How to put a slate fence. How to make a slate fence with your own hands: wave and flat, photo, video. Installation of a columnar foundation

Slate was a common building material in the 80s and 90s. Then it was produced so much that the sheets were used not only for the construction of roofs of houses, but also for the construction of fences. And today, despite the abundance of materials in the construction market, there are many who want to build a fence from slate, because this is a budget option for a fence.

Slate is a generalized name for materials used for cladding and roofing work... He might be:

• asbestos-cement - consisting of asbestos (10%), cement (85%) and water (5%). The mixture of these ingredients is compressed, resulting in sheets of different sizes and shapes;
• plastic - represents polymer boards, painted in various colors, with full or partial light transmission;
• metal - these are thin steel sheets coated with a protective polymer compound (corrugated board).

Note: most often, under the name "slate" they mean exactly asbestos-cement products.

If plastic and metal sheets were originally supplied in different colors, then asbestos-cement sheets were exclusively gray for a long time. Today, this material is produced in a wide range of colors, which makes it possible to give products from it a more aesthetic look.

Distinguish slate:

• wave - with a corrugated surface. Roofs of houses, industrial facilities, and household buildings are erected from corrugated slate;
• flat - even sheets. Their main application is for the construction of fences, partitions, wall cladding.

Advantages and disadvantages

Slate fence has the following advantages:

• affordability. Depending on the type of material, its cost varies;
• moderate durability - in the absence of severe mechanical damage, it can last for several decades;
• ease of maintenance;
• soundproofing properties - a solid sheet fence softens street noise;
• resistance to corrosion, temperature extremes, exposure to chemicals.

With such positive qualities, a slate hedge has several disadvantages. She:

• unsafe for people. With prolonged contact, asbestos negatively affects the human body, provoking the development of certain pathologies;
• afraid of moisture. Under its influence, a fungus forms on the sheets, which is difficult to remove;
• fragile. A strong point impact is capable of destroying the slate segment;
• has a lot of weight. To install such a fence, at least 2 people are required.

Manufacturing of slate barriers

Before you build a fence, you need to decide on its design, installation methods.

Choice of design

Wavy slate is mounted on a frame made of metal pillars and horizontal lintels. A strip foundation is poured under such a barrier or the supports are concreted in the ground.

Note: also a fence made of wave slate can consist of supports (professional pipes) and horizontal wooden logs, to which sheet material is attached.

Installation of flat slate is carried out in three ways:

1. On horizontal runs from a professional pipe (similar to wave). In this case, the sheets are fixed pointwise with special nails.
2. Directly to the supports. Sections are fastened with studs.
3. In frames welded from steel corners.

Please note: the more reliable is a fence made of flat slate, the segments of which are fixed in a metal frame. The other two options for point attachment increase the risk of material splitting during installation, operation.

Tools

To install a slate fence, you will need:

• asbestos cement sheets;
• professional pipes for pillars;
• lags from metal or wood;
• concrete, crushed stone, sand;
• fittings;
• boards / flat slate for formwork;
• fasteners, bolts, screws / slate nails;
• welding machine;
• grinder, drill;
• hand drill;
• shovel, level;
• tape measure, pegs and thread for marking.

Implementation of markup

First, they mark the territory. Start from any corner using wooden pegs and rope. The first two elements are installed at a distance equal to the width of the foundation. They are connected with a rail. Thus, all corners of the enclosing structure are marked. A thread is pulled between them, outlining the boundaries of the future foundation.

Remember: the evenness of the slate fence depends on the quality of the markings.

Digging a trench

According to the markings, they dig a trench under the strip foundation 30-40 cm deep.In the places where the supports are installed, holes are drilled 10-12 cm with a drill. The maximum permissible distance between the posts is 2.5 m.

Attention: the size of the pit should exceed the cross-section of the posts by 20-30 cm. This distance is necessary for high-quality compaction of the supports.

Laying the foundation

At the bottom of the trench, a 10-15 cm sand pillow is poured, which is well tamped. Then there should be an 8-10 cm layer of crushed stone.

After that, the supports should be installed. They are inserted into the drilled holes, checking the verticality with a level. The free space in the pits is poured with a solution. The concrete must dry for at least a day.

After that, the structure is reinforced. Steel rods are fastened together with wire. The reinforcing mesh should be 3-5 cm below the surface of the future foundation.

The next step is to install the formwork. It is made from wood or flat slate. The formwork should protrude 30-50 cm above the ground surface. The trench is poured with concrete mixture, leveling its surface. The foundation is left to dry for 8-10 days.

Installation of horizontal lags

How to make a slate fence with your own hands? Wavy material is best attached to wooden guides, flat - to metal. Steel logs are welded to the posts, wooden ones are screwed to pre-welded hinges.

Important: all wooden and metal elements must be coated with a primer that is different for each material.

Fastening slate

The final stage in the construction of a slate fence is the installation of girders. The wave material is attached to wooden logs with self-tapping screws or special bunches. Holes for them are pre-drilled with a drill.

Remember: before you start attaching the slate sheets, rubber gaskets are put on the nails / screws. This will make the joint stronger and more elastic.

Flat slate is best installed in a metal corner frame. It is made to fit the size of the sheet. We put the slate section into the frame and fix it with a metal stopper. We check the levelness of the installation of the slate sections.

Construction finishing

In order for the fence to be not just a fence, but a decoration of the site, it needs to be given a presentable look. This can be done using:

• the use of colored sheets (for example, to match the color of the roof of the house);
• paints and varnishes. You can paint a slate fence in one color or draw an ornament, a landscape on the sections;
• combinations of different materials. Slate goes well with stone, brick, allowing you to create original fences.

If you need to fence off the site quickly and without significant financial investments, it is recommended to install a slate fence. Using imagination, you can create an interesting fence that will perform not only protective functions, but also decorative ones.

Asbestos-cement slate for fencing a site is not often used. The bad publicity he used was the "leftover" habit. Many summer cottage owners put old roofing slate covered with moss and nail holes on the fences. Their neighbors, looking at its unpresentable appearance, choose other options for fences.

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

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

Slate fence. There are more advantages than disadvantages

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

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

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

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

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

Examples of slate fences

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

Corrugated slate is most often placed on horizontal girders made of a profile pipe, a wooden bar or a combination of "steel corner + wooden lath". The runs are fixed on steel (less often asbestos-cement) posts, concreted in the ground or strip foundation. To fasten the girders (lag) to the racks, use metal studs, self-tapping screws or welding.

The easiest option is a wave slate fence fixed on a wooden board to metal pipes.

To install wave slate, you can use steel water pipes, attaching them to columns of asbestos-cement pipes

Flat slate is mounted in two ways:

• On horizontal girders from a shaped pipe.
• Steel corner frames.

The first installation method is no different from installing wave slate.

The flat slate is fixed on horizontal girders. In the lower part of the fence, there is a ventilation gap, covered with a steel mesh

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

Fastening flat slate with a plate on the back of the frame

Exterior view of a fence made of flat slate framed by a corner and strips

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

It should be noted that one more, not the most successful, method of installing flat slate on a fence is the use of fastening lug plates. Holes in the edges of the sheet and the installation of heavy slate 4 points increase the risk of chipping.

Mounting slate on the lugs is an unreliable option

Everything is clear with editing, but where is the promised beauty? - the reader will ask. Indeed, it is time to move from the technical side to the aesthetic one. It is not difficult to make a wave slate fence attractive and boring. All you need to do is buy colored material.

Colored wave slate is the easiest way to decorate your fence

Not everyone likes a solid fence. Therefore, we recommend purchasing slate in different colors and fixing it on the fence, as on the artist's palette.

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

Flat asbestos-cement slate - "canvas" of the artist, waiting for his master

If the family has small children, a nondescript fence can be painted by drawing fairy-tale characters. Such decoration will certainly delight the little ones and create a cozy atmosphere.

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

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

The plastic slate fence is beautiful and transparent

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

Features of self-installation of a slate fence

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

Preparatory operations include:

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

How should the slate not be installed?

Despite the simplicity of installation, in practice there are many mistakes and curious situations. We will consider several of them. The purlins for the installation of heavy slate must be rigid and durable. Despite this requirement, some site owners manage to use a thin plasterboard profile for these purposes.

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

Plasterboard profile for a slate fence is not suitable!

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

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

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

Peculiarities

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

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

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

Advantages and disadvantages

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

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

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

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

The small disadvantages of slate include the following:

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

Varieties

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

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

Flat slate can be:

• Pressed.
• Unpressed.

Pressed slate is considered a little denser and heavier than unpressed slate.

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

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

Wave slate also comes in the following varieties:

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

The main differences are in wave height and size.

DIY fence

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

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

Instruments

Don't forget to pick up a complete set of tools that will come in handy when building your fence.

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

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

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

• Concrete mixer.
• Welding machine.
• Drill, grinder.
• Hacksaw.
• Spanners.

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

Operating procedure

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

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

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

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

Slate fences have and negative qualities:

• Fragility. Asbestos-cement sheets are quite easy to damage when struck by a hard object or when bent. The sheets burst, crack, and as a result, for repair, you have to replace the whole element;
• The slate does not burn, but at high temperatures it bursts, firing out separate pieces.

Which slate to use

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

Flat slate

Abbreviations are used to refer to this material. LP-P and LP-NP which means pressed flat sheet and unpressed flat sheet.

The difference between extruded and non-extruded material is determined by the different values ​​of the flexural strength.

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

The industry produces flat slate in three basic sizes:

• 1x1.5 m;
• 2x1.5 m;
• 3x1.5 m.

Corrugated slate

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

Ordinary corrugated products are used to organize roofs on small private housing facilities (sheds, summer cottages, baths), reinforced sheets can be used to cover roofs in industrial facilities, and universal slate is suitable for any buildings and structures.

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

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

There is no special sense in buying slate in order to build a fence. If you are going to spend on a fence, especially if you have to make a fence on the facade of the site, it is better to purchase stronger and more durable sheets of metal profiled sheet, but if you have to make a fence between neighboring sites, then it is best to make a fence from old slate with your own hands.

What basis to choose

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

Tape base

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

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

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

Individual concreting of pillars

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

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

Required materials and tools

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

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

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

• level;
• plumb line;
• drill for preparing pits for posts;
• shovel;
• a container for preparing concrete or a concrete mixer;
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• welding machine;
• hacksaw;
• wrenches;
• cutting wheels for concrete and grinder;
• safety glasses, gloves and a respirator.

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

Calculation of the required amount of materials with examples

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

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

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

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

Instructions for the construction of a fence made of slate

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

Planning. Before starting work, a plan should be prepared. On the plot diagram, points should be noted where the corner posts will be located, the distance between them is measured, and the places where the intermediate supports are installed are marked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Installation of slate. Fastening the slate to the guides is best done with two people so that the partner can hold the sheet in the desired position. The slate is attached with self-tapping screws to the wooden guides using a screwdriver. In order to prevent chips and penetration of the base, a rubber washer should be placed under the head of the self-tapping screw.

The use of roofing nails for fastening slate is not recommended, as it is necessary to have a certain qualification to work with them.

When marking the fence, you should leave small gaps between the sheets and in the places where the sheets adjoin the ground. These gaps will help reduce the windage of the entire structure, which will allow the fence to withstand during hurricane winds.

Final works. At the last stage, a wicket and a gate are installed. Gates and wickets are usually welded separately from a metal profile or corner. For attaching the shutters to the posts, special gates are used.

The wicket and gates can also be closed with flat slate, but since these elements will be often used, it is recommended to use a lighter and stronger metal sheet. After hanging the gates and wickets, the locks are installed.

At the final stage, proceed to finishing works... To extend the service life of asbestos-cement sheets, it is recommended to treat them with coloring compositions. For this purpose, acrylic paints on concrete are best suited.

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

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