After an abnormal hail storm or falling branches, holes and cracks appear on the slate, through which water then leaks. If completely re-covering a damaged roof is not an option, you can very quickly seal the holes with repair waterproof tape. The method is extremely simple, and most importantly reliable enough to completely solve the problem of a leaking roof. Even a girl can cope with the task.
What you will need:
- waterproof repair tape;
- metal brush;
- mounting hair dryer;
- scissors;
- work gloves.
The process of repairing holes in slate
The first step is to lay an extension cord to the repair site in order to connect the hair dryer. It is important to move on the slate with extreme care so as not to split it, since cracks across the entire sheet cannot be repaired with tape. It is best to put a board on the roof and move along it. It is important not to step on the edges and especially the corners of the sheets, as they are very fragile in this area.
Having reached the damage, it must be thoroughly cleaned of any growing moss.This is not difficult, just work for a minute with a hand brush on the metal. The width of the stripping should be slightly larger than the repair flap that will be glued. If you only have a thin tape of 0.3-05 mm, you can also sand the relief on the slate with sandpaper. This way it will stick more tightly and water will not flow under it. When using thick tape with soft rubber, this is not necessary; it will stick just like that.
If the slate is wet, then it should definitely be dried over the cleaned area until it brightens.
Then a piece of the required size is cut from the repair tape, the film is torn off from it and it is glued on top.
The tape must be smoothed and carefully rolled with a roller or simply pressed down with the palm of your hand. Then, for better adhesion, it is heated with a hairdryer and pressed again with a gloved hand.
Such patches immediately work to their full potential. Water will no longer flow through the repaired hole, even if it rains immediately after the repair is completed. The tape will hold tight and for a long time, of course, if it is of high quality. Therefore, it is better to buy more expensive repair moisture-resistant tape; it will still be cheaper than replacing even one sheet of slate. It is advisable to use a wide 100 mm tape for a larger adhesion area. It will close any hole and will definitely not come off with the ice in the spring.
