Is it possible to lay a path out of slate? Flat slate beds

How to apply or use?

There would be slate and time.

  1. Use it as formwork, for example, for borders of paths in the country. It turns out nice and neat. This is from personal experience.
  2. Fill it, mix it with concrete, lay out paths or pave the area. I didn’t have that many broken ones, but my neighbors have had paths like this for a long time, so this is also a proven method. But from what happened once, we flooded the floor in the garage. Advice = first soak the slate pegs in water.
  3. You can fill and fill up puddles, especially old ones, such as often happen at the gate.
  4. You can cut it, but cut it while wearing a respirator, because this dust is harmful, and lay out the edges around the beds in these strips or along the fence so that animals, such as hares or stray dogs, do not run through possible holes or cracks. You can make such beds in the form of boxes, they turn out neat and it’s convenient to work with humus later. You can make low, narrow beds like this and plant strawberries in them. Or borders around trees.
  5. If there is long waste. Then you can wrap tree trunks with them for the winter, tie them with wire so that hares do not chew the bark.
  6. Finely stuffed can be used to make drainage in a trench under a vineyard.
  7. It can be a good way to relieve stress. Chopping slate into small pieces by hand in a respirator or mask is not a quick process. But the smaller the crumb, the better and more options for crafts. But you can also make a lot of things from small crumbs. Again, mix small crumbs with cement and make some figures for the dacha, something like large jugs, waterfalls, you can then paint them. Can be done alpine slide. You can build a monolithic barbecue. You can make paving slabs at least in the form of bricks, if there are no special molds.
  8. You can do facade tiles. But for this you will need square blanks or you can make them yourself. For the composition you will need to mix: cement M 500, DO, with grade 500 without additives, clean sand, preferably river sand, finely packed slate, water, a plasticizer or superplasticizer, iron oxide pigments - these are dyes for concrete.
  9. Can be used for roofs in the manufacture of birdhouses.
  10. You can also engage in such creativity as Maria Arsenina. She used slate in her works, the paintings are not sold cheaply, see these masterpieces for yourself here

When was the roof replaced? country house, then the question arose of what to do with the filmed old slate. It is clear that part of the slate was no longer suitable for covering even a barn, but part of it was still quite suitable as a working material. The only thing that is now modern materials and I really don’t want to use the removed used slate, but the toad sitting somewhere inside prevented me from throwing it out. A neighbor helped and took most of the usable slate. But neighbors are different and you cannot always count on their help in using used materials. So, if the toad sitting inside you does not allow you to throw away the old slate, then it can be used as follows.

Alternatively, break it down into smaller components and fill the paths.

Can be used instead of boards for beds or "borders" of flower beds, burying them half (approximately) in the ground. Before this, they can be painted in the desired color. Since the slate sheet is quite large in size and it would take too long to bury it entirely, and it is not necessary, I “cut it” into pieces of the required size using a grinder. Unfortunately, when cutting, slate becomes very dusty, so take care of a respirator (or at least a cotton-gauze bandage) and glasses.

However, it is worth remembering that slate is not the most environmentally friendly pure material(a rather harmful thing), so it is better to use it for fencing flower beds and it is better not to use it for beds.

Pieces of slate were used to fence raspberries, rose hips, and horseradish. These shrubs and plants grow roots quickly. At the raspberry root system superficial, it is enough to bury the slate 20-30 cm deep.

Pieces of slate can be used to fence beds or a flower bed; slate can be painted if someone thinks that its natural appearance is not very attractive.

Old slate can be used when constructing formwork for the foundation. Or protect them compost heap.

Those pieces of slate that are more or less large can be used to make a kind of underground fence to strengthen the edges of the beds, as well as to limit the shoots of raspberries, plums and, in general, all garden plants that are capable of reproducing by underground shoots.

In order for the protection to be effective, you need to dig a groove around the entire perimeter, place overlapping pieces of slate in them, and cover them with earth. You can leave a couple of centimeters of slate sticking out above the ground. With such a fence there will be no more problems with extra shoots that have to be uprooted.

If there are more or less intact pieces, they can be used for underground fencing of raspberries, cherry trees, plums - in general, all plants that are prone to reproduction by underground shoots. Dig a ditch around the perimeter of the protected area, at least two bayonets deep, vertically install pieces of slate into it, with an overlap - so that there are no gaps through which rhizomes can grow. Cover with earth (the slate sheets may protrude slightly above the surface of the earth, indicating a line of protection). After this, you will not have to uproot raspberry or cherry shoots throughout the entire area.

Asbestos, which is part of slate, is absolutely safe in its bound form. Now, if you are sawing it with a grinder, then it is advisable to do it with a good respirator. In addition, there are two types of asbestos. The one that is mined in our country is less dangerous (if dust gets into the lungs, it is removed with fewer problems), and the asbestos dust that is formed when car pads wear out is truly an environmental disaster. So use old slate without fear for your health.

Is your roof leaking? Do not immediately throw away the old slate. It is often repairable. Restoring the coating will require a little effort and skill - reviving the material is quite simple.

Traditionally, slate is a roofing material. It is popular due to its many advantages - hardness, durability, inexpensive, not afraid of fire, not subject to corrosion, etc. A roof made from it residential buildings, outbuildings turns out to be durable and quiet. All these beneficial features The craftsmen appreciated it and decided to use it for other purposes.

Here are a few unusual ways slate applications:

The sheets are used on a summer cottage for the construction of a reliable fence. Wild and neighboring animals do not consider a regular chain-link mesh as a barrier. But it’s much more difficult for them to deal with slate.

To strengthen the fence, the sheet is cut so that after installation the height is enough for a spade to fit onto the mesh, and then it is deepened into the ground by 40 cm, and the earth is compacted on both sides. The slate sheet does not need additional fastening.

If a foundation is to be built, then an asbestos-cement sheet is suitable for formwork. It's better if it's flat. It is quite difficult to waterproof and insulate wavy foundation walls.

The curved edges of the sheet are trimmed, holes (if any) are sealed with sealant and roofing felt. A stick support is nailed to each piece of slate. When installing such formwork, the joints are tightly connected.

What to do and where to use the fragments

They even benefit from slate fragments. The tree trunk is covered with strips roofing material and secured with wire. In such a shell, the bark will definitely survive in winter - it is too tough for hares and other rodents. Very small pieces can be reduced to fine crumbs by breaking them with a hammer. They sprinkle it garden paths, floor in technical rooms.

Use of broken slate

Slate, which has served for many years but has retained its properties, is being renewed. The roof is given an attractive look with paint. Many believe that it will last a maximum of a year. This is true if you choose the wrong coating.

Today, domestic and foreign industry offers a wide selection of silicone or acrylic-based paints designed specifically for materials made from asbestos cement. The compositions form a durable coating that is impervious to mechanical damage. In addition, they prevent asbestos particles from entering the atmosphere.

Carrying out roof painting work

Paint by hand with a brush or using sprayers. Apply two layers, the second after the first has dried.

Where to use old slate

To ensure that the coating applies evenly and lasts longer, it is recommended to use a high-quality primer.

Another indispensable condition good result is preliminary preparation surfaces for painting.

Over time, the surface of the slate becomes overgrown with moss, covered with a dark fungal coating, and dirt and debris accumulate on it. Before painting, all excess is removed.

You need to be careful when cleaning your roof. To avoid deforming the sheets, choose soft shoes. It is safest to step in places where the sheathing slats run. Be sure to use insurance.

For cleaning, use hard brushes with metal bristles, which are quite effective at scraping off all excess. You can pre-moisten the slate with water - then things will go faster. The process will speed up if you use a drill with a brush attachment.

Dirt is washed off with water from the sludge, avoiding places where there are holes and cracks, otherwise the insulation or frame will be damaged. Cleaning is carried out in sunny weather, when water quickly evaporates from the surface. Further work carried out only after complete drying roofing.

Before and after cleaning the roof from moss and dirt

Replacing old with new slate

If cracks have formed on the roof, they are eliminated with a special mortar. To prepare it you will need:

  • PVA glue;
  • cement grade not lower than 300 (1–2 parts);
  • fluffed asbestos (3 parts);
  • water.

Mix cement and asbestos, add PVA glue diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio, achieving the consistency of sour cream. This mortar rub the cracks. Instead of a homemade solution, they use ready-made products - for example, “Hyperdesmo”.

Before repairs, the roof is cleaned, degreased with white spirit, and treated with a primer (1 part PVA mixed with 3 parts water). It is better to seal cracks on a cloudy (not rainy) day so that the solution does not dry out prematurely.

In case of major damage, the slate needs to be replaced - completely or partially. But before installation it is important to inspect rafter system, which due to leaks can be damaged by fungus or rot.

In order to properly repair the roof, most often you have to remove the slate. To remove unusable sheets, the master will need three more assistants (two people are on the roof, two more are below). It is also necessary to build a ladder from the roof to the ground from the boards.

Here is the dismantling algorithm:

  • Remove nails from slate. To do this, use a nail puller, under which a strong iron strip is placed so as not to crumble the roofing. The strip is placed under the heel of the instrument.
  • The dismantled sheet is tied with ropes and lowered down the ladder. Below, two assistants accept the sheet, remove the ropes, and put the dismantled sheets in a stack.

When performing work, it is important to observe safety precautions. It is advisable that those working at heights have insurance. You cannot throw sheets down - people may get hurt.

Obviously, slate can be brought back to life if you try. And if you approach the matter with imagination, then even at the end of its service life it will be useful to a skilled craftsman as a roofing covering.

You will learn more about roofing work with slate from the video.

(3) Comments

Natalya - Reply

After reading the article, I thought: wasn’t it in vain that we removed the old slate from the roof, maybe we should have cleaned it and painted it? but now I know one more thing useful application old slate! During dismantling, the slate was stacked in small piles in an area where nothing grew except the nasty wheatgrass. In fact, it didn’t grow because of him. The slate lay there for about 2 months, and when it was moved into one large pile, I saw it. that wheatgrass is extinct! So you can use slate as a covering material from unwanted vegetation on the site!

Nikolay - Reply

To be honest, I have never seen slate painted. Yes, and old slate can always be used on the farm, to cover a barn, for example. To replace the slate, it is better to break it slowly so as not to suffer.

Materials: http://netosadkam.ru/krovlya/shifer/staryiy.html

How to crush wave slate?

Broken slate

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April 16, 2017
at 11:32 The company works on roofing systems - covering houses and various buildings. As a result, there is a huge amount of waste in the form of broken slate. Can it be used somewhere as a building material?
Leonid_32

April 16, 2017
at 12:28 Sometimes I used broken slate when pouring the foundation. I crushed it and sprinkled it a little at the bottom of the hole into which the concrete was poured. It’s just clear that you don’t use a lot of it this way. You must also remember that it contains asbestos.
sergonol

April 17, 2017
at 7:53 The same thought also arose at first about adding it to the foundation, but contractors for capital construction flatly refused to take it, only if it was some kind of outbuildings and then on one floor. And his carriages and a small cart.
homohilaris

April 17, 2017
at 11:49 That's right, it contains asbestos. So if you use it, just pour it all into concrete so that there is no asbestos dust. For example, fill the paths. Theoretically, it is possible when casting paving slabs as a filler instead of granite chips, but for this you need to first crush them, again the clouds harmful dust.

April 17, 2017
at 17:25 I was in the barn, when I was pouring the floor, I used a lot of broken slate. The first layer was made from this; before pouring the concrete, the slate was crushed a little more using improvised means and compacted. We managed to save a good amount of concrete. And there is less garbage in the yard.
homohilaris

April 21, 2017
at 6:18 I watched a neighbor on the corner doing repairs with his son. First, the roof was covered with metal tiles. The removed slate was broken into pieces and they began to pour the foundation for the fence. They laid the pieces of slate into the formwork carefully so that it would not stick out anywhere later.

What can be made at the dacha from the slate left over from the old roof?

And as they were being laid, they filled it in. The foundation is in excellent condition, five years have passed, I walk by and take a special look - not a single crack, and yet the fence was laid out of sand-lime brick.

April 22, 2017
at 0:11 The main thing in such a foundation is to make sure that the slate does not peek out. Also, the durability of the foundation will depend on how crushed the slate is. The smaller the pieces, the better. And the main thing is that the asbestos will not harm since it is concreted.

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Use of old slate sheets

Slate, being a traditional roofing material, Lately was replaced by more modern roofing materials such as metal tiles and bitumen tiles. However, it is too early to write him off. After all, how many more benefits can be derived from old sheets of slate!

The remains of shiver sheets are ideal for fencing a house area.

Slate for fencing

Small remnants of shiver can be used as shelves in the cellar.

There are many options for giving a second life to used slate. For example, most summer cottages fenced with a mesh (chain-link), through which dogs or hares can easily penetrate. Old slate will help you solve this problem. The sheet, which has a length of 175 centimeters, must be cut in half and dug 40 centimeters into the ground, overlapping the chain-link, after which the ground must be compacted.

That's all, the slate does not need further fastening. Thus, you have created an excellent barrier not only for unexpected guests, but also for weed roots that will not be able to penetrate either to you or from you. In other words, old slate can be used in the form of fencing, which can be painted if desired.

Slate for shelves in the cellar

Often, shelves for supplies in cellars become unusable. Often in this situation old slate is used. You can proceed as follows: in the corners of the cellar you need to lay out wall-racks (half a brick), which should have a length equal to the width of the slate sheet and a height of 90 centimeters.

You can also use slate to fence beds.

We put slate on top, in the waves of which we lay metal rods or reinforcement, build formwork from boards along the edges and fill it with mortar (crushed stone, sand and cement). Everything must be done in one step so that we can form a monolithic layer of concrete. It will turn out beautiful durable shelf, under which there will be space where you can place boxes or any other container. The thickness of the solution must be at least 10 centimeters.

If the cellar area is large enough, the shelves can be built using two or three sheets of slate, both in length and width; stand-walls are laid out only at the joints. It is enough for slate sheets to overlap the ends of the supports by 6 centimeters. Compared to boards, the use of slate, in this case, is much more economical and much faster. After the concrete solution has hardened, there is no need to remove the slate; it can simply be whitewashed or painted.

If you are just going to build a cellar, then you need to calculate its dimensions based on the dimensions of the slate so that it extends onto the supports at the distance indicated above. If sheets 175 centimeters long are too small for you, then you can use sheets that are 250 centimeters long.

The shelves must be built immediately, since in the further construction of the cellar walls they can be used as excellent scaffolding. In the place where the hole is planned, we also use old slate, put formwork on it with approximate dimensions of 80x80 centimeters and, having reinforced it, fill it with concrete mortar no more than 15 centimeters thick. After some time, it will be possible to punch or cut out the hole itself in the formwork. Here is another example of where you can put formerly used slate sheets.

Slate for foundation

If there are no funds and there is a desire to save money, or maybe there is simply nowhere to put the old slate, it can be used for the construction of foundation formwork. But I would like to immediately note that such a foundation will be difficult to insulate and waterproof in the future, since it is embossed. Of course, if you have smooth slate slabs, then the design will not be inferior to a product made from boards.

So, in order to build formwork for the foundation, you must first clean the trench and plan the surface.

Slate sheets can be used for foundation formwork. This will save a significant part of the family budget.

If your slate is not solid, it needs to be trimmed by trimming the edges. If there are holes in the slate, they must be sealed, as an option, with sealant, and then these places must be protected with roofing felt. Attach a support (in the form of a stick) to each piece of slate.

Often the support is secured with nails, in this case the main thing is that the slate does not burst, so there is no need to hammer the nail all the way to the head. Then we install the formwork in the trench, and it is necessary to tightly connect the joints. The resulting seams are best protected with roofing felt or tarpaulin, or can be sealed with sealant. On last stage When constructing formwork for the foundation, you must ensure that the structure is not tilted, after which you can carefully secure the formwork. That's all, your design is ready to be filled. mortar ready.

Slate for gardeners

Old slate also found its use among amateur gardeners. For example, it is widely used to protect grape plants. To do this, it is necessary to make a trench no more than 20 centimeters deep and no more than 50 centimeters wide. After which a fascine is placed in it and stapled to the ground, the top of the trench is covered with old slate, and the cracks are covered with earth to protect the plant from drafts. Also, if there are long slate wastes, gardeners often use them to protect tree bark in winter period. The pieces of slate surrounding the trunk are secured with wire. This way, hares will not be able to harm your tree.

If you are the owner of a private house with a vegetable garden, then old slate can be used as cladding compost pit. From small pieces you can make a low fence for flowers, paint it in bright colors and get an excellent decoration for your site. You can beat the sheets with a hammer into small pieces, resulting in something similar to gravel, which is good for covering paths, entrances and even the floor in technical buildings.

In what way and using what tools can you grind corrugated slate for a path?

During rains, water does not accumulate on such coatings and dirt does not form.

There are many ways to reuse old slate. Take sheets of slate, add some imagination, and you will probably end up with something useful. As a last resort, give them away to those who want them, maybe they will be useful to one of your neighbors.

Arranging a vegetable garden on a summer cottage or personal plot is almost never complete without improving the beds. We'll show you a great way to create raised beds, suitable for both covering with a greenhouse dome and open cultivation crops

General description of the design

Why do you even need to worry about fencing your garden beds if most garden crops Do they feel quite comfortable when planting in open ground? On the one hand, this may be a simple desire to improve aesthetics landscape design. On the other hand, cultivated and fenced beds are an excellent indicator proper organization care of plants and an important factor of convenience for gardeners: when working on an elevated ridge, your back gets less tired, while walkways can be covered with mulch, crushed stone or paved paving slabs, without fear of their silting in the future.

The design of the beds itself is very simple. The walls are made of asbestos cement sheets, fastened together at the corners and at straight joints. From a third to a half of the total height of the walls is under the ground, the rest rises above ground level. The inside of the bed can be filled with specially prepared substrate, thus reducing the cost of making compost and purchasing fertilizers.

In general, such formwork turns out to be quite strong and reliable, but requires some reinforcement. For example, to counteract the pressure of the expanding soil, the opposite walls of the beds are pulled together, and also firmly fastened at the corners to prevent the joints from diverging. Slate is a very durable material, even if it is under a layer of soil. However, the sheets are often additionally painted, which improves the aesthetics of the garden and helps reduce water absorption of the walls.

Marking and preparing areas for beds

Of course, there is no point in dividing the entire cultivated area into raised beds. Typically, this is how areas are set up for growing flowers and vegetables, while melons and root crops grow successfully in open ground.

Slate beds can have an almost unlimited length, but it is advisable to keep their width within 120-150 cm, so access from both sides will be most convenient. The space between the beds intended for the construction of walkways must be at least 50 cm, while at the same time a width of more than a meter will be excessive. Before preparing the soil for planting beds, it must be marked by driving pegs in the corners.

The soil development process itself is quite simple. It is necessary to remove the top layer of black soil and temporarily transport it to a dump nearby. The walls of the formed pit must be cleaned and leveled in accordance with the geometry of the beds. With a distance of 10 cm from the walls, the bottom of the pit is deepened by another 10-20 cm, which is necessary to create a barrier against pests moving in the upper layers of the soil. The soil extracted from this layer is placed in a separate dump.

Making slate walls

Sheets of the smallest format 100x150 cm are suitable as the starting material. These are more convenient to deliver to the dacha, and with further processing problems will arise. less problems. However, the width of the sheet can be selected individually so that it is a multiple of the full height of the walls. As a rule, 50 cm is enough to create beds, but individual summer residents may have their own ideas on this matter.

The sheets must be cut into strips along the long side. A grinder with a diamond stone wheel is best suited for cutting slate, but certain precautions should be taken when working. Asbestos bound in the mass of slate sheets is absolutely harmless, but when cutting, an impressive amount of very harmful dust is formed. Therefore, it is necessary to use a respirator and safety glasses. It is also advisable to cut the strips at a time, subsequently spilling the dusty areas with a large amount of water.

It is necessary to remove small chamfers from the cut edges of the slate using an emery block. Also, holes should be immediately made at the edges and in the center of the strips for installing braces and connecting structural elements into the general contour of the formwork in accordance with the chosen type of fastening. After machining It is correct to coat slate sheets with one layer of budget-quality alkyd enamel.

Fencing assembly

You can completely fasten sheets at corners and straight joints. different ways. Tightness at the joints is not required, and the fastening strength should be purely nominal - only to ensure the integrity of the structure before it is backfilled with soil.

In everyday life, the most common options are when the corners are fastened using inserts from a profile pipe or wooden blocks, to which slate strips are screwed with self-tapping screws. This method is good because it is cheap, and in addition, this way you can level the geometry of the beds in advance and ensure required height installation of sheets. However, both wood and structural steel quickly deteriorate from rotting and corrosion, especially with the active use of mineral fertilizers.

There is also an alternative option - aluminum profiles for assembly commercial equipment. In addition to durability, this method ensures simplicity and high technological efficiency of the assembly process, has a more accurate appearance. It is only important to choose the right width of the installation groove: in the smallest standard size of profiles it is 5.5 mm, which is well suited for assembling 6 mm slate sheets - again, the smallest thickness for this material. On sale you can find profiles with grooves up to 10 mm - these are optimal for raised beds of great length. After joining, the box of slate sheets is temporarily fixed through the body of the profile with metal screws and placed in a prepared pit on a brick stage.

As for connecting straight joints, for these purposes you can quite successfully use slate scraps, reinforced rubber from used conveyor belts and others sheet materials, not subject to rotting. It is advisable to fasten the slate strips before their final installation, carefully aligning the joints. To ensure high-quality fastening, you need to pre-drill holes at the joints at a distance of 20 mm from the edge and use galvanized self-tapping screws with a press washer.

Strengthening and mortgages

To prevent the pressure of the expanding soil, the walls need to be pulled together according to the same principle as the formwork when pouring concrete. It is optimal to use galvanized wire with a thickness of at least 1 mm for these purposes. You need to drill two relatively coaxial holes on opposite walls, then twist the wire into a loop and pull it through the slate sheet, inserting a small metal pin as a stopper.

On the reverse side, the tails of the wire are twisted together until the slack is completely taken out and the walls are slightly concave inward, after which the twist is also fixed with a pin and a pair of screws. There is no need to place screeds in the underground part of the walls; they work effectively when installed at a distance of 10-12 cm from the top edge.

To be able to install folding greenhouse domes, it is necessary to drive several pieces of angle steel into the ground, placing them close to the inner wall of the bed. The corners should be connected to each other with 8 or 10 mm reinforcement, placing the braces diagonally. After installation, the mortgages are cut flush with the upper edge of the walls, after which horizontal metal plates are welded to them for attaching the hinges. When all installation work is completed, it is advisable to wrap the flowerbed from the inside with thick plastic film, letting it extend about 10 cm to the bottom of the lower tier of the pit and wrapping it around the sides of the fence. This will help prevent mole crickets and other pests that migrate in the upper layers of the soil from entering the garden bed.

Backfilling the soil

All soil removed from the lower tier of the pit must be poured back and compacted by pouring water. In this case, it is desirable that the embankment covers the walls to a height of at least 5-7 cm. After this, you can pour a fertile layer.

The dump of soil removed from the surface should be leveled in a free area and mixed with manure, compost or humus, the concentration of which depends on the natural saturation of the soil with nutrients. After thoroughly mixing with a pitchfork, the substrate can be poured back, but under no circumstances compact it, only break up large lumps. The flowerbed needs to be filled up to the very edges of the formwork; in the near future the soil will naturally settle. When the bed is filled from the inside, it is necessary to fill the gaps between the walls and the soil adjacent to the outside, while carefully compacting it and spilling it with water, after which you can begin arranging the paths.

Video on the topic


The issue of designing paths worries owners of gardens and vegetable gardens not only because of the aesthetic appearance of the site. Paths in the garden save you from mud on rainy days. Despite bad weather, you need to take care of the plants and monitor the ripening of the crop. Thanks to the covered path, dirt does not stick to shoes and is not spread throughout the area or enter the house.

If gardeners leave paths in the garden open, grass begins to grow between the rows. They fight it by diligently weeding the paths between the beds. Moisture evaporates through uncovered paths. To avoid drying out the soil of the beds and allowing weeds to grow, paths should not be left open with bare soil.

Construction and available materials are used to arrange the row spacing. As a result, the tracks are either solid, or for a long time use, or easily dismantled, when sheets of cardboard, roofing felt, rough film are simply removed. Different ideas The design of paths also arises because the pleasure of work and productivity depend on how comfortable the rows between the beds are.

An excellent solution for decorating paths between warm beds - covering the space between the beds crushed stone Inexpensive material and the lack of difficulties in performing the coating made crushed stone an advantageous alternative to concrete, decorative tiles, brick. Bulk material paths have become one of the most economical options paths in the garden and in the beds.

making paths in your dacha with your own hands. Photo

Sheets are used to cover the paths between the beds roofing felt, flat slate, gratings from slats. This coating is easy to install and can be removed and re-installed at any time. For mobile walkways, owners use materials that can withstand loads and have a rough surface with an anti-slip effect.

than filling paths between vegetable gardens. Photo

Pathway design ideas take into account the heavy load on the pavement, if it is foreseen. A wide path made of durable material is planned for carts with water, a trailer for storing harvested crops, and mobile transport. It's not obligatory concrete covering. Pieces of tiles made of natural stone.

than to close the paths between the beds. Photo

It is convenient to cover the passages between farming zones plant material. It could be wood chips, sawdust, tops, branches, stems. Completely soft natural coating nice to walk. For the winter, the walkway flooring can be removed with a rake and placed in the compost heap. Such a path in the garden between the beds allows you to easily change the location of plots of land for growing plants.

Concrete the paths are not only reliable and practical, but also aesthetic. In pieces ceramic tiles You can lay out interesting patterns like a mosaic, select elements that are contrasting in color or similar in tone. Colored material pressed into cement mortar creates a path original look and testifies to the good taste and diligence of the owner of the estate.

do-it-yourself paths between the beds at the dacha. Photo

When working with multi-colored bricks ideas for designing paths are not limited to its simple laying, because the material can be placed in a checkerboard pattern, fill the gaps with sand or stone chips, or leave gaps for fine grass. Compositions made from paths and garden fences made of brickwork look beautiful.

You can fight weeds by clearing them from the rows and trampling the ground. To do this, the grass is dug up or cut with a hoe and removed from the garden. Level the surface with a rake and trample the ground. Weeds will not grow on trampled soil, and earthen paths between the beds will become an obstacle protecting the crop from moles and mice, which prefer loose soil for movement.

Stationary paths between the beds can be laid out from stones. Before laying stones, soil is selected from the row spacing, the surface is leveled, and a layer of sand is poured. To prevent grass from getting through the cracks, you can put plastic film or geotextile fabric under the path. The stones are selected by size and laid close to each other, choosing the flat and most attractive side for the top of the covering.

Vegetable gardens with fenced beds look original large stones . They try to select the material of the same size so that it can be laid in horizontal stripes. Masonry fixed with concrete.

do-it-yourself paths between the beds at the dacha. Photo

Through concrete no weed will penetrate the paths between the beds; such a reliable covering will serve for many years. Walkways made of tiles laid on cement mortar are easy to keep clean - dirt is washed away from the paths by rain; if you need to remove debris, the tiles can be swept up and cleaned with a stream of water. The tile material is frost-resistant, resistant to wear and mechanical stress, and does not rot.

The path in the garden between the beds on the plot can be filled in colored stone chips. To create such a covering, you need to remove 10 - 15 cm of the top layer of soil, line the created depression with non-woven geotextiles and secure the edges of the canvas with curb tape, fill the prepared area with crumbs, pebbles, and gravel. Wide color scheme and marble chips have granules of different sizes. Garden paths and between beds can be covered with material of the same color or the area can be made bright thanks to a combination of different shades saturated with color.

To ensure that the path in the garden between the beds is free of weeds and does not allow the soil to lose moisture, it is used to cover the row spacing. crushed stone. The paths between the high fenced beds are leveled, the soil is strengthened with geotextile mesh and covered with construction rubble. Crushed stone coating is not expensive, inexpensive building material It is advantageous to design wide, extended paths.

Ideas for designing paths in suburban areas and on personal plots are primarily related to the use natural materials. Wide path from wood cuts in combination with large stones in natural surroundings it looks harmonious. To support original design paths using environmentally friendly materials and to prevent the stones from spreading, a low multi-level wooden fence was used.

From the saw cuts obtained by sawing up old uprooted trees, a completely wooden garden path is laid out. When laying, both wide elements obtained from the trunk and small ones prepared by sawing thick branches are used. Treatment with drying oil will help extend the service life of wooden elements.

do-it-yourself paths between the beds at the dacha. Video







  • Practical fencing
  • Shelves in the cellar
  • Slate beds
  • Disputes about the dangers of slate

Practical fencing

Until recently, slate was the most common roofing material, with a large number of operational advantages. Today its popularity has fallen slightly; more modern materials have appeared on the market: bitumen shingles and metal tiles. It’s a pity to throw away the old covering, which is why many people have warehouses of old slate sheets in their dachas. It’s a shame to throw it away, and there’s no need to do it.

You can easily assemble and make a temporary toilet, Summer shower from sheets of slate, you can build fences from it, covering with it a fence made from a chain-link mesh, for example. This solution will protect the garden plot from the prying eyes of passers-by and the penetration of neighboring dogs.

A standard slate sheet has a length of 175 cm, the sheet is cut in half and simply, with an overlap on the chain-link, is dug into the ground with its lower edge to a depth of 40 cm. If the soil is thoroughly compacted after this, no additional fastenings There is no need to do this for the stability of the fence. If desired, slate can be easily painted by choosing correct color, it is not difficult to easily integrate it into the style of your site.

Note! Such a partition can protect a personal plot from the spread of weeds, which with their roots try to gain a foothold on the edge of the neighbor’s plot.

Shelves in the cellar

Another way to use old slate was suggested by experienced summer residents and gardeners. To store supplies, they propose to build comfortable and durable shelves using slate, allowing you to organize a convenient storage system for existing supplies. The shelves are constructed as follows:

  1. In the corners of the pantry, brick racks are laid, the length of which should match the width of the slate sheet. The height of the racks is 90 cm.
  2. A sheet of slate is laid on the racks.
  3. Formwork is constructed around it.
  4. Reinforcement pipes are laid into the slate ribs.
  5. The solution is mixed as for a cement screed.
  6. A sheet of slate is poured with it; the layer of mortar should be 10 cm.
  7. The result should be monolithic concrete - a fairly strong, spacious shelf that can easily accommodate any container for storing vegetables and fruits.

If the cellar is large, such shelves can be placed around the perimeter, made short or long. Many will think that using boards in this case is easier than slate, but the use of the described material, as practice shows, helps to save significantly. In addition, the slate does not need to be removed from the formwork. It can be painted or whitewashed with lime. Then the shelves will look quite neat.

Slate beds

If you have a vegetable garden at your dacha, it’s easy to assemble neat garden beds using slate. It's easy to make them yourself. Look at the photo to see how decorative a garden like this looks. The use of slate has quite practical purposes. Such structures help to keep the soil within one bed.

Such a partition is a reliable barrier to rodents and the spread of weeds. The slate laying process itself consists of several stages:

  1. First the slate needs to be cut. This can be done along the plates or across the waves, as shown in the photo.
  2. Then the boundaries of the bed are outlined.
  3. Trenches are dug along the entire perimeter. Their depth should be half of the prepared fencing product.
  4. Slate blanks are placed in the prepared trenches.
  5. All that remains is to dig the trenches and compact the soil around the installed sheet parts.
  6. In order to give the walls of the bed greater stability, metal pegs are buried in the ground.

Note! The installation of the described fence has certain nuances. If the waves in the beds are located horizontally, plant shoots and their roots can easily grow along the depressions.

Any digging of the earth in this case will lead to the death of the plant. Vertically located waves will not become an obstacle to weeding the beds.

It is best to cut slate with a grinder. Experienced craftsmen When performing such work, the angle grinder is directed in the direction opposite to the wind direction. In this case, the dust will be blown away from the cutting person. Since asbestos dust is dangerous to humans, it is necessary to protect yourself from it while working by wearing safety glasses over your eyes and covering your nose with a gauze bandage. Do not use a wood saw to cut slate. This is a traumatic job; one wrong move can cause you to lose your arm.

Pros of using slate fencing

Experienced gardeners today not only make beds from slate sheets, they use it to assemble flower beds and lay slate in greenhouses. A garden path covered with flat sheets is durable and reliable. Practicality and decorativeness are not the only advantages of such a solution.

  • Slate is a material that quickly heats up in the sun, heats up and easily transfers excess heat to the soil. This has a beneficial effect on the growth of any plant.
  • A fencing for a garden bed assembled using asbestos-cement sheets is difficult to destroy.
  • In the future, there is no need to carry out any other work with such a fence. Set it and forget it for a long time.
  • By using old slate sheets, there is no need to spend money on purchasing wooden beams.
  • If desired, the sheets can be easily painted in any color; painting increases the decorative properties of the fence.

If you want to repeat a similar experiment in your garden, it is useful to study in advance the disadvantages of asbestos-cement products. On hot days summer days such a fence will contribute to overheating of the soil, so the plants will need to be watered more often. In places where long rains are common, the soil under the fence is often washed away, so they constantly tilt. This forces the garden owner to constantly straighten the fence. For many, this procedure will seem tedious.

Foundation and cesspool for toilet

Old slate sheets are often used to construct formwork for pouring foundations for outbuildings. In this case, after the concrete has hardened, the formwork does not need to be removed.

Since on a personal plot there is often no central sewerage system, toilet and engineering Communication servicing the kitchen and bathroom cannot function without a cesspool. In this case, slate is used to strengthen its walls. The sheets are cut to the size of the pit walls and simply go down. To prevent the sheets from falling, they are fastened together with reinforcement corners. Next, reinforcement bars are placed in the gaps between the pit and the slate sheets. The cracks are filled cement mortar. In order for the walls of the cesspool to withstand the pressure, they are pushed apart with wooden blocks, as shown in the photo.

After the concrete has dried, cesspool ready for the toilet.

Disputes about the dangers of slate

Many, after reading the article, will put forward a lot of arguments in favor of refusing to use the material described. But experts are rushing to reassure everyone. The described material is made from a mixture of three ingredients: Portland cement, asbestos fiber and water. The first two components are completely safe for human health. But asbestos fiber can cause suspicion.

There are several varieties of this material; two are used in slate production:

  • amphibole-asbestos (natural base);
  • chrysotile asbestos (a derivative of the serpentine group).

European scientists conducted research and found that the first type of slate can be considered dangerous for humans. In Russia, amphibole asbestos is not used for the production of roofing material. Therefore, for those who are afraid for their health, experts recommend purchasing slate from domestic brands. You can easily use it in your garden without any fear.

As you can see, the use of old slate helps solve purely practical problems on a household plot. You can make a temporary toilet, an outdoor shower, assemble a greenhouse or any kind of fencing using waste.

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Asbestos-cement materials are quite in demand in construction. However, the scope of their use is not limited roofing work. Many consumers do not even realize how diverse the ways of using such products are.

Among multifunctional materials, flat slate stands apart. The use of the material is relevant in such areas as laying roofs, garden paths, creating ventilating facades, various outbuildings, cladding wooden house and much more.

Application in horticulture

Garden paths and fencing of beds made of flat slate are especially popular among summer residents. If, as a rule, there are no problems with paths, then with beds everything is not so simple. However, the use of asbestos cement sheets greatly simplifies the process of carrying out such work and reduces labor costs to a minimum.

In addition, this material does not collapse under the influence organic matter, with which the beds are in constant contact. Made from asbestos cement sheets, they are aesthetically pleasing, very attractive in appearance and, no less important, extremely easy to install. If you dig them deep, you can create effective protection from the bear.

Slate beds in the garden have a certain drawback - the presence of heat exchange between the two sides of the sheet. For this reason, the soil warms up, causing water to evaporate faster.

High beds made of asbestos-cement sheets need to be watered much more often.

Installation of beds

For work of this type, sheets 1.75 m long are used - they are very easy to divide in half. To prevent the structural elements from creeping apart, they are fastened together using scraps of metal corners, say, aluminum. Fastenings are constantly exposed to water and organic matter. To avoid rapid corrosion, they must be painted.

The resulting slate beds are raised above the surface by only 10–15 cm, so the soil has the opportunity to warm up well. Similar device has another advantage. Deepening the walls by 20 cm does not allow the roots of other vegetation to penetrate into the bed.

Attention

There are gardeners who believe that since the sheets are thick, there is no need to create trenches. However, in this case, the risk of splitting it is quite high - the cause could be a pebble, a thick root, or an ordinary rusty nail caught under its lower edge.

Asbestos slate in the foundation

Formwork from makes it possible to obtain a good base on which there are no nicks or cracks. For arrangement permanent formwork a certain order has been established.

The first duty is to clear the trenches under external walls And internal partitions walls of the future structure, and the surface is leveled. Where doorways are planned, the soil is not dug up. To level the bottom of the ditch, it is covered with sand and filled with water, then thoroughly compacted. Welded reinforcement is placed in the trench, which is sheathed with asbestos-cement sheets.

Lining the foundation from the inside onto the reinforcement is usually simple. The only thing you need to know is. In the sheets, holes are drilled in advance in the intended sheets and they are attached from the inside to the supports in the form wooden planks. Self-tapping screws or nails are used as fasteners.

To avoid damage to the material, the fasteners are not deepened to the cap - under high pressure it can crack.

The outer part of the foundation is erected in the same way.

The space created between the foundation walls is filled with crushed stone in several layers and reliably concreted. The floors are poured with concrete and a basement is built.

Foundation finishing technology

  1. The cleaned surface of the base is dried and coated with a water-repellent mixture. For this purpose, for example, bitumen mastic with a solvent is suitable.
  2. Installed wooden frame made of boards, the upper edge of which is flush with the line of fastening of the sheathing. The boards are placed in increments equal to the size of the sheet - about 60 cm.
  3. If the foundation needs to be insulated, insulation is placed between the sheathing elements.

5. Finishing of the foundation begins from the corner of the building. On some of the sheets it is necessary to drill holes for ventilation before laying. For this they use electric jigsaw. Fastening to the sheathing is carried out using screws through drilled holes. Their caps are hidden under fastening layouts.
6. When processing corners use metal corners. The edges are bent vertically by 1.5 cm, after which the corners are bent in the center at an angle of 90⁰. They are fastened with self-tapping screws through drilled holes.
7. Finally, the flat slate plinth is covered with a layer of acrylic paint using a spray gun. Formed at the same time protective film:

  • protects the surface from the growth of moss;
  • reduces the level of water absorption and, conversely, increases the frost resistance of the material;
  • prevents the release of asbestos dust into environment;
  • doubles the service life of the cladding;
  • decorates the surface, giving it a more aesthetic appearance.

The construction of the foundation of the house would be incomplete if a blind area for protection was not built around it. Its creation begins after the completion of the plinth sheathing until installation rainy weather and cold weather. In this case, the structure effectively protects the area around the foundation from getting wet, and, therefore, from subsidence and heaving from frost in the future. A blind area made of flat slate becomes an excellent complement to a base sheathed with the same material.