How to cut a hole in slate for a pipe

How to make a hole in flat slate

Everyone knows very well what flat slate or asbestos cement sheet. If anyone has already encountered this material, many have a question sooner or later.

How to drill it?

In fact, everything is very simple. A lot of people ask us how to drill an ashlar? How to drill flat slate? How to drill asbestos cement sheet? You buy from us at our site. We decided to find and lay out this informational video telling how to do it without problems.

Ground Rules:

What to drill the slate

Several types of slate are used in construction: natural. very hard and durable, has several varieties; asbestos-containing. the most popular and cheapest; soft slate. little-known, but in recent years is increasingly in demand; plastic. very light and flexible, used to cover arbors.

Slate, depending on the type is used in the construction of complexes, industrial premises, in the installation of wall sandwich panels, as well as houses, cottages, garages. When fixing slate, there is often a question of what to use for fixing and what to drill it with. Experienced experts recommend using a drill from a good manufacturer and several versions of drill bits. The pobedite drill bit wears out very quickly, and it has to be changed often. The holes are quite well drilled when using a drill bit for metal.

The best results show work with diamond drills with a sharpened tip, commercially they are called drills for ceramic tiles. For work, it is necessary to have several pieces, because with each drilling, the diameter of the hole will decrease and you will have to change the drill bit. From time to time pauses must be made between drilling so that the drill does not overheat and cool down. In wave slate, in order for the sheet not to crack, the holes for fixing are made with an ordinary drill on the crest of the wave. The diameter of the used drill bit should be 1-2 mm larger than the diameter of the nail, and the distance between the holes should be 80-100 mm from the bottom edge. To prevent the drill from slipping while working, a template is used. Marking of the holes is performed on the sheets in the factory packaging.

What drill bit to drill the flat slate

Corrugated slate is most often used for the arrangement. But the flat one is more suitable for finishing vertical surfaces. For the roof, this material can also be used, but its characteristics do not quite meet the specified parameters: the flat version does not withstand a high mechanical load.

Recommendations are as follows:

• It is recommended to drill flat slate with a metal drill bit or a feather with a pobeditovym tip. However, many users claim that a feather wood drill bit also does the job well. The latter, however, rather quickly blunted and comes into disrepair, so that one product is enough to drill 10 holes.
• While working set the drill to medium or even lower speed. After each hole the quill should be cooled in water.
• Flat slate should be drilled without impact and pressure. With its hardness, the material is quite brittle.

There is also a more budget-friendly way of drilling. Use a torch or impact drill for this. The sheet is clamped with clamps between two plywood plates, one of which has a guide hole.

Insert a regular drill bit and use minimal pressure to drill with one punch. Then the clamps with plywood are removed, and the holes are drilled with a reamer from the reverse side.

Important! To drill holes in flat slate of large diameter. for pipes, for example, use conventional drill bits.

Tips and tricks

To drill a slate and get a neat hole, you need to follow some recommendations:

• Making holes with nails and a hammer is the worst idea. It’s very easy to damage the material.
• You should only use a reamer if you have enough experience. Punching can be useful in certain cases, but only if this function is skilled to use.
• It is better to drill a thick slate sheet in several stages and each time after stopping to water the feather and the material.
• The universal option for any type of roofing material is a pobedite drill. However, the latter costs quite a bit. It is not uncommon for builders to find cheaper substitutes. If the thickness of the sheet is small, it is allowed to drill it even with wood feathers, not to mention a drill for ceramics.
• Drill the material with slate self-tapping screws, as well as fixing, should be done before painting. In this case, the fastener will be painted the same color as the roof, will not stand out against the general background.
• Before drilling, it is advisable to tilt the entrance slightly with at least an ordinary nail. This prevents possible deviations of the drill bit during the work.

Drilling and laying slate is made in the very last place, when all other work on the arrangement of the roof is completed.

Tips and tricks

To drill a slate sheet and get a neat hole, you need to follow some recommendations:

• Making holes with nails and a hammer is the most unfortunate idea. It is very easy to damage the material.
• The perforator can only be used with sufficient experience. Punching can be useful in certain cases, but only if this feature is skilled.
• A thick slate sheet is better to drill in several stages and each time after stopping to water the feather and the material.
• The universal option for any type of roofing material is a pobedite drill. However, the latter costs a lot. It is not uncommon for builders to find cheaper substitutes. If the thickness of the sheet is small, it is allowed to drill it even with wood feathers, not to mention a drill bit for ceramics.
• Drill the material with slate self-tapping screws, as well as fixing, should be done before painting. In this case, the fastener will be painted the same color as the roof, will not stand out against the general background.
• Before drilling, it is recommended to slightly tilt the entrance with at least an ordinary nail. This prevents possible deviations of the drill during work.

Drilling and laying slate is made in the very last place, when all other work on the arrangement of the roof is completed.

Drilling slate is not so rare. This work does not require any special skills. However, it is important to choose the right drill bit and follow all recommendations for drilling: slate is a fragile material and is quite easily damaged.

Slate is still very popular among roofing materials. This is due to the low cost of the material, its strength, durability and ease of use. However, there are also difficulties in handling it. this material is very fragile. So before you drill slate, read this article.

Chimney installation rules

If the house has a furnace, it means that a chimney is also necessary. Although instead of a furnace, there can be a special tank that runs on gas. In any case, the house is somehow heated, and the products of combustion need to be removed. There are several options for bringing the pipe through the roof, related to determining the location. It is planned when the design of the house is developed. The place is considered relative to the ridge of the roof. a horizontal rib that is located where the two slopes meet. The pipe can be installed:

The first and second options have their own minuses and pluses. On the one hand, in the ridge chimney mount is easier. But this is for someone who deals with this particular issue. And for the arrangement of the rafter system, it is more difficult, because you will have to make a gap in the horizontal beam. On the other hand, when the pipe is in the ridge, it ensures a good draft. Yes, and the possibility of leaking under it here is minimized. But still most often the chimney is shifted relative to the ridge.

The chimney shifted relative to the roof ridge

In this case you need to comply with such building regulations:

If the chimney on the roof is installed at a distance of no more than 1.5 m from the ridge, the pipe must be above it by 0.5 m.

When it is installed at a distance of 1.5 m to 3 m from the ridge, it is done with him at the same level.

When the pipe will be more than 3 m from the ridge, it can be lower than the ridge, but no more than 10 °.

The best option for the location of the chimney relative to the ridge. not far from it. If you do the chimney much lower, the risk of damage from falling snow increases.

To ensure good draught, you must adhere to certain standards for the placement of the chimney relative to the ridge of the roof

There is a place where it is not recommended to install the pipe. valley. This is the inside angle that the two slopes of a complex roof form when joined. There is always an increased load on it, because precipitation is flowing down and snow is accumulated there. At such installation is very high possibility of violation of waterproofing. This means that there will be leaks.

Protecting the roof from the heat coming from the pipe

When organizing the passage of the pipe through the roof, it is important to insulate the roof from it. Because the chimney is very hot, which increases the degree of fire danger. Protected roof with a separate box, beams and rafters which are located in accordance with the requirements of SNIP. The norm of the minimum distance from the chimney to the load bars and rafters is from 130 to 250 mm. The inside of the box is filled with some material that does not burn. For example, it could be basalt or rock wool.

The chimney in any case does not touch the roof covering directly

Further organization of the pipe outlet depends on what shape and what it is made of. The shape of the chimney can be made as usual square or round, or in the form of a rectangle or oval. And the pipes can be brick, metal, asbestos cement or ceramic. Also takes into account the material from which the roof is made. It can be used for slate, metal roofing tiles, corrugated steel sheeting, clay roofing, roof paper or asphalt shingles. In each case, there are peculiarities.

What to drill slate. do without a drill bit

At the initial stage of the work there is a question: what to drill flat and wave slate? The answer is simple. there is no need to drill it at all. Drilling slate will replace the usual roofing screws of different lengths, or slate nails, designed specifically to perform this type of work. They have a special shape of the tip, thanks to which it is easy to pierce the sheets without forming cracks. But if there is no confidence in this type of fastener, and you are still looking for an answer to the question of how to make a hole in slate, then you can use an ordinary drill for this. It is quite suitable for the task.

True, the next problem arises. what drill bit to drill slate? For drilling slate sheets are suitable products with a pobedite tip. The diameter of the drill should be slightly larger than the diameter of the screw or slate nail. Before you drill the slate, lay it on a soft surface, such as the ground. The point at which you want to make a hole, should, if possible, be in contact with the surface. so you get less vibration when drilling.

Slate screws. the experts in their field!

The main advantage of special slate self-tapping screws is that they are very strong. They have a variety of colors and lengths that you can easily pick up. Slate screws can be considered the most reliable and durable fasteners. There are self-tapping screws that have a drill or, as they are called, a feather. With them you get rid of the problem of passing the screw through a sheet of slate. Screw in such fasteners is very easy. You will need an ordinary screwdriver, an electric screwdriver with a special attachment, or a wrench.

To protect the roof of slate sheets from possible delamination, you can cover the cuts vulnerable to moisture on the sheets with acrylic paint, or better yet, paint the slate with special compositions. In some cases you need to seal the joints of the slate sheets with the installation foam. The main thing to remember that the slate top row should be laid on the bottom row, which is necessary for the flow of water from the roof.

Algorithm of the drilling process with a drill bit

Drilling of the pipe surface must be directed strictly along the diameter, otherwise it will be impossible to achieve a positive end result.1. Mark on the end of the pipe with a marker at the intersection of the diameter with the walls of the product (there are many ways and devices to do this). 2. Install the pipe so that one of the marks is strictly on top. Use a tape measure to measure the required distance from it along the formative and mark it with a marker.

Turn the pipe in a vise with the back side, mark the point opposite to the first, and also nakernivaem it. 5. Using a thin drill bit and a drill, drill holes in the planned two points of the pipe.6. Next, use a bigger drill bit to bore right through, because there is an upper guide hole and a lower centering hole.

Having replaced the twist drill in the chuck of the drill with a core bit with a centering drill, we rotate the pipe in a vice by 90 degrees, so that the guide holes are located horizontally. This allows for a great deal of force to be applied to the drill bit.

As the annular drill bit gets very hot during the operation, to cool it down and to make the process easier, we generously lubricate the working teeth and the adjacent cup belt in a circle with WD-40 universal grease.

Insert the drill bit’s centering bit into the pre-prepared hole in the pipe and begin the process, adding lubricant to the drill bit from time to time.

After the exit of the core bit on the opposite side of the pipe, we get a cutout that should be configured exactly the same diameter as the pipe, as evidenced by the appropriate test.

If it is required several equal in length branch pipes with shaped notches on the ends, in the tube preparation at equal distance from each other we drill centering holes, and in turn, using a core drill, we receive the searched preparation.

How to fix holes in the slate roof with your own hands reliably and almost without cost

Unlike metal roofs do not rust, but over the years for various reasons on it there are chips, cracks and through holes. Remove them is not difficult for any man, even if on DO that never repaired the roof. All you need is accuracy and a little patience. Also for this you need ordinary inexpensive materials and tools.

With a metal brush to thoroughly clean of the leaves, dust and dirt damage site roofing slate and the area around it with a reserve. On the cleaned area we additionally pass with a broom, for example, a sorghum broom. This operation, despite its simplicity, is very important: if the dirt remains, it can nullify all our further actions.

With any brush liberally apply bitumen mastic on a cleaned slate surface.

Light a blowtorch and in a soft yellowish flame direct it at the surface of the pieces of tar paper until they become soft and bitumen begins to melt on them.

After that, do not hesitate to lay them on a cleaned slate surface covered with bitumen mastic, and press down with hands wearing gloves against the elevated temperatures. Where the pieces of roofing felt has not adhered completely, warm them with the same blowtorch. It is desirable that the bitumen appeared on the entire surface of the pieces of roofing felt, but not necessarily.

At the final stage of the work to repair the old slate with holes, abundantly in several layers cover the pieces of roofing felt and the surrounding areas of the slate with bitumen mastic.

Pay special attention to the contact lines of the pieces of roofing felt with the surface of the slate and between each other.

Within a few hours the repair area will cool down and the bitumen will harden. At this time, you can not allow mechanical stress on the restored place and try to protect it from the rain.

If you follow the indicated sequence of steps and accuracy, the restored slate roof will serve for decades to come.

Order of work

Drilling holes in profile pipe

Before drilling a hole in the pipe, the following operations should be performed:

• clamp a section of pipe in a vise;
• Mark the spot to be drilled;
• then in the center of the future hole with the help of a core punch a small depression (as they say, “nail” the drilling point). This operation is necessary so that the drill does not go sideways during the work and is fixed in the center of the marking;
• Once all these steps are completed, you can proceed gently and slowly to drill the hole, starting with small diameter drill bits and gradually upgrading to thicker ones.

During operation, the drill must be held strictly vertically, otherwise under the influence of transverse loads, the drill may simply break. You can use a circular file to fine tune the diameter of the hole.

In order to make a square-shaped hole in the pipe, we first make an ordinary round hole, which can then be given a square shape with the help of a file. Note that this method is quite time consuming and requires great accuracy from you when working with metal.

When conducting a similar operation with plastic or composite pipes, it is easier to use a steel bar of rectangular shape. As such a rod is driven into a round hole, the hole becomes square and can then be removed from the pipe billet. The irregularities formed during piercing are subsequently removed using an ordinary file.

Large-diameter holes in plastic pipes can be cut with a crown.

And in conclusion, we draw your attention to another point, typical for operations of the type we consider. Since when preparing a hole in the metal the drill bit gets very hot, you should periodically pour coolant (water or waste oil) into the place of drilling.

Positive and negative qualities of slate

Asbestos cement pipe extends three meters out of the hole in the roof slate. Wind, humidity, vibrations give cracks in the caulking around a pipe made of cement mortar. According to the technology around the perimeter of the pipe lay a layer of asbestos. After that, fix the upper apron of the adjacency. Also in stores there are ready-made solutions and seal round pipes with a sinking element. The video shows the order of installation.

Any cement based grout will sooner or later crack. If the pipe is not strongly heated (up to 200-300 C) it is better to use a complex grout. First treat the joint with a special sealant for hot temperatures, and then apply cement sealant. If the pipe is strongly heated you can buy rubberized nozzles. But they have a disadvantage. they also begin to crack and leak in the sun after a few years.

Until recently, and did not think I would face such a problem until, as they say, “the cockerel has not bit. Simple options, without additional investment, this time we will try to consider. Offer your version of which had to make their own hands.

It is enough to have at home or buy aluminum foil for baking like sayana.

First we seal around the pipe with mortar, asbestos or alabaster (plaster), and it’s okay that it will eventually crack. The main thing after that carefully wrap aluminum foil around the pipe and fasten it with a simple clamp or wire, then again we apply around a small layer of mortar, so that the foil is not broken, and then put on a pipe decorative flange. That’s all.

As an option you need to use a round sleeve made of silicone or membrane rubber. Actually these materials, due to its elasticity, can create a sufficient waterproofing and can be used on a variety of roofing materials, including roofing slate (note that the diameter is taken about 20 percent less pipe diameter).

Of course in your case there will be some “inconvenience” associated with the presence of slate high waves and if the only use will be impossible, then you can use the apron, the main thing here. it is to adhere to the basic canons of installation of pipes on the roof (including “winding” apron or under the ridge or the upper sheet of slate).

To make the conclusion in a place that minimally needs waterproofing, and to eliminate the loss of tightness, you need to solve two basic problems:

• Choose the optimal location of the chimney on the roof surface;
• Provide a safe and airtight connection of roofing layers with the pipe.

Location must be closer to the ridge (in case of gable construction). It must rise above the ridge at least 0.5 m. The header must also be higher than the roof surface by 0,5 m.

This location of the chimney is due to the minimum accumulation of precipitation in this place. Here collects less snow in winter and the likelihood of leaks at the joint will be small when it melts.

Slate is made from a mixture of cement with asbestos. Whole sheets are not a danger to humans and the environment and do not emit any impurities into the atmosphere. However, in the process of cutting or sawing holes, asbestos particles can get into the air. Therefore, to make the material absolutely safe, it is additionally painted. In addition, this procedure makes it stronger.

When you are finished cutting and drilling slate, it is best to bury all of its waste, so as not to endanger yourself and others. In no case should you throw chipped slate in spontaneous dumps or the road.

Roofing insulated house has a multi-layered structure, including in addition to the upper roofing, a layer of vapor barrier, waterproofing and insulation. Such a construction is called a “roofing pie”. It protects the house from snow, wind and rain, keeps heat inside it and ensures long-term operation.

When the chimney is taken out, the continuity of the layers of the pie is broken. They are made of combustible materials. In the joint, if the wrong insulation can be melted or ignite. Therefore, they can not be laid back-to-back. Between the chimney and the roof must leave a safe gap.

The sealing process for different structures may differ. It can be round, rectangular or square. A square or rectangular chimney is usually made of brick, round. from metal or asbestos cement.

Slate roofing has quite a few advantages:

• roofing does not ignite;
• resistance to temperature changes and high humidity;
• durability;
• low price in comparison with other coatings;
• reliability and good quality material;
• the convenience of laying;
• the ability to perform installation without special tools.

Various auxiliary materials will be needed to conduct the conclusion of the pipe and seal its joint. Conventionally, they are divided into two functional groups:

• Materials designed to seal gaps formed at the junction of the roof with the chimney. These include a variety of aprons, cushioning grommets. They can be made of steel with a galvanized surface, silicone or rubber materials. These products provide a surface coating of joint gaps;
• Various sealants designed to protect against moisture inside the cracks, mixtures with a cement base, bitumen mastic, as well as modern products for sealing. For example, self-adhesive materials in the form of tape.

We suggest you read How to insulate a sauna made of expanded clay concrete blocks from the inside

We suggest you read: How to properly make a chimney for a chimney flue

For gaps of less than 5 mm, mainly use heat-resistant sealants. If the size of the gap is more than 1 cm, cement-based mortars are used, as well as aprons and sealants made of different materials.

To perform the work will also require tools:

When it comes to doing the work, masters wonder what to drill slate flat or wave-shaped. In fact, drilling through the slate is not necessary at all. The work will require roofing screws of various lengths or special slate nails. Thanks to the sharp ends, these consumables pass freely through the slate without breaking it and forming cracks.