gates, metal posts with a cross section of 80 mm will suffice;
• as transverse guides for asbestos-cement sheets, a 50 mm thick edged board is used;
• for mounting jumpers on a pole, you will need to organize a jumper in the form of a metal corner, 250 mm in size. At least two jumpers are required for each post, for attaching the guides from above and below;
• as a fastening material for the slate, self-tapping screws are required, for fastening the guide bolts with nuts.

To install the structure, you will need to purchase the following tools:

• level;
• plumb;
• drill for preparing holes for poles;
• shovel;
• a container for preparing concrete or a concrete mixer;
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• welding machine;
• hacksaw;
• wrenches;
• cutting wheels for concrete and grinder;
• goggles, gloves and a respirator.

Asbestos dust is very harmful to health, so when working with slate cutting wheels, you need to use a respirator and goggles.

Calculation of the required amount of materials with examples

In order to correctly calculate the required amount of materials for a slate fence, you should accurately measure the length of the future fence. Before starting work, you need to find reference points that mark the boundary of the site, this must be done by the owner himself. In order to avoid claims and disputes with neighbors, you may have to call surveying specialists and update the site layout plan.

We assume that the boundary boundaries of the site coincide with the existing ones, and using the example of a 20x25 meter site, we will make a step-by-step calculation of the necessary materials:

1. The perimeter of the site is 90 m. For the equipment of the gate, 4 meters will be required, and 1 meter for the gate, respectively, the blind fence remains: 90-4-1 = 85 meters. If flat slate with dimensions of 1.5x3 m is used for installation, to cover 85 meters you will need: 85/3 = 28.33 sheets, rounded up and it turns out - 29 sheets.
2. Considering the height of the fence is 1.5 m and the need to deepen the support column into the ground at a distance of at least 1.5 meters, we find the height of the column - 3 meters. For corner supports and gates, you will need 6 pillars with a cross section of 100 mm.
3. To calculate the number of intermediate supports, divide one side of the fence by the distance between the posts (it is recommended to install the posts every 2.5 meters). 20/2.5=8 posts in width and 25/2.5= 10 posts in length. From the length of the front side, you need to subtract the width of the gate and gate: 20-4-1=15, and also divide by 2.5. The total will be: 20 pillars in length (two sides), 8 pillars in width on one side, and 6 pillars on the front side. In total, 34 intermediate supports with a cross section of 80 mm and a length of 3 m are required.
4. Boards with a thickness of 50 mm and a width of 130 mm were chosen as transverse guides. With two rows of guides at the top and bottom, 180 meters of boards will be required.
5. A metal corner 50x50 mm 250 mm long will be used as a support for the guides. The total number of pillars is: 6 + 34 = 40, respectively, 80 segments of the corner will be required, with a total length of 20 meters. When buying a corner, you should take into account the length of the standard product (6, 9 and 12 m).
6. To attach the rails to the support, you will need 80 mm bolts with nuts. For 80 supports with two attachment points, 160 bolts will be required.
7. To fix the slate, self-tapping screws 50 mm long will be used. For each sheet, 12 self-tapping screws are required (fastening pitch 500 mm), respectively, for the entire fence you will need: 29x12 \u003d 348 self-tapping screws.
8. The concreting of one support will require 5 kg of cement and 15 kg of sand. All you need is: cement - 40x5 = 200 kg (4 bags), sand - 40x15 = 600 kg.

The height of the support pillars depends on the depth of soil freezing in the construction area, so the height of the pillars will differ depending on the climatic zone.

Instructions for building a slate fence

The construction of the fence consists of several stages. The following instructions will help beginners in construction independently complete all the work in stages and without errors.

Planning. Before starting work, you should prepare a plan. On the plot diagram, the points where the corner posts will be located should be noted, the distance between them is measured, and the installation sites of the intermediate supports are marked.

Markup. All support placement points are transferred from the plan directly to the site. The corner points are found first and pegs are placed on them. Further, a cord is pulled around the entire perimeter, which will allow you to accurately mark the installation sites for intermediate supports, and a peg is also driven in to indicate the place of support.

Excavation. At the next stage, holes are prepared for the supporting pillars. The depth of immersion of the support into the ground depends on the depth of freezing in the area, but making holes less than 0.8 m deep is not recommended.

Pillar preparation. Before installing the pillars, it is necessary to prepare them for being in an aggressive environment, for which the metal surface is cleaned of rust and painted over with special compounds or bitumen.

Concreting. As a formwork for concrete, roofing material is used, which is placed along the walls of the pit. It is advisable to compact the bottom of the hole and fill it with sand and gravel. After preparing the hole, concrete is poured into it, and a post is inserted.

The verticality of the installation is checked using a plumb line and a level. Further work with supports is possible only after a week, after the mortar has gained sufficient strength.

Installation of supports for guides. Pieces of a corner with holes for fastening the guides are welded to the installed pillars. The points of attachment of the segments with the pipe and the bases themselves should be treated with anti-corrosion compounds and painted.

Installation of guides. Guides are bolted to the prepared bases. After installation, wooden rails must be painted to strengthen the wood and protect it from rotting.

Slate installation. Fastening the slate to the guides is best done by two people so that the partner can hold the sheet in the required position. The slate is fastened with self-tapping screws to wooden rails using a screwdriver. To prevent chips and penetration of the base, a rubber washer should be placed under the head of the self-tapping screw.

The use of roofing nails for fastening slate is not recommended, as it requires a certain amount of skill to work with them.

When marking the fence, small gaps should be left between the sheets and at the junction of the sheets to the ground. These gaps will help reduce the windage of the entire structure, which will allow the fence to withstand hurricane winds.

Final works. At the last stage, a gate and a gate are installed. Gate leaves and gates are usually welded separately from a metal profile or corner. For fastening the wings to the posts, special canopies for the gate are used.

The wicket and gate can also be closed with flat slate, but since these elements will be used frequently, it is recommended to use a lighter and more durable metal profiled sheet. After hanging the gate leaves and gates, locks are installed.

At the final stage, start finishing work. To extend the life of asbestos-cement sheets, it is recommended to treat them with coloring compounds. For this purpose, acrylic paints for concrete are best suited.

The use of paints will allow you to change the gray, nondescript color of the slate. In addition, if you have artistic skills, you can decorate the entire surface of the fence with bright and original drawings.

Related videos

Flat slate in everyday life is called sheet asbestos cement. Such products have been known for a long time and are used for the construction of various structures, including enclosing ones. A fence made of such material is considered one of the cheapest. In order to have no doubts about the advisability of using these products, let us briefly dwell on the advantages of such fences.

Features of slate fences

• The arrangement of the foundation is not required, as for brickwork.
• Small construction cost. If you focus on averaged data (they are different for each region), then, for example, about 720 rubles will have to be paid for a sheet measuring 3.5 x 1.5 (with a thickness of 10 mm). The same sample of 12 mm will cost around 1,000 rubles. And if we take into account that no special equipment or equipment is required, the services of professionals, then there is an obvious cost-effectiveness of such an option for erecting a building envelope.
• During operation, flat slate does not need regular maintenance. Anyone who has encountered wood fences knows how much time and effort has to be spent on processing the material with various special compounds - flame retardants, antiseptics. Asbestos cement is only enough to paint, although some owners do not even do this. By the way, if you consider how much work it costs to paint a picket fence, then here the “plus” of flat slate is obvious.
• Maintainability. It makes no sense even to compare which is easier - to replace a slate sheet or a reinforced concrete slab in the fence. And the process of restoring the integrity of brickwork is even more difficult.
• For those who do not like the curious looks of their neighbors towards their site, such a fence will provide reliable protection in this regard.

Flat slate fence construction technology

We will not dwell on the process of preparing the route - how and with what to clean it, how to make markings. Each owner has his own piece of land, and he himself will determine the amount of work. Therefore, we will consider only the main stages of construction. A zealous owner himself will think of what and how can be improved.

As such, it is more convenient (in terms of fastening sheets of asbestos cement) to use metal pipes. The places for the holes are determined based on the dimensions of the products, since the greater their weight, the more often the posts should be placed. But at the same time, the length of the profile used must be taken into account.

The pipe installation process is very simple. At the bottom of the hole, a small layer of fine gravel (gravel) is poured interspersed with coarse sand. Such a "bedding" is well compacted. After that, a support is installed in the hole, aligned vertically, and the same gravel is backfilled. Moreover, it needs to be “loaded” in small parts, at the same time spilling cement + sand with a solution (preliminarily ramming the next portion of crushed stone).

By the way, this is not required. As a rule, its installation is carried out if it is planned to tile the area. But this work is also quite simple. A shallow trench is dug between the pillars and exactly the same “filling” is made as in the holes. The elements of the curb are laid on top and fixed according to the same method.

Since the slate fence is located in the open air, it is better to use "galvanization". The blanks are fixed on poles in such a way as to form a frame on which sheets of asbestos cement will be fixed. In fact, these are 2 horizontal guides going from support to support. As an option, at the bottom, additionally install a corner on which the sheets will rest. This will also protect the lower sections of the slate from mechanical damage.

For greater reliability of such a “skeleton”, it is advisable to install vertical racks from segments of this material between the profiles (at a certain distance).

As fasteners, the so-called farmer self-tapping screws are used.

Holes for fasteners are pre-marked and drilled in the material. Experts advise fixing the slate with roofing screws. The only thing that is useful from the special tool is a screwdriver. Given the massiveness of the sheets, the work is done with an assistant.

Its peculiarity is that, firstly, it is necessary to work only with well-dried products. Otherwise, after drying, the gap between the samples will become even larger, turning into a decent gap. Secondly, they should not be placed too tightly, since when wet, the slate slightly increases its dimensions. And the owner determines the specific interval between the sheets himself, taking into account these recommendations.

• Surface Finishing
• It is necessary to think over how to “disguise” the ends of the fasteners sticking out from the back of the slate fence. Most likely, a coat of paint will be enough.
• External finishing of sheets.

• Sheet asbestos cement has a porous structure. And since any fence is a structure placed outside buildings, in the open air, experts recommend painting flat slate. Acrylic paints are most suitable, as they have good water-repellent properties. In addition, their elasticity ensures that during operation the coating layer will not become covered with cracks and will not begin to “shaggy”. On sale there are even special compositions designed specifically for painting slate fences.
• There are recommendations to deepen the lower sections of the sheets, then you do not have to deal with the device of the curb. Of course, each owner himself decides the feasibility of just such an installation of slate, but one should not forget that the material is able to absorb moisture. Therefore, the usefulness of this advice is questionable. Including, in terms of the maintainability of such a fence. It is better to mount the sheets so that there is a small gap between them and the soil.
• Determining the depth of the holes, it is necessary to focus on the load that the supports will experience. This is not only the weight of the sheets, but also, for example, gusts of wind. Also, will lighting fixtures be attached to the poles? There are many nuances.
• To connect the fence with other structures (for example, a building), a corner is attached to their surface (vertically).
• It is not recommended to use a wooden beam (instead of a profile) for fixing sheets, since the service life of any wood is limited.

Do-it-yourself flat slate fence

Flat slate in everyday life is called sheet asbestos cement. Such products have been known for a long time and are used for the construction of various structures, including enclosing ones. A fence made of such material is considered one of the cheapest. In order to have no doubts about the advisability of using these products, let us briefly dwell on the advantages of such fences.

How to make a slate fence with your own hands

Slate is not a very durable material, its direct purpose is installation on a roofing device.

Slate fences are most often erected for temporary site fencing or enclosures for pets.

Preparing to install a slate fence

Necessary material for the construction of a slate fence:

• Slate, wave or flat. Flat is easier to attach to the frame, unlike slate with waves.
• Steel pipe for racks, up to 100 mm in diameter. A larger diameter should not be used, a smaller one can, although this will be at the expense of structural strength.
• A wooden beam, 100 by 50 mm in size, to which slate sheets will be attached.
• The corner is metal, size 85 by 50 mm, it will serve as a frame for attaching a wooden beam.
• Fasteners - studs, self-tapping screws.
• Cement, sand, crushed stone for the preparation of concrete mortar and the installation of posts.

Installation of slate fence posts

Having marked the contours of the future fence, you need to install corner posts. We dig holes for posts, their depth should be at least two bayonets of a shovel.

Then you can immediately prepare concrete for pouring the first columns. Next - cut the pipe, which will act as columns, into identical pieces. The length of the pieces depends on the height you planned, plus the size that will go into the hole.

Then we proceed to the installation of the columns: we lower them into the pits and burst them with a boot. Immediately try to align the posts vertically with a building level. When the post is installed, you can fill the hole with concrete.

Having installed all the corner support structures, stretch a twine between them and prepare holes for the next supports along it.

We fix the corner and timber for the future fence

The concrete poured into the pits should set well, usually a week is enough for this.

After this time, you need to cut the corner into equal parts. The size of the parts should be equal to the diameter of the pipe used or slightly larger.

After that, you should drill holes in the pipe for the diameter of your studs. Holes are drilled at the top and bottom of the pipe and, accordingly, in the center of the corner piece.

Attach the corner to the support with a hairpin in such a way that a shelf is obtained, into which the beam will then lie. This fastening method makes slate fences strong and rigid.

There are two options for installing the beam. At the first, when you fasten the corner to the support with a hairpin, the beam should also be drilled to the diameter of the hairpin and immediately tighten the structure with a hairpin. The beam will be held directly on the support, pillar.

In the second option, secure the corner with a hairpin, tighten well. After that, drill holes in the corner shelf, which is adjacent to the post, and through these holes, pull the beam to the corner.

Fixing slate sheets

When the frame is ready, you can start installing slate sheets. Self-tapping screws for corrugated board are suitable for their fastening.

Using a nozzle for the head of a self-tapping screw, a drill or a screwdriver, fasten the sheets to the timber. If you have a flat sheet, then join the ends and drill the sheet through into the timber. If the slate is wave, overlap one or two waves.

If you need to cut the sheet, use a grinder and a concrete disc. For the accuracy of fastening the sheets, it is recommended to pull the thread from the first installed sheet to the corner post. This will allow you to control the assembly of the fence and fasten the sheets evenly.

The slate fence should be painted, this will protect the sheets from the penetration of moisture and the settlement of the fungus there.

Do-it-yourself slate fence in one day (video), With Your Hands - How To Make Yourself

How to make a slate fence with your own hands Slate is not a very durable material, its direct

How to build a slate fence with your own hands

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 even try to use old roofing material - you can make a fence from the back of the site from it. 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 most inexpensive materials for making a fence. Moreover, any side of the fence will look neat. Modern slate is suitable for both rural areas 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

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

• 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 in winter, 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. The appearance of the material deteriorates somewhat over the years, fades, fades. However, if you cover it with special substances, this can be prevented.

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

There is no important feature in the layout of the slate fence. 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.

When buying a new fence material, many prefer flexible slate. It certainly won't be blown away by strong winds. 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.

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.

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.

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:

1. The slate sheet is not attached to the very surface of the earth. They maintain a distance of 10–15 centimeters from the lowest point, arranging a special backfill below. Thus, the material will remain dry.

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

Slate was invented for roofing, but it is not always worth creating reliable fences or barriers from it. They stop at this material only if there is a large residue after construction or there is no suitable modern material in the store. Although in the backyards of the countryside, where the likelihood of theft of good material is too high, nailing old slate to the poles will be the best solution.

How to make a slate fence with your own hands - step by step instructions, construction options and decorations with photos and videos

How to choose the right slate for the fence. How to make measurements and calculations. Step-by-step instructions for installing a slate fence with your own hands.

How to make a slate fence with your own hands: installation options and features

Asbestos-cement slate for site fencing is not often used. Bad publicity served him the habit of using the "residual principle". Many cottage owners put old roofing slate covered with moss and nail holes on the fences. Their neighbors, looking at its unpresentable appearance, choose other options for fences.

If you approach the matter competently, without trying to save on the fence due to the outdated roof, then slate can successfully compete with other types of sheet materials.

We set the goal of this article to consider the advantages, features and examples of slate fences. We hope that after getting acquainted with them, many readers will change their attitude to this material.

Slate fence. More advantages than disadvantages

So, what is good about a fence built from flat or corrugated slate?

• Firstly, such a fence is durable and unpretentious in maintenance. The service life of high-quality slate is measured in decades. At the same time, it does not rot, does not rust, does not collapse under the influence of frost and heat.
• Secondly, the price of a slate fence is low.
• Thirdly, the installation of this material is quite simple and does not take much time.
• Fourthly, with a creative approach, the appearance of a slate fence is not inferior to more expensive materials (stone, wood, polycarbonate, metal).

The only serious drawback of asbestos-cement slate is its relative fragility. From a strong point impact, it bursts. You can restore a damaged sheet either by using steel plates (flat slate) or by replacing (wavy).

The choice of options for asbestos-cement slate for the fence is not too large. Anyone who wants to save money buys standard material with a sheet size of 1.75x1.125 m (8 waves) or 1.75x0.98 (7 waves).

In the nomenclature of flat slate used for fencing, sheets of 1.0x1.5 m in size are in greatest demand; 2.0x1.5 m; and 3.0x1.5 m.

Examples of slate fences

When deciding which slate is better to build a fence from, you need to familiarize yourself with the existing options for its installation and decoration.

Wavy slate is most often placed on horizontal runs from a profile pipe, a wooden block, or a combination of "steel corner + wooden lath". Runs are fixed on steel (less often asbestos-cement) columns concreted in the ground or strip foundation. To fasten the runs (lag) to the racks, metal studs, self-tapping screws or welding are used.

Flat slate is mounted in two ways:

• On horizontal runs from a profile pipe.
• Within the framework of a steel corner.

The first installation method is no different from the installation of wave slate.

The frame mounting option is more reliable. The corner creates a frame that protects the edges of the sheet from chipping. Using a frame allows you to refuse to drill holes in the slate that weaken the sheet. The frame is welded to the post. After that, a sheet is inserted into it and fixed from falling out with short steel plates welded to the corner.

In this photo we see another option for mounting slate. No corner frame is used here. Sheets with pins are attached directly to the posts. From below and along the upper cut of the fence a corner was launched. The joints of the sheets are covered with a steel strip welded to the corner.

It should be noted one more, not the most successful, way of installing flat slate on a fence - the use of mounting eye plates. Holes in the edges of the sheet and the installation of a heavy 4-point slate increase the risk of chipping.

Everything is clear with the installation, but where is the promised beauty? the reader will ask. Indeed, it is time to move from the technical side to the aesthetic. It is not difficult to make a wave slate fence attractive and boring. To do this, it is enough to buy colored material.

Monochromatic fencing is not for everyone. Therefore, we recommend purchasing slate in different colors and fixing it on the fence, as on an artist's palette.

A good option is to paint the slate with special paints. They can be used not only for continuous tinting. The fence looks very nice, on the sections of which an ornament or a landscape is drawn.

If the family has small children, a nondescript fence can be painted by drawing fairy-tale characters. This decoration will certainly please the kids and create a cozy atmosphere.

Slate goes well with stone. You can find original types of fences in which these two materials are successfully combined.

In addition to asbestos cement, plastic and metal slate is actively used for fences. Plastic allows you to build a light translucent fence.

Metal slate is a well-known corrugated board. Unlike asbestos-cement sheets, it is not limited to a dimensional standard. This allows you to build fences of any height from it. The methods of attaching plastic and metal to the fence are similar to the technology for mounting slate from asbestos cement.

Features of self-installation of a slate fence

As we said at the beginning of the article, making a slate fence with your own hands is not difficult.

Preparatory operations include:

• Digging or drilling holes for posts. Their depth depends on the height of the fence, the type of soil, the strength of the wind prevailing in the area and can range from 60 cm to 1 meter. The size of the pits in the plan should be 20-30 cm larger than the cross section of the columns for high-quality concrete compaction.
• Concreting of racks in pits. This work begins with the installation of corner posts. Carefully leveling them in level and plumb, pour the concrete mixture. After it is set, a cord is pulled between the racks and ordinary posts are placed along it.
• The next stage is the installation of runs. They can be fixed to the outer plane of the posts or flush with it. Fastening is carried out with self-tapping screws or using welding.

How not to install slate?

Despite the ease of installation, in practice there are many errors and curious situations. We will consider a few of them. Runs for the installation of heavy slate must be rigid and durable. Despite this requirement, some site owners manage to use a thin plasterboard profile for this purpose.

Believing that the weakness of the profile can be compensated for by a large number of mounting holes, they weaken the strength of the sheet.

The second typical mistake is the fastening of the slate not in the upper rigid part of the “wave”, but in the lower, most brittle one. For clarity, we present a diagram of the correct fastening of the sheet to the fence frame. It is taken from the technology of mounting roofs.

It can be seen from the figure that a self-tapping screw or a nail, with which the slate is attracted to the run, must have a rubber gasket to exclude the hard point pressure of the metal on the fragile sheet.

How to make a slate fence with your own hands: installation options and features

What is good about a slate fence? Examples of slate fences and their features, Features of installing such a fence with your own hands.