How to paint slate: tools and choice of paint for slate

Slate is considered one of the most durable materials for roofing buildings. It is for this reason that it has not lost its popularity for several centuries. However, over the years, its appearance ceases to please, as the material loses its presentability. Don't be upset if your roof has become pale and unattractive. There is an exit. It is enough to paint the slate roof, and it will sparkle with colors again. There are some rules and guidelines regarding this process. In this article we will find out how to paint slate so that it is not inferior in beauty to modern roofing materials.

Necessary tools for painting

Before painting your slate roof, you need to prepare for the process. Firstly, we need to think about what tools and materials will be useful to us. So, to complete the task you should arm yourself with the following tools:

Prepare a special brush for working with metal;
Keep a drill and grinder handy;
You will need glasses, respirators and paint brushes;
High pressure jet washer;
Antiseptic for construction purposes;
Protective gloves;
Paint (the best option is acrylic or enamel paint);
Primer.

Once the necessary materials have been purchased, you can proceed to the next stage, namely preparing the working surface.
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Methods for cleaning a slate roof

Before painting flat slate, you should clean it of dirt and moss that appear during use. To accomplish this task, you can use several effective options:

Cleaning with a wire brush. This method requires enormous physical effort and a lot of time, and the result of the work is not characterized by excellent quality indicators. If you choose this cleaning option, then make sure that the flat slate on the roof is dry, otherwise the paint will not adhere well;
Using a drill or grinder. To carry out cleaning, a special nozzle is used, with which the old roof can get rid of moss and dirt. Thanks to electronic devices, it is possible to achieve high quality and not lose speed of work;
For the third option, high pressure water pressure will be useful. Perhaps this is the most effective method. To perform the work, it is not recommended to exceed the pressure value of 250 atmospheres. If you violate this rule, you can cause damage to the coating. This cleaning can be carried out in any weather conditions.

Attention! The third cleaning option demonstrates very high efficiency. So, working with an area of 100 square meters, you can spend a maximum of two working days.

Preparatory work before painting

Assess the amount of work, the presence of islands of dust, dirt in the recesses, moss and droppings;
The main work on slate cleaning should be carried out using a hydraulic remote control (Kärcher type);
Clean stubborn dirt or droppings with a wire brush by hand or using a grinder with an attachment.

Cleaning slate from moss and dirt before painting

The video shows how easy it is to remove all dirt from old slate before painting.

Slate processing process

After we have cleaned the work surface of excess dirt, we can begin processing the slate itself. This process includes the application of an antiseptic and hydrophobization. Antimicrobial substances will help kill parasites that live in microcracks in the material. Plus, it will prevent them from multiplying and spreading. You can do the treatment with a regular brush, but it will take longer and require a lot of effort. It is best to use a special sprayer. When antiparasitic treatment, be sure to wear gloves on your hands and glasses or a respirator on your face to avoid poisoning.

Benefits and service life of slate roofing

For your information! There is nothing better than a damp environment for fungal growth, so it is also necessary to apply a waterproofing coating to the work surface.

The slate surface becomes porous over time due to increased humidity, which leads to early damage and destruction. In order to improve the quality of the cover, hydrophobation should be carried out. These measures have a positive effect on the service life of the roof. Painting flat slate or any other type will help restore a neat appearance. It is best to carry out the procedure immediately after laying the material, but many developers do not think about this right away. They consider this option only in situations where the products have already lost their aesthetics. In the next section we will consider in detail this important and final stage of work.

Additional preparation tips

Painting slate must necessarily include the need to prepare the surface of the covering material. It is important to inspect the canvas to ensure there is no damage. Experts recommend paying special attention to northern stingrays, because moss colonies most often form on them, which need to be gotten rid of. If you decide to use a hand-held power tool for this, it is important to be careful not to damage the slate.

Cleaning and painting slate are the main stages of refining the material described. Once all microorganisms have been removed, the roof surface should be checked again for integrity. If you notice small cracks or breaks, they must be repaired using a special mixture. You can prepare it yourself using:

cement;
PVA glue;
fluffed asbestos.

The glue is pre-diluted with water. The preparation process necessarily involves removing debris from the roof surface. It is important to remove dust from the substrate to be painted. This is done using a regular brush and water. The slate is then left to dry. Painting slate on a roof will achieve excellent results if you use car washers for preparation. After this it will look like new.

Paint selection criteria

What is the best way to coat the surface of slate to restore both its quality and beautiful appearance? The modern range of paints forces developers to make difficult choices. But how to figure out what exactly is suitable for a particular surface? We will answer this question in this section. Slate painting products are produced by both foreign and domestic manufacturers. Basically, they are made on the basis of acrylic or silicone. Let's take a look at the most popular types of paints:

Acrylic or water-dispersed. This paint is applied to the slate surface after it has been treated with a primer. Thanks to this coating, protection against moisture and deformation is increased, the sliding characteristics of the products are improved, which promotes optimal drainage of precipitation from the roof. Painted slate will dry very quickly, thanks to the peculiarities of the composition. It should be noted that the product range is represented by a huge number of different colors and shades.
Enamel. The peculiarity of the coloring consistency lies in special binders and the possession of a good indicator of moisture-proof properties and resistance to precipitation. After painting, the coating becomes stronger and better quality. Dyed material is less susceptible to fading, so it will retain the brightness of the color for many years.
Paint in the form of liquid plastic. This is a synthetic material based on bitumen, polystyrene or polyvinyl chloride. Despite the low cost, it should be noted that this paint is characterized by low moisture-protective properties and most of its types contain components that can have a negative effect on the human body. Therefore, before you paint slate, think twice about the choice of paint material.
Rubber. Today it is considered one of the most popular paints. Its composition is absolutely safe for humans and all living beings. With its help, you can improve resistance to wear, external corrosion and fungal infections, provide high protection against slipping of products, and the elasticity of the paint ensures stretching when small cracks form. The use of this particular paint increases the service life by several decades. But it is best to create two layers of coating, which will prevent deformation and destruction of roofing sheets.

Important! As you can see, each type of paint has special characteristics. Can they cover slate? The answer is simple: even necessary. However, not all of them are safe for health, so do not forget about it.

Slate roof repair

Repairing slate flooring often involves repairing small cracks, holes, and applying patches. In order to repair small holes (for large cracks or large chips, experts recommend using a complete replacement of the sheet, since such patches are ineffective and after a couple of months the destruction of the roof will continue), you can use durable mixtures that extend the service life for a period of two to four years .

Scheme of laying and lathing under slate.

To carry out such repairs, you need to prepare ordinary water, PVA glue, asbestos (rubbed until fine crumbs are obtained), and cement mortar. You can also use adhesive tape or aluminum foil, which enhances the strength of the connection.

For repairs, we choose a cloudy, cloudy day, but without rain; you should not repair cracks in bright sunshine. First you need to clean the slate from debris and dirt, moss growths, it is advisable to rinse it and let it dry completely. After this, the damaged area is covered with a primer, for which a mixture of one part PVA and three parts water is suitable. The primer is applied only to a completely dry surface!

Now we start preparing the mixture to fill the cracks. Mix one part cement mortar and three parts ground asbestos, add PVA glue and bring everything to the consistency of thick sour cream. A similar solution can be used to cover a cracked sheet, after gluing it from the inside out using adhesive tape. When filling cracks, it is necessary to apply the adhesive mixture very carefully, without pressing on the slate; the surface must be treated with silicone sealant on top.

The most popular paint brands

The market for paints for construction purposes is replete with brand names from the most famous manufacturers. However, which one is best for staining slate? Today, the following manufacturers are in high demand:

Dahbeshikhtund. Paint from a German campaign, characterized by excellent performance properties. Of course, its cost is much higher than its domestic counterparts, but its quality makes it a leader. It has high adhesive properties, good strength, and long-term operation. It is recommended to use it for natural type tiles and slate.
Polyfarb. A Polish-made product made on a dispersion basis. One of the features is the ability to dry quickly, which significantly speeds up the work process. Also, thanks to coloring, resistance to moisture and ultraviolet radiation increases.
Aqua. The creators of the paint are the joint work of Finland and Sweden. It dissolves easily in water. A distinctive feature is resistance to alkaline environments. In practice, Aqua is used not only for painting slate surfaces, but also for concrete bases.

Attention! These are not all paint manufacturers that offer a quality product. We have presented you with three of the most famous brands for working with slate. The choice is always yours!

Second coat of paint

When the first layer is completely dry, apply the second: it also needs to be given enough time to dry. If the base has been pre-primed, two coats will usually provide a good painting result. Otherwise, if coating uniformity is not achieved, a third coat will be required. To achieve maximum strength, a painted slate roof is aged for several days, so it is very important to predict a rain-free period for roof repairs, otherwise all the work will go down the drain.

Armed with these recommendations, painting slate yourself will not be difficult. If there is no spray gun, it is replaced with a paint roller. In this case, the work will not proceed so quickly, which has its advantages. The fact is that while one side of the roof is being painted, the other will have the opportunity to dry in the meantime. If you plan everything wisely, you can practically avoid having to wait for the primer or first coat to dry. It is also important to consider that painting old slate carries the risk of falling off the roof, so it is recommended to take the necessary safety precautions. Typically, safety equipment for working at height is used for these purposes.

Manufacturers, prices and variety of colors

The most common colors for painting roofs are red, dark brown, and green, but the color range of most paints is extremely diverse. In addition, for individual color selection, many manufacturers of paint and varnish products provide possible tinting options. Tinting can be done independently using tinting paste or using specialized equipment. It is better to tint the entire volume of paint at once to achieve a uniform shade. When tinting again, it will be very difficult to achieve the desired shade. The most famous composition is the slate paint “Shikril” from. It belongs to a variety of acrylic compositions based on organic solvents and can also be used for painting concrete and cement-sand surfaces.

The color scheme is not very diverse, but the basic colors are present. It is characterized by low cost and economical consumption. The average price is 250-300 rubles per kg. "KILPI" is another acrylic composition for slate surfaces from the famous one. Can be used for most types of roofing materials: flat slate, tile roofs, roofing felt, fiber boards. The consumption of such enamel is quite high - per 2 square meters. meter requires approximately 1 liter of solution. Novbytkhim roofing paint is suitable for painting used and new roofing materials. The enamel is resistant to fading, weathering, moisture-resistant and prevents the formation of mold and lichen, giving the roof a neat and modern appearance. The operating time in the climate of central Russia is at least five years. The average price is 200-300 rubles per kg. Polyfarb is a water-dispersion paint from a Polish manufacturer. It is characterized by quick drying and has a rich palette of colors. The composition is characterized by excellent hydroscopicity and resistance to fading in the sun.

conclusions

There are many very popular offers on the paint and varnish market that are used on other surfaces. These include electrically conductive paint Zinga and fire-retardant metal paints Polistil. Despite the fact that manufacturers often advertise these paints as recommended for use on any surface, on slate we recommend using only paints specifically targeted to this material.

You only have the power to choose how to paint flat slate and what to paint wavy slate from the available specialized paints. Be sure to refer to the video in this article, it will offer several more very worthy options for working on slate.