Fences with plastic slate inserts. Do-it-yourself slate fence: let's take a step-by-step look at how to make a wave slate fence

There is a fence in almost every private house, well, or in almost every one. The owners thus protect their territory from prying eyes. Recently, a lot of new products have appeared, and a slate fence is one of them.

How to choose what you need for fencing?

"How to make a fence from improvised materials"? - You will probably be interested to know the answer to this question, especially if you have your own plot, but there is no fence on it. Many have already adopted the idea of newfangled material and were satisfied. So, for those who have decided in this way to protect their personal space from the prying eyes of strangers, we will talk about slate, which is in no way inferior to other materials that are used to install fences - brick, concrete slabs, wood, metal mesh or corrugated board.

This is a budget option for those who want the site to look beautiful and aesthetic, but do not have large sums for more expensive fencing material. By the way, many people use slate sheets as a fence not only in their summer cottage, but also within the city. And believe me, this option is in no way inferior to more expensive counterparts. And the thing is that now you can order different types of this material and different colors. So, in the construction market you can find ondulin (euro slate), asbestos-cement slate, plastic slate.

Sheets are used mainly as roofing, but no one bothers you to use your skills and imagination in order to install a fence from such a product. Choosing from varieties of slate material for these purposes, you can focus on one that has good plasticity (and is often used for roofs with irregular geometric shapes), or one that has such qualities as super rigidity and hardness. Of course, many give preference to flexible slate, which is quite plastic - this is achieved by manufacturing products based on bitumen and fibers of various origins.

Flexible slate is similar in appearance to asbestos-cement sheets, is produced in a rectangular shape and may have a wavy surface. Its advantages, first of all, are that it does not rot and can withstand heavy loads, and it can be mounted taking into account the presence of an old fence. In addition, such material can be ordered in different colors and types. However, there are also disadvantages - a short service life - about 15 years, with the need to replace the protective layer after 5 years, as well as susceptibility to combustion.

What fencing options are available?

By the way, you can take a metal analogue as a basis. It is also available in a version with a wavy surface - it does not burn, it is quite reliable, it can withstand strong winds, but there are also disadvantages. It must be periodically treated with special anti-corrosion materials. If we take ordinary slate sheets as a basis, then they have the most significant drawback - they are afraid of mechanical damage, and with a strong impact of a stone, you risk being left with a hole or a crack in the fence. And if you still decide to install such material, then it is better to do this in places where there is less busy traffic.

You can safely protect some territory with such a product inside the yard - in this case, this option is more acceptable. But if you decide to protect your territory in this way, then this is clearly the wrong choice. Ordinary slate will not save your site from penetrations - this, of course, is another minus, and an additional plus is that this material is not afraid of high and low temperatures, heavy rainfall or constant direct sunlight.

So, dwelling on such an option as a fence made of wavy or flat slate, choose, first of all, based not on the appearance of the product, but on its composition and scope.

How to make a slate fence with your own hands - simple and easy!

We will give an example of how to put up a fence made of slate and materials left on the farm after the reconstruction of the roof of a house. This situation, for sure, is faced by many residents of summer cottages - after the repair, whole slate sheets remained, and you would like to use them with benefit in the household. So why not use them as a fence? For this workflow, you need to prepare metal pipes, beams, corners - then your fence will be stable, and you will not be afraid that it will be blown away by the wind.

How to make a slate fence with your own hands - a step by step diagram

Step 1: Prepare materials

We buy timber, corners, metal pipes. The latter will serve as the basis for the fence device. With such a set of materials, it will be stable and will last for many years. The base, of course, can be replaced, but professionals still advise using metal pipes as frame pillars.

Step 2: Mounting the poles

We prepare pits - they are needed for installing pipes. It is better to dig them to a depth of about 50-60 centimeters, and choose a distance of 2.5-3 meters from each other. Metal pipes are cut in advance according to the parameters you need - all of the same length. After that, special holes must be drilled in them - they will be needed for fasteners. In the future, with the help of a bar and a metal corner, you can fix your fence using flat slate or its wavy counterpart.

Do not forget to lubricate the lower part of the pipe, which will be in the ground, with an anti-corrosion coating, and then with bitumen (it must first be melted and diluted with a small amount of solvent). Pipes are placed in holes and filled with concrete. Do not forget, using the building level, be sure to check the correctness of their installation.

Step 3: First installation steps

First, we install two pipes on the sides, and between them we stretch the rope. If the fence is very long, then we recommend using several additional intermediate posts. The main thing is that the stretched cord does not sag. The rest of the pipes are placed, already focusing on the stretched rope. The concrete mortar itself will dry out within 14 days, but if you need to quickly install the fence, then you can continue work after 24 hours.

Next, bolts to the posts should be fixed bars and corners. The corners are pre-cut into pieces (for example, 10 cm long, with the same pipe diameter) and then holes are drilled in them for fasteners. Next, the beam should be fixed together with the metal corner at the same time. After that, all three parts - a corner, a bar and a metal pipe - are fixed to each other.

Step 4: Installing the slate

A bar for a fence made of flat or wavy slate is connected using the "end connection" method - a direct overlay in half a tree, screwed to the corners with ordinary self-tapping screws. Now you can proceed to the installation of the material itself - the sheets are fastened with self-tapping screws to a wooden beam, and first a thin rope or rope is pulled between the posts for a guide. Professionals advise to check the horizontal position with a device such as.

So, the first sheet is mounted very carefully - the final result will depend on the accuracy of installation at this stage (since the first sheet is the main guide vector for the entire fence). Sheets are fixed with screws. If you are installing a wave slate fence, then try to get a proper and strong overlap at the edges. Each installed sheet should align with the previous slight overlap, but on the surface it should look like the new slate sheet is a continuation of the previous one.

When constructing such a fence, it is necessary to leave a ventilated space below - it is not recommended to install sheets directly on the ground. You can leave the fence in a hinged version, or you can mount a small foundation. Just learn that these are additional funds and costs. Here is your fence and ready. Once the fence has been installed, it can be repainted in the desired color. Painting will additionally protect the asbestos cement from bad weather and partially help neutralize the influence of such an element as asbestos (although the harmfulness of this material is still in question).

How to cope with the task?

For those who are faced with such technology for the first time, we want to offer the following "cheat sheet":

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, at the same time spilling cement + sand with a solution (preliminarily ramming the next portion of crushed stone).

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

Almost every owner of a private house or summer cottage, acquiring a building or building a new one, takes care of the safety of the territory of his possession from extraneous intrusions and prying eyes. To do this, he installs a fence around the perimeter of his site.

Peculiarities

Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of building materials for creating a fence. Fencing can be created from wood, brick, natural stone, gitter mesh or netting, corrugated board, concrete slabs. There are status variants of iron fences made of forged, welded metal and their combinations.

Any type of such fences has a number of advantages. Most of them are beautiful and solid, distinguished by reliability and durability, as well as a variety of designs, but they also have a certain number of disadvantages. Here is a solid cost, and the complexity of their installation, and the need to attract professional specialists and construction equipment to their construction. Often all these factors are predominant when choosing a fence.

Nevertheless, there is another material that is affordable and does not create technological difficulties in the construction of a territory fence from it - slate. A fence made of it can be equally soundly and thoroughly erected both in a rural or summer cottage, and in a city. True, slate is rather fragile and is afraid of shock loads. It is better to build fences from it away from the roadway, for fear of a random stone from under the wheels or some kind of surprise from street vandals. It is more expedient to erect a fence of this material somewhere inside the site, enclosing, for example, a yard from a vegetable garden or a garden with a slate fence, or to install such a fence on the border with the neighbors' possessions.

Slate is a well-known building material. It is made by mixing asbestos with cement and water.

Asbestos fibers, evenly distributed in this mass, create a strong mesh, providing tensile stability of the material and giving it the appropriate impact strength.

Varieties

Most people distinguish between two types of gray slate: wave and flat, without knowing some of the nuances, information about which can be useful in choosing the right material. So, flat slate exists in two forms: pressed and non-pressed.

The first option is much more massive, so its strength characteristics are very high. Due to the high density of its sheets, their strength increases to 25%, and the impact strength of such slate reaches 2.5 kJ / m2. Due to this circumstance, the fragility of this material is not so high. This also implies its other property - frost resistance, which is why the pressed type of slate should be considered the most favorable option for creating a fairly strong fence.

Wave type slate also exists in several varieties, of which the most interesting are its painted sheets from modern manufacturers who have managed to significantly expand the range of this building material. Therefore, now he has acquired a more attractive appearance, relieving the consumer of the need to deal with the painting of the fence. Sheets of such slate, due to the specific shape of the asbestos cement profile, are more rigid and durable, even having a slight thickness of the order of 4.7-7.5 mm.

If a wave slate is chosen for the construction of the fence, then the best option for this would be the brand "UV" - a unified type of profile. Its sheets are distinguished by a density that is more significant compared to wave analogues, and their dimensions make it possible to work with them with sufficient ease and convenience.

The weight of one sheet of this brand does not exceed 26 kg, and its width minimizes material consumption.

Properties

Slate is a material made from a mixture of asbestos with Portland cement and modifying additives. All these components are mixed during the manufacturing process in water until a thick homogeneous mixture is obtained. It is subjected to pressing on the appropriate technological equipment and further high-temperature drying.

The advantage of this material lies in its affordability. So, the cost of a sheet of wave slate 1750 × 970 mm with a thickness of 5.2 mm is about 205 rubles.

Asbestos cement slate is a fairly durable material. Its sheet is able to withstand a point load of about 70 kg or more. At the same time, such material is not subjected to deformation and is not covered with cracks, continuing to retain its factory shape.

Another useful property of slate, produced along with other building materials in accordance with GOST, is its durability. For unpainted material, the minimum service life is about 30 years.

Sheets of the painted product will serve over 50 years.

In addition, it is very cold hardy. Asbestos cement is one of the porous materials. This allows slate to retain its properties for a long time under the influence of low temperatures for a very long time. Slate is also a very reliable material, since it is not affected by corrosion, cannot serve as a breeding ground for insects and molds, it is not affected by moisture and heating to high temperatures.

Due to the presence of a protective coloring layer, colored grades of wavy slate are not so sensitive to the action of water on them and withstand negative temperatures better. A painted sheet lasts 1.5 times longer than its conventional counterpart of the same thickness.

All these qualities are manifested by slate in situations where it is used directly as a roofing material. When it is used to build fences, it can manifest itself somewhat differently. In such a fence, a slate sheet is placed vertically, so there is a risk of impact on its sheet perpendicularly or tangentially, which is fraught with cracks or chipping.

The weight of the smallest wave-type slate sheet is 18.5 kg, and for its flat counterpart, this figure ranges from 75-350 kg. The use of such heavy sheets will require more reliable concreting of the base for the bearing supports and the use of appropriate fasteners.

Asbestos, which is present in the composition of this material, when it is drilled and cut, forms dust harmful to humans.

Therefore, it is necessary to work with him in respiratory and eye protection.

fence construction

The length of the fence is measured with a tape measure around the perimeter of the site.

Its construction is carried out in several ways. The most reliable and stable type of such a design is a fence installed on a tape-type foundation. To obtain such a foundation, it will be necessary to pour concrete into a pre-installed formwork. If the territory of the site has irregularities with height differences, then for an even arrangement of the formwork, it will be necessary to prepare the base.

A simpler technology is to install a fence on concrete supports. This method is used for rocky soils and sandy soil types.

If the fence is erected according to this method without pouring the strip foundation, then the perimeter of the fence is marked, and the installation sites of the corner supports are indicated. For this purpose, the estimated parameters of such a fence are measured. At the nodal points, pieces of reinforcement or wooden stakes are driven in, between which a fishing line is stretched.

At these points, a manual or gasoline drill excavates at a depth of about 70–90 cm. Drilling on rocky soils requires special attention, since the cutting edge of the tool is damaged and blunted at high speeds. The traditional alternative to such a drill will always be a crowbar, a shovel and a pickaxe.

Pole supports are treated twice with bituminous varnish to protect the metal from corrosion. After they dry, the concrete is mixed.

Before installing each of the supports, a piece of roofing material folded in half is laid on the bottom of the pit. Then the support is vertically installed in the pit, leveled and poured with concrete with its periodic ramming.

If necessary, you can pre-fill the post with stones or small gravel.

Concrete is mixed from 1 part cement, 4 parts sand, 6 volumes of crushed stone and water. With this mixture, the pit with racks is filled to the top. Subsequent work is carried out after the concrete has hardened.

Steel support posts can be installed using a method called "concrete collar". Having a hole 0.5 m deep, the pipe is hammered into it another 0.5 m below the bottom and poured with concrete.

Similarly, work is being carried out to excavate the soil for the pits and install supports in them at the remaining reference points of the entire perimeter of the territory. When this work is completed, intermediate poles are marked and set up with a step of 2.5 m and amendments for gates and gates.

After the concreting of all pillars is completed, it is necessary to wait for the final hardening of the concrete mixture, which lasts about 7 days, so that the concrete gains the strength necessary to withstand the mass of sheet slate.

While the concrete is hardening, you should start cutting steel strips from the corner, which is cut by the “grinder” into fragments 200–250 mm long. Holes are drilled at the edges of these elements for attaching guides to them. Then these fragments of the corner are welded to the post in its upper and lower parts with indents from the top and bottom of 200–300 mm.

The guides for fastening the slate sheets will be wooden beams with a section of 50 × 130 mm, which are adjusted along the length of the span. The beam should be treated with a wood antiseptic before installation on the supports.

Then, at the point of attachment of the guide bar to the corners, pre-welded to the pole supports, through holes are drilled for the tie bolts with which the guide bars are attached to the support.

The fence around the suburban area is a mandatory attribute of a quiet and peaceful life. Building a building envelope is a time-consuming and costly undertaking, but the use of non-traditional materials such as slate allows you to reduce costs to quite acceptable amounts. A fence made with your own hands will help you save a lot.

Advantages and disadvantages of slate

Colored eight-wave sheet of asbestos-cement slate

Slate is a roofing material made from asbestos, cement and modifying additives. For the manufacture of slate, the components are mixed in water until a thick mixture is obtained, which is pressed on special equipment and dried at high temperatures.

The advantages of asbestos-cement slate as a material include the following:

Availability - when compared to other solid materials made of concrete and metal, slate has a lower cost. For example, a corrugated sheet 1750 × 970 mm 5.2 mm thick will cost only 205 rubles.
Strength - asbestos concrete slate withstands a point load weighing more than 70 kg. At the same time, the material does not deform and does not crack, while maintaining its factory shape.
Durability - slate belongs to the group of roofing materials produced in accordance with GOST. The minimum service life of unpainted asbestos-cement slate is at least 30 years. Painted material lasts up to 50 years or more.
Frost resistance - asbestos concrete is a porous material, which makes it possible for slate to withstand exposure to low temperatures for a long time. The minimum “freeze-thaw” resource is at least 25 cycles.
Safety - slate is not affected by corrosion processes, is not an environment for the formation of harmful bacteria, is not afraid of moisture and high temperatures.

Six-, seven- and eight-wave slate sheet and its dimensions

The advantages described above concerned slate when it is used for its intended purpose. When constructing slate fences, the material may behave differently. When installed in a vertical position, there is a high risk of impact loading on the sheet. A directed blow to a sheet of asbestos concrete will necessarily lead to the appearance of cracks or chipping.

When using wave slate, it should be remembered that the weight of the smallest sheet is at least 18.5 kg, and in the case of flat slate, from 75 to 350 kg. To install heavy sheets on bearing supports, reliable concreting of the base and the use of appropriate fasteners will be required.

When cutting and drilling sheets, safety precautions should be observed, which involves the use of a respirator, goggles and gloves. Asbestos, which is part of the roofing material, can emit harmful fumes that are dangerous to human health. What is especially dangerous when building a fence in the immediate vicinity of playgrounds and swimming pools.

Views from photo

Flat slate sheet and its typical dimensions

For the manufacture of fences, both varieties of asbestos slate are used - flat and wave sheet. The first is used more often, as it has a greater thickness and is easier to attach. Wave slate has a thickness of not more than 7.5 mm, has a lower density and usable area.

According to GOST 18124–95, flat slate is produced in two types with the following marking:

LP-P - flat pressed sheet;
LP-NP - non-pressed flat sheet.

Pressed slate has a higher strength index - 23 MPa (kgf / cm 3). For comparison, unpressed slate has a bending strength of no more than 18 MPa. The denser structure of the pressed sheet increases its impact strength and frost-resistant qualities. LP-NP are inferior to LP-P in all respects, but have a much lower weight and cost.

Plain and colored wave slate for roofing

Wavy slate is available in three variations:

VO - ordinary wave sheet 1120 mm long, 680 mm wide;
VU - reinforced wave sheet 2800 mm long, 1000 mm wide;
UV - unified wave slate 1750 mm long, 1125 mm wide.

Slate with a regular profile is used only for roofing work on small buildings with a height of no more than 15 m. Wave sheet with a reinforced profile is used for roofing of industrial buildings. Slate with a unified profile is a universal option and is suitable for both roofing of a private house and for roofing of industrial buildings.

As a wave slate for the construction of a fence, it is better to use products marked with UV. Such material has a high density and a more convenient size. The weight of the sheet does not exceed 27 kg, and the working width practically does not differ from the actual one. This makes it possible to reduce labor costs for trimming sheets, thereby saving on material. The optimal number of waves is 7–8.

Due to the application of a protective layer of paint, colored wavy slate is less sensitive to moisture and better tolerates negative temperatures. In comparison, the service life of a painted sheet is 1.5 times longer than that of a conventional product of the same thickness.

Preparation for the construction of the fence

To mark and measure the length of the fence, use a regular thread stretched between the peg.

Before the construction of a fence made of slate sheets, it is necessary to carry out settlement work that will allow you to select the optimal amount of material. To do this, you need to measure the length of the fenced area.

This can be done with a long nylon thread and wooden pegs. The thread is pulled between the pegs placed around the perimeter of the site. After alignment with the house and other buildings, the thread is wound and its length is measured.

Based on the data obtained, a project is drawn up and a diagram is drawn with the location of the main elements of the fence: supporting pillars, gates, gates. Knowing the length of the fence, you can freely calculate the amount of slate, consumables and fasteners.

The choice of material for construction

Flat slate is good for building a fence

Regardless of type and shape, slate is a brittle material, unable to withstand severe shock loads. Therefore, as a material for the fence, there is not much difference what material will be used - the strength of corrugated and flat sheets is approximately the same.

In terms of convenience, flat slate is much easier to install. Separate sections are installed by the butt-to-butt method without overlap. This means that when constructing a long fence of flat slate, several sheets less will be required.

Flat slate is quite easy to mount on transverse rails

Before going to the store, check the SNiP adopted in your region regarding the height of fences for private and summer cottages. According to SNiP 30–20–97, the height of the fence should not exceed 1.5 m, but upon agreement with local authorities, this value can be increased to 2–2.2 m.

If the allowed height of the fence is limited, then you can try to negotiate with the neighbors in the area. If the neighbors agree and are satisfied that your site will be surrounded by a fence with a height of more than 2 m, then you have the right to build a fence.

Table: main dimensions of flat slate according to GOST 18124–95

If desired, you can choose thicker sheets of non-standard size, but for most fences, sheets with a thickness of 8 mm are sufficient. When choosing asbestos boards, special attention should be paid to the appearance of the material:

When buying slate, ask the sales assistant for a quality certificate for the distributed products, carefully study the marking on the product and take control dimensions from several sheets from the batch. If the size differs by more than ±5 mm, and the color of the slate is dark, then this may indicate non-compliance with the storage conditions of the material. It is impossible to use such slate for the construction of a fence.

Calculation of the required material

Iron poles for building a fence

Immediately before ordering slate, you should calculate the amount of material needed. As an example, we calculate the number of flat slate sheets, supports, sheds for gates and gates needed to build a fence around a 20 × 25 m area.

To make such a fence, you will need the following material:

As a result, it turns out that for a fence 90 m long, taking into account the stock, 62 sheets of flat slate, 40 support pillars with a diameter of 100 mm, 22 m of steel angle, 3–5 bags of M500 cement, bituminous mastic or varnish with a volume of 15 l. Bolts 70–80 mm long and galvanized self-tapping screws with a 50 mm washer will be used for fastening.

The height of the support post is selected individually based on the height of the fence. It should be borne in mind that the penetration into the ground should be at least 60–80 cm.

Required Tool

An angle grinder with a disc for concrete is used to cut slate

To build a fence, you need the following set of tools:

chalk and plumb;
bubble level;
manual or electric drill;
bayonet shovel;
concrete mixer;
welding machine;
electric drill;
wood saw;
wrench 10–22 mm;
container for water and cement.

For cutting slate, an angle grinder with a disc for concrete or metal is used. When cutting, as mentioned above, it is necessary to observe safety precautions and wear overalls, goggles and a respirator.

Step-by-step guide to making a fence with your own hands

Building a fence can be done in a variety of ways. A fence on a strip foundation is considered the most reliable stable structure with a long service life. Its construction requires the ability to set up formwork and work with large volumes of concrete mortar. In addition, in areas with a sharp difference in height, it will be necessary to prepare the base for the installation of formwork.

Petrol motor drill for drilling holes in the soil

A fence on concrete supports is a simpler technology that is suitable for the construction of fences on sandy and rocky soil types. The technology for building a slate fence without a strip foundation consists of the following steps:

The perimeter of the fence is marked and the places for the location of the corner supports are marked. To do this, the estimated length and width of the fence are measured. At the control points at the corners, wooden or reinforcing pegs are driven in, and a strong nylon thread is pulled.
In designated places, soil is removed to a depth of 70–90 cm. For this, a hand or motor drill is used. When drilling in rocky soils, be careful not to over-rev, as this may damage the cutting edge.
Preparation of support pillars for the construction of a slate fence
The iron support is treated with bituminous varnish twice. After drying, you can start mixing the concrete solution. For this, ready-made dry mixes M500 from the manufacturer are used.
A piece of roofing material, folded in half, is placed at the bottom of the dug hole under the support. After the support is lowered into the pit and fixed in a vertical position. It is better to do this work with the help of a partner. Then the concrete mixture is poured with periodic tamping. If desired, a little stone or fine gravel can be added to the mixture.
Similar work is underway to drill and install supports at three other points along the perimeter of the site. After pouring, markings are made for intermediate pillars in increments of 2.5 m. If necessary, the distance between spans is slightly adjusted.
- After concreting all the supporting pillars, the concrete mix must be allowed to dry. Ideally, if you can wait at least 7 days. In this case, the concrete will gain sufficient strength to withstand the weight of sheet slate.
While the concrete dries, you can begin to prepare the metal strips from the corner. To do this, the product is marked into strips 20–25 cm long and cut with a grinder. Two holes are drilled along the edge of the element for fastening the guide. Then the bar is welded at the bottom and top of the post with an indent of 20–30 cm.
When cutting, the slate should be moistened with water - this will help to avoid the formation of a large amount of asbestos dust
A 50 × 130 mm beam will be used as guides, which must be marked and adjusted in length. When joining the timber, the step method is used, when the upper board is adjacent to the recess on the bottom (see diagram above).
Before attaching to the supports, the timber is treated with a wood preservative. Further, a through hole with a diameter equal to the section of the coupling bolt is drilled at the attachment point. After that, the guide is mounted on a support.
The scheme of fastening the wave slate to the fence rails using self-tapping screws
Then the asbestos plate is carefully applied to the guide and leveled. In the lower part, a distance of 10 cm from the ground is observed. Galvanized self-tapping screws with a rubber washer are used for fastening. The fastening step is not more than 30 cm. Before the screed, a hole for fasteners is drilled in the sheet.

Sheet slate is fastened through the crest of the wave. When joining the wave slate, the crest of one sheet is superimposed on the crest of the previous one, as shown in the diagram above.

Photo gallery: examples of slate fences

Fence from ordinary wave slate Fence on a strip foundation made of flat slate Fence on a strip base made of flat slate Fence made of painted wave slate

Fence decorating methods

The use of colored slate is a universal solution that does not require any finishing after the construction of the fence. Such a slate fence will look no worse than analogues from rolled metal. The color is selected taking into account the main color of the building.

If ordinary gray slate was used, then acrylic paint of the desired color can be used to finish it. The composition is applied to a pre-cleaned surface according to the package instructions.

As a rule, slate needs to be treated with a metal brush and an antiseptic. For application, an electric or manual spray gun is used. With skill, you can use a paint brush, but this will significantly increase paint consumption. After staining, the slate not only acquires a beautiful color, but is also reliably protected due to a thin water-repellent layer.

For more reliable protection of slate, special paints are used for processing asbestos-cement sheets. Usually, slate paint is somewhat more expensive than acrylic compounds, but its service life is noticeably higher.

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.

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