How to make a slate fence? How to make a slate fence with your own hands: wave and flat, photo, video Wave slate fence distance between the posts.

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

Advantages:

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

Of the shortcomings:

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.

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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.

The choice of material and its dimensions

A good construction market or supermarket can offer:

euroslate, aka ondulin;
asbestos cement slate;
plastic slate.

All of these materials are designed for roofing, but are also great for fences. When choosing, you need to focus on the characteristics:

plasticity;
stiffness;
hardness.

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.

Video: flexible polycarbonate slate

Calculation of the required amount of material

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:

Length 3 meters, width 1.5 meters.
Length 2 meters, width 1.5 meters.
Length 1.75 meters, width 1.13 meters.
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.

Necessary tools for building a fence

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:

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.
Install poles. Corners from a metal profile or pieces of pipes can serve as a support. These components, together with the pillar, must subsequently be poured with concrete or cement. The distance between the posts is no more than two and a half meters.
Install veins. Between the pillars, you need to fix horizontal strips, which are usually made of timber, and in budget construction - from poles. These elements must be fixed with screws. If the veins are made from a profile pipe, they are mounted using a welding machine. In the absence of such a tool, you can drill holes in iron posts and fasten any kind of pole to the bolts. When this part of the work is done, it is desirable to protect the fence frame with automotive mastic. Usually they try to apply more than one layer, then the frame structure will be completely protected from corrosion.
Lay out the preparatory base along the entire fence line. An old brick is being put into work, a special platform is being poured less often.
Install the fence sheet. Sheets of slate are alternately fixed on the frame with nails or self-tapping screws.

Video: how to paint fence posts

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:

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

Video: installing a slate fence

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.

Perhaps one of the most affordable materials for installing a fence can be called slate. By this name, by the way, they often mean not only classic asbestos-cement slate, but also profile corrugated material made of metal, rubber, plastic, bitumen and cellulose. Not all types are suitable for fencing a site or some part of it, but only those that have a rigid structure.

A do-it-yourself slate fence can be installed from a wave or flat material made from asbestos cement or metal. Sometimes, but very rarely, a bitumen-cellulose variant, known as ondulin or euroslate.

Types of slate suitable for installing a fence

To make a choice, you need to know all the advantages and disadvantages of each type of material, the possible difficulties of the installation process.

Asbestos concrete slate

Asbestos concrete slate is most often used to install fencing sites and places for keeping pets. It is produced in the form of flat and wavy sheets. The composition of the material for their manufacture is approximately the same, but the sheets themselves can have different thicknesses and sizes.

The mixture for the manufacture of this material includes three components in different percentages - these are asbestos (10%), cement (85%) and water. 5% can be allocated to various modifying additives. After kneading, the composition is pressed into sheets of the desired size and shape, and then it is sent for drying in a certain mode.

wave slate

"Classic" wavy slate

Asbestos-cement wave (in some sources - wavy) slate is used for the following works:

Wave slate, which has a regular profile, is used to cover roofs.
Wave slate with a reinforced profile is used to cover the roofs of industrial buildings, as it differs from ordinary sheets in a longer length.
Wave slate, which has a unified profile, is used both for covering residential buildings and for industrial buildings. It has a medium size, that is, more how ordinary, but less how at the reinforced

The table shows the standard dimensions of wave slate:

Dimensional parameters	Value in mm (depending on profile type)		Limit deviations
	40/150	54/200
Length (L)	1750	1750	±15
Width (B):
6 wave sheet	-	1125	±15
7 wave sheet	980	-	+10; -5
8 wave sheet	1130	-
Thickness (t)	5.8	6,0; 7,5	+1,0; -0,3
Wave Height:
Private (h)	40	54	+4,0; -3,0
Overlapping (hᶦ)	32	54	+4,0; -5,0
Overlapped (h ²)	32	45	+4,0; -6,0
Overlap Width (b ᶦ)	43	60	±7
Edge overlap width (b ²)	37	65	-
Wave pitch (S)	150	200	-

flat slate

Flat asbestos concrete slate is used for fences more often than wave, as it is more convenient to install and has a large thickness.

Flat slate sheet size in mm	Sheet weight in kg.
Flat asbestos concrete unpressed sheet (LNP)
3000x1500x12	104
3000x1200x12	83
3000x1500x10	87
3000x1200x10	78
Flat asbestos-concrete pressed sheet (LPP)
3000x1200x40	348.1
3000x1200x35	293.98
3000x1500x25	250
3000x1500x20	180

This material is used not only for fencing the site, but also for installing partitions in adjoining utility rooms or for cladding walls with them.

General physical and performance characteristics asbestos concrete slate - in table:

Name of indicator	Indicator value
	Wave slate 40/150	flat slate	Flat slate for cooling towers
Bending strength, MPa (kgf/cm3), not less than	16(160)	18(180)	20(200)
1,5(150)	-	-
Impact strength kDm/m2 (kgf cm/cm2), not less than	1,5(1,5)	1,5(1,5)	2,0(2,0)
Density g / cm3, not less than	1.6	1.6	1.7
Waterproof. hours, not less	24	-	-
Frost resistance: number of freeze and thaw cycles	25	25	25
- residual strength in %, not less than	90	90	90.1
Weight of one sheet in kg	26.1	30	27.1

Until recently, all slate had a uniform light gray color. Today you can find material painted in various shades.

Colored slate not only has an aesthetic appearance, but is also more protected from external influences due to a layer of protective paint. Sheets almost do not absorb moisture, which means they become resistant to low temperatures. Practice shows that the service life of painted slate sheets is about one and a half times longer than that of ordinary ones.

Any asbestos-cement sheets have their advantages and disadvantages, which you also need to know about when choosing this material for installing a fence.

Positive traits

The advantages of the "classic" slate include the following:

Affordable price compared to other materials used for the construction of fences.
Sufficient strength. Asbestos concrete the sheet can easily withstand the weight of an adult without deforming or cracking.
Slate durability. Since this material is mainly intended for roofing, manufacturers have set a minimum service life of 30 years for ordinary slate and 50 years for painted slate. However, most often quality lasts much longer. With proper installation in the fence structure, the sheets will stand no less, unless, of course, they are subjected to an accentuated shock load.
Asbestos concrete is not combustible, which is very important for fencing a suburban area.
Slate is not subject to corrosion, moisture from the soil or in the form of precipitation will not have a destructive effect on it.
The material does not heat up in the sun, which also increases its service life.
In addition, asbestos concrete can easily withstand any frost without losing its qualities. Usually the guaranteed pledged resource of frost resistance is not less 25 deep freeze and thaw cycles.

Disadvantages of asbestos-cement slate

First of all, it is necessary to name those of them that most often appear if the slate is installed in the form of a fence:

Brittleness of the material. With a directed impact or when falling, asbestos concrete sheets easily crack and split, especially in cases where they are made in violation of technology.
The weight of the sheets is quite large, which is 22-26 kg for wave slate, and even more for flat slate - from 78 to 350 kg. To install it in the form of a fence, you need to prepare a reliable foundation.
Asbestos, which is part of slate sheets, emits fumes harmful to humans, therefore, when cutting or drilling sheets, it is recommended to protect the respiratory tract and eyes from getting asbestos concrete dust. Near a fence made of such slate, it is impossible to install a children's sandbox or a pool, to equip a resting place so as not to jeopardize the health of loved ones.

By the way, in many countries the use of asbestos in residential construction has long been banned. There is debate about which material is safer - chrysotile asbestos (used in production in Russia and other countries of the former USSR) or amphibole (European development). The conclusion is that both substances are carcinogens. This must be taken into account when choosing a material for the fence.

metal slate

Metal slate is often called corrugated board, which is most often produced from galvanized steel with a thickness of 0.4 ÷ 1.0 mm. The surface of the sheet is treated with anti-corrosion compounds, primed, and covered with a polymer on top - these materials create protective layers that preserve the metal from corrosion.

Usually this is a multi-layer well-protected structure.

Metal slate is used in construction for:

, technical, industrial and utility buildings.
Construction of permanent fences for private suburban areas and temporary fences for construction sites.
Sheathing of walls of temporary or outbuildings.

Metal slate can have gentle (like a regular one) waves or angular ones.

Decking (metal slate) is divided into three types according to the height and structure of the profile:

Wall - marked with the letter "C". It is he who is more suitable for installing a fence. The wave height of this profile is from 8 to 45 mm.
The profile for the roof is designated by the letter "H". The height of its wave is from 57 to 115 mm. It is also distinguished by the fact that grooves are provided on the surface for water drainage.
The universal profile "NS" is suitable for wall cladding, and for mounting a fence, and as a roofing material. The height of its wave can be 35 ÷ 45 mm.

This material has both positive qualities and disadvantages, which you must be aware of if it is chosen for fencing the site.

Prices for various types of slate

Positive traits

Ease of installation, which can be done by one person.
The light weight of the sheets, which is only 3.5 ÷ 5 kg per 1 sq.m., allows you to do without building a foundation.
Fire resistance, resistance to high and low temperatures.
The mechanical strength of the material - it does not give t t cracks and cannot split, unlike asbestos concrete slate.
Due to the oxide and polymer coating, metal slate sheets are resistant to corrosion.
Very large selection of material colors
The low cost of metal slate can significantly save on site fencing.
The service life of metal slate is 35 years or more.
Environmental safety of the material.
The smooth surface does not allow moisture and dust to linger on the surface.

Material disadvantages

If the material is chosen for the installation of a fence, then it can be said that it has no drawbacks that could prevent such an application. There are not many disadvantages of metal slate and when using it for roofing, but they still exist:

If slate is purchased that does not have a protective coating, then its service life will be limited, since corrosion is inevitable.
The material is very noisy in heavy rain or hail.

Installed metal slate overlap. For rigidity, you can make an overlap in two waves. Therefore, this must be foreseen in advance in the calculations of the installation of pillars between spans.

Fence base

After the material for the fence has been selected, you need to decide how best to install it.

Two variants of the base for a slate fence are used - these are posts with a crate, installed at a certain distance from each other, without a unifying concrete belt, or a strip foundation with supports built into it.

When planning supports, you need to consider the weight and structure of the material chosen for the fence. So, when installing metal slate (corrugated board), any of the presented options will do.

To install a fence asbestos concrete slate, it is still recommended to choose a base with a fill.

If flat slate is chosen for the fence, the most massive of all the materials presented, then it is better to put a concrete base for it. And additionally - enclose each of the sheets in a frame welded from a metal corner.

If the columns for fixing such a structure are massive and have a large depth, then sometimes they do without a strip foundation, installing only free-standing supports.

However, flat slate is also installed directly on the ground, fixed on concrete, asbestos-cement or metal posts.

Strip foundation with pillars

The strip foundation is a reinforced concrete strip, deepened into the ground and rising above it to a certain height. Its parameters directly depend on what material the fence will be built from, since the greater the weight, the wider and deeper the foundation should be.

For a slate fence, a large foundation width is not needed. But if a fence made of flat heavy slate is installed, then the base or supporting posts must be well deepened.

The preparation process includes marking the territory, determining the fence line, digging a trench for a concrete foundation tape, drilling holes, adding a waterproofing and drainage layer, and fixing a log on them.

BUT. markup

The marking of the territory is carried out according to the plan, which is in the cadastral passport of the site.
The process starts from the corner of the future building. Used for marking rope, pieces of reinforcement or wooden pegs.

The first step is marking

First, at the corner or at the beginning of the site, an anchor point is determined, from which the direction of the trench for pouring the foundation will be marked.

The evenness of the foundation strip, and hence the entire fence, will depend on how accurately the markings are made.

After marking, the area under the stretched ropes can be additionally marked with lime, pouring lines from it.

B. Trench

The trench is dug along the marked lines, with a depth of 300 ÷ 400 mm.

Further, at a certain distance, holes are made with a hand drill for installing support posts. The maximum distance between them can be 2500 mm, and the diameter is 100 ÷ 120 mm larger than the diameter of the columns.

If the fence will use the usual asbestos concrete slate, then the posts should be installed to a width of two ÷ three overlapped sheets, provided they are fixed on two or three horizontal logs.
The depth of the holes for the poles should be about 1000 mm.

If the width between the columns is 2500 mm or more, then a hole is drilled between them for the installation of a concrete amplifier in it, which will give the necessary rigidity to the entire reinforced concrete tape.

B. Foundation pouring

Upon completion of the preparatory work, you can proceed to the arrangement of the foundation and the installation of columns.

A 100 ÷ 150 mm layer of sand is poured into the holes for the posts, and an 80 ÷ 100 mm layer of crushed stone is laid on top of it. They need to be well sealed.
Further, posts are installed in the holes and leveled according to the level (plumb).
The next step is to pour a concrete mortar made from cement and gravel into the space around the posts. In the form of spacers between the walls of wells and columns, stones selected in size can be wedged.

The poured concrete must be left to set for at least one day.

After the concrete has set, so that the posts stand rigidly, they are connected with horizontal logs, which are welded or screwed at an equal distance from each other.

For metal and flat asbestos concrete slate logs made of rolled steel (a corner or a rectangular shaped pipe) are well suited, but for a wavy asbestos concrete it is better to use wooden bars.

After that, a backfill is made into the trench under the foundation, first from sand, and then from crushed stone, and it is well compacted.
After that, it is installed, while the reinforcing bars are not welded together, but are fastened with a wire twist. The top of the reinforcement belt is located approximately 30 mm below the future foundation surface.

A wooden formwork is knocked together along the entire trench. If desired and possible, it can be installed from segments of flat slate of the desired height. Such formwork in this case can be fixed, and the foundation itself will immediately have even walls that do not require additional decorative finishing. Moreover, flat slate can then be painted in any color or applied to it with a pattern, for example, an imitation of stone or brick. The height of the above-ground part of the foundation can have a height of 200 to 500 mm.
After the formwork is ready, a concrete solution is poured into it - this process is recommended to be carried out in one step so that there are no gaps between the layers of concrete pouring. Otherwise, moisture may accumulate in the gaps, which, when frozen, can damage the solidity of the foundation tape.

From above, the concrete is leveled and left to dry. The process of drying and curing takes at least 8 ÷ 10 days. After the foundation is ready, it remains only to install slate sheets.

Prices for cement and mixture bases

Cement and mixture bases

Pillars without strip foundation

If there is no possibility or desire to arrange a foundation for a slate fence, you can get by with the installation of only columns. In this case, you will need to deepen the holes for their installation. They begin work, in the same way as during the construction of the foundation, by marking the line of the future fence.

In this embodiment, one rope is enough for marking, which is stretched starting from the anchor point for the length of the entire fence in one or two directions.

Further, along the rope measure and mark the location of the installation of the posts. A peg or piece of reinforcement is installed in the center of the future hole.
Then holes are drilled in the marked places. In this case, they must be at least 1000 mm deep and have a size larger than the diameter or cross section of the pipes by two ÷ two and a half times.

This must be done because the pipe will not have such supporting walls that would ensure its rigid verticality, which the racks have in combination with the strip foundation. This means that its position will need to be strengthened by welding several reinforcing sections to the bottom of the column, placing them crosswise.

This is especially important to do if round or square posts with a small cross section are installed.

If the support posts are used asbestos concrete pipes that have a sufficiently large diameter (150 ÷ 200 mm), they themselves must stand stably and do not require additional spacers.
Sand and gravel are poured to the bottom of the well, and then it is well compacted.

Then a column is installed, stones are poured around it, and then the remaining space is poured with concrete mortar. The verticality of the installation is immediately verified exactly, and then all this is left alone for 8 to 10 days - until the concrete sets and hardens well.

In the next step, the columns are tied with horizontal lags, which will give rigidity to the structure and will serve as the basis for attaching slate sheets.

The columns are interconnected by horizontal jumpers - lags

As a log, you can use a square pipe or a metal corner into which a wooden block is inserted and fixed - it will be easier to screw the slate sheets.

To fix horizontal logs on round pipes, special metal ear plates with holes are welded onto them.

Video: one way to install fence posts

Installation of slate sheets

After the base is ready, they proceed to, in fact, the installation of the fence from slate sheets.

It is not difficult to fasten metal sheets - they use special self-tapping screws with heads that have the color of slate sheets, equipped with a press washer and a rubber gasket

Metal slate is screwed to the lags at the bottom of the wave.

Wave mount asbestos concrete The slate is made through the top of the wave. Sheets can be fixed with slate nails or self-tapping screws. But before you screw in the screws or hammer in the nails, be sure to drill holes for them with a drill and a special drill. When tightening or driving in fasteners, rubber or silicone gaskets are put on them.

It is very important to set the first sheet of the row strictly vertically. It is installed at the building level, fixed in two or three places, in addition to the edge on which the next sheet of slate will overlap (one or two waves). The sheet is fixed on each crossbar with three to four self-tapping screws.

Flat slate can be fixed not on logs, but in a frame made of a metal corner, which is made according to the size of the sheet. The frame is welded to the supporting pillars, and then installed in it asbestos concrete flat sheet. Then, metal stoppers are welded from the back of the frame, which will hold the slate inside. This method is the most optimal when installing a fence made of flat slate, since there is no need to drill holes that weaken the material - with even a slight mechanical impact, a crack may appear on the sheet. There is only one drawback of this method - the high consumption of rolled metal.

If a sheet of flat slate is installed on the foundation and screwed to the logs or lugs welded to the support pipes, then the holes are carefully measured and carefully drilled. In this case, fastening is carried out with bolts, on which rubber gaskets are put on on both sides. And besides them, before tightening the nut, a wide metal washer is put on.

Fittings or other decorative design

In order for a fence made of metal slate to have a finished look, it can be ennobled with special fittings that are produced for wall metal profiles - these are corners of different sizes, a U-shaped bar that closes the upper and lower edges of the fence, a lower protective bar that closes the gap if necessary between the foundation and slate, as well as roofs of various types for supporting posts. All these details can be matched in color to the main shade of slate, or, conversely, they can be purchased in a different color that goes well with most of the fence.

Flat slate can be covered with plain paint, or you can even be creative and transfer an image of a corner of nature or another interesting pattern (graffiti) to it, which will complement the overall look of the entire yard.

In addition to the aesthetic transformation, the slate covered with paint will also acquire additional protective qualities, since the hygroscopicity of the material will decrease.

The task for creative hosts is artistic painting (graffiti) on the fence

You can paint not only flat slate, but also wave, although the latter can be purchased already in painted form.

Fencing from any slate is easy to install and affordable, so it is installed both on the boundary between two adjacent sections, and on the border with the street. This material will give the appearance of the territory accuracy both from the street and from the inside of the yard, therefore it will suit any design and color scheme of home decoration.

Video: an example of building a slate fence

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, it is necessary to 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 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 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 ground 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.

Having a summer cottage, or a private house, you need to enclose it somehow. The reasons, of course, may be different, but, nevertheless, a fence is needed. Today we want to offer you to build a slate fence with your own hands. Believe me, there is practically nothing complicated here, but there are a lot of benefits from such a fence.

The main advantage of such a fence is its low cost. The material that you need is available in all hardware stores, and it is not so expensive. To buy everything that we need is within the power of any ordinary summer resident. Let's start installing such a fence.

Where is it appropriate to install such a fence

By itself, slate is not a very durable material; its direct purpose is installation on a roofing device. But its asbestos-cement composition, from which it is made, makes it practically durable.

Taking into account these characteristics, we can conclude that it is advisable to install slate fences:

In places that do not require protection from the entry of unauthorized persons.
Temporary fencing of something - a site, a site.
Use for fencing enclosures for pets.
Fencing land between neighbors.

As you can see, due to the fact that this material is not very durable, a capital slate fence should not be made.

Preparation for the installation of the fence

Starting any important business, in our case it is a setting, we always need clear instructions for action. It is she who determines where to start and in what sequence.

Let's start, of course, with the preparation of materials for our temporary, and maybe permanent fence. Here is the necessary material that we need to build a fence:

Directly the slate itself, you can use wave, or you can use flat. There is not much difference here, the strength of these two types is almost the same. Only flat is a little easier to attach to the frame, unlike slate with waves.
Steel pipe with a diameter of up to one hundred millimeters. A larger diameter should not be used, a smaller one can. Racks will be made from the pipe, so keep in mind that the smaller the diameter of the rack, the less durable the structure itself can turn out. Accordingly, the price of a larger pipe diameter will be higher.
The beam is wooden, the size is one hundred by fifty millimeters. It is to this beam that the slate sheets will be attached.
A metal corner, 85 × 50 mm in size, will serve as a frame for attaching a wooden beam.
Fasteners - this includes studs with a diameter of 10-12 m, self-tapping screws are best used for metal tiles, they have a wide hat with a hexagon head for a wrench.
Cement, sand, gravel - for the preparation of concrete mortar and the installation of posts.

Theoretically, this is all the necessary material, with which you can safely start installing a flat slate fence with your own hands.

Installing columns

Well, let's start, build our fence, we hope that you already know exactly the dimensions of your structure and, first of all, you need to install the corner posts. Thus, determine the perimeter and then install all other elements from them.

To begin with, of course, we dig holes for the posts. The depth of the pit should be at least two bayonets of a shovel. After that, you can immediately prepare concrete for pouring the first columns.
Next, you need to cut the pipe, which will act as columns, into identical pieces. The length of such pieces depends on the height you have planned, plus the size that will fit into the pit.
When, we proceed to the installation of the columns: we lower them into the hole and burst them with a boot. Immediately try to align it vertically with a building level. After the column has taken the desired position, you can fill the hole with concrete.
Do this procedure with all four corner support structures. When you finish this process, you need to pull the thread between the corner posts and prepare holes for the next supports along it.
In the same way, without removing the thread, install the supports between the corners, during the installation process, check each column with a building level, they should all stand exactly vertically.

Information! The installation of supports is perhaps the most painstaking moment in the construction of such a fence. From how exactly the pillars will stand, it will depend on how the slate fence will turn out in the end. After installing all the supports around the perimeter, be sure to check, and maybe repeatedly, how the supports stand. This is necessary so that the fence does not fall in or out.

We fix the corner and the beam

Before you start attaching a metal corner and a beam to the supports, the concrete that you poured should set well, usually a week is enough for the concrete to become strong. But if you do not have time to wait, then it is advisable to continue work no earlier than two days later.

Now you need to cut our corner into equal parts. The size of such pieces should be equal to the diameter of the pipe used, or slightly larger. After we drill holes in the pipe to the diameter of your studs. Holes are drilled at the top and bottom of the pipe. Accordingly, in the center of the segment of the corner, you also drill such holes.

After the hairpin, you attach the corner to the support, so that you get a shelf into which the timber will then lie. This fastening method makes slate fences strong and rigid.

Regarding the fastening of the beam, there are two options for its installation:

When you fasten the corner to the support with a hairpin, the beam is also drilled to the diameter of the hairpin and the structure is immediately tightened with a hairpin. It turns out that the timber will be held directly on the support, pillar.
Another option for fastening the beam. Fasten the corner with a hairpin and tighten well. After that, in the shelf of the corner, which is adjacent to the post, we drill holes. And through these holes we attract the beam to the corner.

Both of these methods have the right to life, which one to use, decide for yourself.

Advice! The construction method of such a fence is designed to build a fence for long-term use. But if you plan to install a flat slate fence with your own hands for a short period of time, and then demolish it, then the design can be simplified. In particular, the supports can not be concreted, and the timber to the poles can be fixed with ordinary knitting wire.

We fix the sheets and ennoble the structure

Well, when the frame is ready, you can start installing the slate sheets in their rightful place. As you remember, we have prepared self-tapping screws for corrugated board for fastening sheets.

Using a nozzle for the head of a self-tapping screw, a drill or a screwdriver, we 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, then we make one or two waves on the whip. If you need to cut the sheet, cut it using 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.

Now that we have a little bit of the whole structure left, we need to decide how to decorate the slate fence that we have built. First of all, our building should be painted, this will protect the sheets from the penetration of moisture and the appearance of fungus on it, first of all.

You can also draw beautiful patterns on the surface. This is if you have an artistic streak.

Even as an element of decor, you can use decorative plantings, small Christmas trees, trees. In the warm season, this will be a living decor for your fence. It is possible that your imagination can offer something else, something extraordinary.

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.

Installation of supports

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, while pouring cement + sand with a solution (preliminarily ramming the next portion of rubble).

Curb construction

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 that a frame is obtained on which sheets of asbestos cement will be strengthened. 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.

Sheet mounting

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 about 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.

Helpful Hints

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 expediency 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.