What is slate made of and is it harmful?

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

In the process of using slate, one way or another, one has to get involved in a dispute regarding what slate is made of and whether it is harmful to he alth. Accordingly, you will have to figure out how to eliminate or partially reduce the risk of harm. The harm of this roofing material is a well-known topic of discussion on construction forums on the Internet. In this regard, it will be useful to dot the i and understand whether slate is really harmful, or is it just another myth.

Backstory

Natural flat slate slate has been used for a very long time, at least, led to the investigation during the Middle Ages. They covered houses, protecting themselves from snow, rain and wind. Noble building owners considered slate wear-resistant and comfortable. In the 20th century, instead of natural slate, a more affordable look came - asbestos cement slate, which first conquered the European market in a short time,and then domestic.

Invented what to make slate from and patented this production technology (from asbestos cement) an engineer from Austria - L. Gatchek. With his help, in 1902, a one-of-a-kind company was formed that produced slate. With incredible speed, the industry "flowed" to the French, Italians and Czechs. In 1908, the manufacture of building materials also captured the domestic market.

The emerging competition contributed to a gradual decline in prices for asbestos cement sheets and an increase in demand among builders for a long period of time. By the way, at first asbestos-cement sheets were called "Eternite", which means "eternal". With the help of this roofing material, difficulties with roofing were solved. During the destruction of buildings, the slate was dismantled and moved to other houses.

The first domestic slate

In the post-Soviet space, building material began to be made in 1908. Production was officially launched in the village of Fokino, which is located near Bryansk. The manufacture of coatings has rapidly gained popularity, since Russia has the largest reserves of materials on the planet, from which slate was made in the USSR. Thus, even before the Second World War, 6 factories appeared in Rostov-on-Don, Voskresensk, Kramatorsk, Sukhoi Luga, Novorossiysk, and Volsk.

During the period of hostilities, some enterprises were transported to the east. Most of the factories were destroyed during the war, after they were not reconstructed.

In the 60s slatebecame the main building material - almost every building of that time can be seen slate. In addition to covering roofs, sheets were used for facing purposes, as well as for the construction of fences. At that time, a large number of new enterprises were opened. But the production of sheets of chrysotile cement suddenly dropped during perestroika. Following the split of the Soviet Union, out of 58 factories, only 28 remained in operation, and some of them unwittingly reduced their assortment.

Composition of domestic slate

The full technological name of the roofing material in relation to GOST - sheets of asbestos cement wave or flat. From this we can draw a conclusion about its composition. What is slate made from? For the manufacture, 3 components are used: asbestos fibers, cement and water. The asbestos fibers included in the roofing material is a component that makes the sheets, according to some people, harmful and even dangerous to human he alth.

Types of slate

Asbestos-cement sheets were in massive demand during the Soviet era. What slate was made of at that time is described above. It is worth noting that earlier it was made exclusively in gray color, but today materials of different colors come across. It is produced by pouring the mixture into specialized containers, in which the roofing material reaches a reliable, strong form.

In the CIS countries, most builders still consider slate to be the best roofing material. Today, there are different types of slate on the building materials market.

Seven Wave Slate

Product with 7 waves on the cover. The sheet has the following options:

• long - 1 m 75 cm,
• thickness - 5.8 mm,
• width 98 cm,
• weight - 23.2 kg.

For the laying of this slate, specialized nails or adhesive mortar are used. The step of one wave with the standard parameters of the product is 15 cm, and the height is 4 cm. The last (extreme) wave is slightly smaller than the others, but this characteristic does not violate the requirements of GOST.

Eight wave slate

Standards for the manufacture of roofing material are set by GOST 30340-95. Due to the declared details, it is easy to distinguish fiction from the original. One sheet has a length of 1 m 75 cm, a width of 1 m 13 cm, a thickness of 5.8 mm and a weight of 26.1 kg. The step of one wave is most often 15 cm, and the height is 4 cm.

Soft slate

It began to be produced relatively recently in the developed countries of Europe. Slate of this type is environmentally friendly, both for humans and for the environment. What is soft slate made of? The fact is that the composition includes natural minerals. The main component of the coating material is a mineral fiber impregnated with a bitumen-based substance. It is lightweight and has a fairly impressive lifespan.

Metal slate

The main component of what wave metal slate is made of is galvanized steel. Thanks to innovative technologies, it is put under pressure, therebygiving it a wavy shape. Such a coating can be seen on the roofs of large industrial buildings.

Flat slate

What is flat slate made of? The composition of this roofing material does not differ from other types of material. The main components are asbestos and cement mix. Such slate is used in the construction of skyscrapers, country houses and even ordinary outbuildings. Often, people understand slate as an asbestos-cement mixture, which is shaped into a wave, but now you can easily find other types of roofing material. Only the components from which flat slate is made remain unchanged.

Slate danger. Myth or truth?

Many, thinking about what slate is made of and whether it is harmful, argue that its negative impact on the human body is quite real. Others consider this another myth that manufacturers of more expensive building materials for roofing have come up with. There are constant disputes regarding this issue, where each side tries to prove its own point of view. Surprising as it may seem, both sides are partly right.

So what is slate made of? Has the effect on the human body been scientifically proven? The fact is that when mixing the initial solution, a harmful, as is commonly believed, element, namely asbestos fibers, is included. It is considered a resource of carcinogen substances, which, if penetrated into the human body, can lead to serious illnesses.

However, there is one caveat, which is that not every speciesasbestos fibers is dangerous. The bottom line is that the elastic material, consisting of fine fibers and being a mineral in its content, is divided into 2 key categories:

1. Chrysotile is resistant to alkali but breaks down in acid.
2. Amphibole - difficult to react to the influence of acid, but splits into alkali.

From the above, we can conclude that for living organisms the second category of asbestos is considered the most harmful, but it was it that was used in the manufacture of slate in European countries due to the lack of chrysotile asbestos. After the collapse of the USSR, the situation looks reversed. In the production of sheets for roofing, chrysotile asbestos is now used, which is less harmful to human he alth.

Most recently, researchers found that amphibole asbestos is dangerous for the human body, and therefore a ban was introduced on the use of asbestos-containing building materials, which include slate.

What do the experts say?

Many researchers say that the harmfulness of roofing material made from asbestos and cement is "far-fetched." In fact, their point of view is that a reliable slate should not be discarded. It is only necessary to protect the employees of the factories by giving them the necessary means of personal safety.

The same applies to construction industry workers who cut slate sheets, and household craftsmen who personally lay the roof or build a fence from asbestos cement sheets. It should not be forgotten that inin the process of sawing, breaking or crushing the coating, elements of asbestos fibers begin to soar in the air, which can penetrate the lungs during breathing.

Implicit evidence in favor of a "dangerous" roof building material is the fact that reinforcing fibers are also included in today's types of asbestos-free coating:

• polyethylene;
• cellulose;
• polypropylene;
• carbon and more.

Conclusion

It is believed that only asbestos dust is dangerous, which is formed in the process of cutting or mechanical damage to slate sheets. If they only lie on the roof or plot, then they do not bear any harm. According to the defenders of this highly sought-after roofing material, the hype about the harm of slate is only done to make asbestos-free materials more popular in the construction market.