During the repair or construction of the roof, the material will certainly have to be cut. As a rule, the roof is covered with slate, since it is the most inexpensive and has good properties. But this material also has a significant drawback - it is very fragile, breaks even from impact. In addition, slate has considerable weight: one sheet weighs about 20 kilograms.
Although the material has drawbacks, this does not diminish its popularity and relevance. I would even say that over the years the demand for it only increases.
In some cases, people refuse slate because it is not environmentally friendly. Indeed, the material contains harmful asbestos.
I would like to note that the slate used for covering the roof does not harm human health. For added safety, it can be painted. Roofing material only gets dusty when it is cut, sanded or dismantled.
The main difficulty lies in ensuring safety during any slate work. Dust should not get into human lungs, and therefore any manipulations with the material should be carried out with glasses and a respirator. To make the slate less dusty when cutting, it needs to be wet. For example, put wet rags on the future cutting site and wait a few hours.
Slate should not cover pits on the roads, since in this case it will release harmful dust into the air.
Is it possible to cut a sheet of slate without dust?
- 1. As a rule, these works are carried out with a grinder, jigsaw or drill. In the latter case, you need to make several holes along the cutting line, put the block on one part of the slate and press well. True, this produces a lot of dust, and the cut is not smooth.
- 2. There is an old-fashioned method for which you need to arm yourself with a nail and a hammer. Similarly to a drill, through holes are made with a nail, and then a sheet of slate is broken.
- 3. I advise you to use the more convenient option. Take a piece of the hacksaw. Maybe you still have a blade from the sawmill, it will do too. To make it more comfortable to work, attach the handle to the hacksaw. Draw a line on the slate and attach the cutter to it.
Remember to start from the center of the sheet. Attach the cutter and hit it gently with a hammer so the hacksaw goes into the slate. Cut each wave of material in this way, moving from the middle to both sides. You will get a smooth, beautiful cut, the amount of dust with this method is minimal.
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