Slate, being a traditional roofing material, Lately was forced out more modern materials for roofing, 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.
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 are fenced with a mesh (chain-link), through which dogs or hares can easily penetrate. Will help you solve this problem old slate. 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 the roots of weeds 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.
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 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 pour mortar(crushed stone, sand and cement). Everything must be done in one step so that we can form a monolithic layer of concrete. You will get a wonderful, 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.
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. At the last stage of constructing the formwork for the foundation, it is necessary to ensure that the structure is not tilted, after which the formwork can be carefully secured. That's all, your structure is ready for pouring mortar.
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. 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.
Therefore, owners of their own plots very rarely throw away even used materials. Outdated materials and aged things often find new uses - for example, as elements of landscape design.
When dismantling dilapidated buildings, there are usually no questions regarding the material of the walls regarding further use. Most outbuildings are built of wood, which is excellent for firewood. But not everyone can imagine using used slate from a roof.
If the removed slate sheets are in relatively good condition, that is, they do not break under, they can be used again in the same capacity, for temporary or seasonal buildings. For example, arrange a canopy over a poultry yard, where warm time chickens or other Domestic bird, and cover it with used slate. You can cover firewood stored in woodpiles and intended for winter with pieces of slate to protect them from rain.
Slate is also used to cover gaps in other dilapidated walls, if the building itself is not yet intended to be changed. To do this, the sheet is simply leaned against a wall in which there are holes or boards torn out. If, for example, the roof of the bathhouse is also made of slate with a suitable wave and there are a lot of holes in it, and it is not yet possible to completely cover it, pieces of old slate can be a great help. All holes found on the roof must be covered with pieces of slate so that the waves of material fit into one another. It is simply not possible to cover holes in a dilapidated roof with whole sheets - the old covering may not be able to withstand their weight.
If the one removed is so old that it breaks into pieces without much effort right in your hands, it can be used. It is rare to find a suburban area that does not have a vegetable garden. Pieces of slate can be used to make an excellent frame for garden beds. The pieces are buried in the ground along the entire perimeter of the bed so that their upper edges are at the same level, and they themselves form a continuous strip around. If desired, the slate can be painted in any desired color.
Even very small pieces of slate, which seem to be of no use, can be used to fill paths in the garden, or as a base for a floor laid from boards in a barn or garage. Slate chips are used to fill ditches or holes on the site.
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 for 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. It is sprinkled on garden paths and floors 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 paints based on silicone or acrylic base, 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. To ensure that the coating applies evenly and lasts longer, it is recommended to use a high-quality primer.
Another indispensable condition for a good result is preliminary preparation of the surface 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 is 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:
Mix cement and asbestos, add PVA glue diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio, achieving the consistency of sour cream. Cracks are rubbed with this construction mixture. Instead of homemade solution 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:
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.
How and where to use old slate: painting, replacement, cleaning, repair
Some homeowners often wonder what they can do with old slate? Considering its main use, some use it as a roofing material for secondary outbuildings, dog houses, birdhouses, etc. Slate is a rather fragile material that has a limited service life. However, you can use old slate for other purposes; for this you need to show imagination and ingenuity.
Old slate can be given a second life.
There are quite a lot various options its applications, many of which are quite widespread. Despite this, many people choose to throw away their used material. What can be done and what to adapt used slate to is described below.
The main disadvantage of used slate is the release of asbestos in the form of dust. Some types of asbestos are harmful to health: inhaling such dust can cause lung cancer. However, not all asbestos is dangerous to humans.
Slate production process.
Slate is made from asbestos fibers, water and cement. But 2 types of asbestos fiber can be used in production:
Domestic manufacturers use only chrysolite fibers, which are absolutely safe for the human body. But European manufacturers use dangerous amphibole fibers, which are very harmful to health. And despite the fact that the sale of slate with amphibole fibers is prohibited in Europe, it continues to be produced and sold to third countries. Therefore, when purchasing roofing material, try to avoid European manufacturers. It is strictly not recommended to reuse such slate.
Only after making sure that the material is safe can you reuse it.
The slate sheet has enough big sizes, which allows you to use it as a full-fledged fence. To do this, you should dig the sheets vertically to a depth of about 50-60 cm. It is not recommended to dig it in at shallower depths: large leaf has a high windage capacity, so there is a high probability that the slate will simply be blown away by the wind. It is also recommended to support the sheets after installing them. Naturally, such a fence will not protect the area from human encroachment, but will make it impossible for various animals and small rodents to enter it.
Slate is great for fencing garden beds.
Although slate can be used in the absence of other barriers, the best result for protecting the area from intrusion will be obtained by installing it in addition to chain-link fences, trellises or a wooden fence. During installation it may be necessary to cut the sheet. This is quite simple to do; you need a grinder for this. When cutting, it is recommended to generously moisten the cut line with water - this will significantly reduce dust emissions. Work should be carried out only in a respirator. If slate is used in conjunction with other fencing, it makes sense to cut the sheets in half. The height of the sheet is 1.75 meters, when cutting it in half it comes out to approximately 85 cm (taking into account losses), it should be added in drops when installed at a shallower depth (the windage has decreased) - 20-30 cm.
Slate sheets cut to height can be used to fence beds. It is worth noting that raspberry and blackberry thickets on the site are often fenced off with slate. Any gardener knows that raspberries grow very quickly (like a weed), filling the entire garden. Since reproduction occurs from root shoots, it is necessary to block off the underground part. The depth of the fence should reach 1 meter.
This option can include the creation of fences for trees for the winter to protect them from hares gnawing on the bark. In addition to digging in the pieces, they should be additionally secured with wire or polyethylene twine and tied around the tree.
It is worth remembering that slate holds paint perfectly. The fence can be given any color or patterns drawn. If you spare no expense on wheels for the grinder, you can make the fence shaped (wavy, cone-shaped, etc.) by cutting out the desired pattern.
Using slate not for roofing, you can arrange auxiliary rooms.
You can use leftover slate to make a box for a compost pit.
In addition, a classic example would be the production of pallets for various lightweight materials in a cellar or barn. Slate has excellent moisture protection and water resistance, which will not allow wood or paper to become damp.
Another way to recycle old slate is to make shelves. To build shelves in a basement, shed or garage, you need to lay out the side posts from brick. A sheet of slate is placed on top of them. To ensure a tighter fit of the sheet to the stand, it can be secured using cement mortar, left over from the masonry.
In a similar way, it is used to make outdoor shelving. To do this, when laying supports, make several laying sheets of slate on different heights. In this case, it is important to ensure that the sheets do not touch the brick, but are in the cement mortar.
It’s worth starting with the fact that slate will be an excellent material when creating formwork. Moreover, the installation of such formwork is much simpler and cheaper than wooden formwork. Especially when building foundations for various objects. In this case, thanks to the slate formwork, the part of the foundation protruding from the ground will have beautiful wavy edges.
Uneven broken pieces of slate can be used to make paths in the garden.
Slate can be used as decorative paving slabs. To do this, you first need to cut it into even small (20-30 cm side) squares. Then one of the sides, which will be the bottom of the tile, must be leveled. To do this, all the depressions of the “waves” should be filled with cement mortar. It is important to ensure that the plane is level. Cement must be used at least grade 500. Installation of such tiles is carried out in the same way as regular paving tiles. If desired (for greater convenience), you can fill the “waves” with cement on top, however, if the tiles are joined correctly, there will be no problems when walking on such a surface.
Slate can be used to make wonderful paths between garden beds. To do this, it must be stuffed into small pieces (with sides of 8-10 cm), then mixed with cement mortar and the resulting mixture poured over the paths. In a similar way, you can pave the area or fill in the puddles that often form in front of the entrance gate.
Slate is perfect for construction drainage system. To do this, it is cut to length and laid out on the bottom and sides of the trenches. To prevent the bottom from sagging and the sides from crumbling, they are made on a cement “lining”.
Slate can be used in the construction of foundations for auxiliary buildings. For example, a barn, garage, woodshed, etc. To do this, it must be crushed as finely as possible (ideally to crumbs) and added to the cement or concrete mortar with which the foundation is poured. This will not reduce the strength of the foundation, but will save mortar.
Another use is to create cast posts and figures. The slate sheet is also crushed to make crumbs. After which this crumb is also added to the cement mortar, which is poured into the required forms.
Old slate can be used to line compost pits in vegetable gardens. In this case, it is important to secure them to the sides and make a mini-foundation.
Another option is paths made from pieces of slate. To do this, the slate is crushed into small pieces and poured onto the path. Then the layer of broken slate should be leveled so that its thickness is in the range of 3 to 5 centimeters and compacted. Such a path is quite durable, there will be no dirt on it, and rainwater will seep through it perfectly.
It should be noted that the process of crushing slate allows you to relax, let go of anger and take a break from unpleasant thoughts, which will have a positive effect on your mental health. If you wish, you can beat the sheets specifically for relaxation, but this must be done only in a respirator.
Where can you use old slate (video)
Do you want to make your own slate beds? Of course, many people want to arrange something similar on their site, because in order to give the site a well-groomed appearance, you need to draw the boundaries of the beds. You can create borders for beds from slate, which remains in abundance after replacing a leaky roof.
An example of installing a slate border for a garden bed
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Borders for beds and flower beds are made in order to create coziness in the dacha and make it easier to care for the site. If you fence the beds, you won’t have to dig up the entire area every year. An original fencing for garden beds, created with your own hands, will look neat and delight the owner of the plot.
The created strips for beds have the following advantages: 
Original flower bed made of slate
Slate fences for garden beds will help summer residents in their intensive fight against annoying weeds. When the fence is buried in fertile soil, weeds will not be able to enter the treated soil. In areas with loose, crumbly soil, a fence can strengthen it. Creating a strip for beds is not relevant in areas with dense soil; here you can do without creating identical sides.
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Wave slate is available material to create neat beds. You can use old slate for garden beds, which were going to be sent to a landfill as unnecessary. But you shouldn't make hasty decisions. 
You can give it a second life by creating matching wavy slate borders. It will look presentable if you paint it with water-repellent paint.
To create identical stripes for beds, you need to use the following available materials:
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Making beds from slate is not as easy as it seems at first glance. Before installing the slate, you need to cut it with a grinder. The slate must be carefully broken into plates so that they are the same width. Next, you need to dig shallow trenches, after which you can begin to install the fence. Creating identical neat beds occurs as follows:
In this case, it does not matter whether the borders are made of flat or wavy slate, with the exception of appearance. Flat slate looks more neat, with it the beds acquire the correct geometric shape, it is easier to saw, the integrity of the structure will not be compromised. Therefore, you can use any of the proposed options. Create such raised beds made of slate in the country is possible for all those who strive to simplify physical work on the land and give the site a well-groomed appearance. 
Mounted raised beds made of slate
In this way, you can fence off raspberries from other crops so that they do not grow at a rapid pace. Creating a fence for raspberries is important in any area where there are raspberries. The construction of such fences is quite simple. There is no need to dig trenches over the entire area; you can dig channels along the entire perimeter of the fence, that’s enough.
Thin slate has one significant drawback: at the time of distortions and heavy rains, this device needs to be adjusted.
When working with this material, you need to take into account the harmful effects of slate: it contains asbestos cement, which has an adverse effect on the soil composition. Another disadvantage of using slate is its heating from direct sun rays, which is why the evaporation of life-giving moisture from the soil increases. It can be easily eliminated with frequent watering. 
An example of a slate border in a country house
It should be noted that it is slate that protects the fresh harvest from the invasion of mole crickets due to deep digging into the ground. Return to contents
You can decorate ordinary flower beds using raised beds. This is also a kind of strip for the beds where it is planned to grow flowers. Fences for flower beds made of wavy slate will look very nice. This material can be used in this case as well. The construction of a flower bed is similar to the creation of vegetable beds, but the shape is slightly different.
It can be round or irregular shape, here everything depends on the imagination of the summer resident himself. Here, wavy slate is more suitable than flat slate. It is very convenient to grow beautiful flowers in such flower beds, because they become inaccessible to pests, yard inhabitants, and local cats. 
Original three-tier flower bed
Besides traditional materials, you can make beds from plastic bottles, which are thrown into landfills in huge quantities. Their benefits in everyday life cannot be underestimated; they are also useful in the summer cottage. Using them you can create original stripes for garden beds.
Every summer resident sooner or later wonders how to make the beds beautiful and well-groomed with a minimum of effort. Everyone wants to work less bent over, weed less, and get a wonderful harvest. There is a way out - we need to make fences for the beds. They will help you correctly place visual accents and turn an ordinary garden into a place of incredible beauty.
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In addition to available means at hand, you can use ready-made options to create borders. Fences made of durable plastic, concrete and border tapes. They are based solely on environmental safe materials. Such designs are not capable of causing harm to human health, pets or crops. High-strength plastic fencing is durable, because it is in no way affected by corrosive processes.
It will last for many years, maintaining an aesthetic appearance. Decorative plastic fences have different shapes, some may look like forged iron, others have openwork outlines. There are options for fencing that fit together like one large puzzle, or continuous frames for beds. Here you can experiment with shapes, creating vegetable beds and flower beds various sizes. 
Also, some people prefer to make beds from natural stone or from material that imitates valuable rocks. It has many advantages over other synthetic frames - naturalness, environmental friendliness, but creating a frame for beds using natural stone is not a cheap pleasure.
A more affordable alternative natural stone ordinary paving slabs or bricks appear, and the designer’s installation will give the flower beds a unique flavor.
You can make a unique brick edging by digging it in at a certain angle or laying it in several rows on regular cement mortar. Some people make a brick border in the form of a barrier by digging a row of bricks on the edge and installing the second one flat. An alternative to traditional brick is paving stones, but this design will have certain disadvantages - high price material and stationarity of the frame. 
Option for arranging a garden flower bed made of paving stones
It will not be mobile, as is the case with wood. You can frame your beds in a rustic style using cute wicker fences made from wicker or reeds. They are 100% natural, but their durability is poor. 2-3 years after the initial installation of such a fence, it may need to be replaced, since the material rots very quickly. You can weave such a fence for garden beds yourself or purchase ready-made specimens.
Some craftsmen take old clay plates as a basis for creating frames, outdated DVDs, CDs, old car wheel rims can turn into beautiful well-groomed flower beds with lush flowers. Here everything depends on the efforts and imagination of the summer resident himself, any useless thing at the dacha it can come in handy and find a second life. Wooden structures are considered the most affordable and environmentally friendly type of framing for flower beds and beds. Process of creation wooden frames Quite simple and does not take much time. 
Original flower bed made of logs
Only in terms of durability, raised beds made from boards are inferior to other materials, but this drawback can be eliminated by coating with a special antiseptic. New material should always be marked and sawed according to the diagram. Ordinary metal nails are used as fastenings. You also need to take care of creating legs that strengthen the joints. Wood has been and will be the most popular raw material for creating such structures, because it has always been used in everyday life and in the country.
Don’t throw away old logs and logs; they will make an excellent fence for flowers. Chocks of small diameter are suitable for it; you need to select them from other more massive ones. They cut logs from the available material equal length, bury vertically along the entire perimeter of the future flower bed. To extend the shelf life of this design, the chocks can be wrapped in roofing felt or dipped in a special bitumen mastic. 
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If there are large quantities of construction pebbles on the site, small broken brick or broken glass, which is definitely thrown into a landfill, you can make original frames from such material - pergons. They are durable metal frames filled with stones or small broken glass.
Pergon fences are ideal option for creating high flower beds, unusual beds, massive retaining walls. This type of fencing is distinguished by its environmental friendliness. You can use any filler that is abundant in the area, therefore, if a lot of small construction waste has accumulated on the ground, you should not rush to take it out, because you can fill the mesh for the pergons with it. 
Design and decoration of pergon flowerbeds
Fencing made of metal mesh is affordable option, and installation will take a minimum of time, because such structures do not require laying a foundation. There are many materials with which you can fence vegetable beds; which of the proposed options will be useful is up to the gardener himself to decide. It is advisable to create mobile beds that can easily be moved to another location.
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The issue of designing paths worries owners of gardens and vegetable gardens not only because aesthetically pleasing plot. 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, for a long time of use, or easily dismantled when sheets of cardboard, roofing felt, or rough film are simply removed. Different ideas for designing paths also arise because the pleasure of work and productivity depend on how comfortable the rows between the beds are.
An excellent solution for designing paths between warm beds– covering the space between the beds with crushed stone. Inexpensive material and the lack of difficulties in performing the coating made crushed stone an advantageous alternative to concrete, decorative tiles, brick. Paths from bulk materials have become one of the most economical options for paths in the garden and beds.
making paths in your dacha with your own hands. Photo
To cover the paths between the beds, sheets of roofing felt, flat slate, and slatted grids are used. 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 natural stone tiles can withstand a lot of weight.
than to close the paths between the beds. Photo
It is convenient to cover the passages between farming zones with plant material. This can 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 paths are not only reliable and practical, but also aesthetically pleasing. 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 brick, 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 small grass. Compositions of paths and garden bed fences made from brickwork.
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 made of 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 beds fenced with large stones look original. They try to select the material of the same size so that it can be laid in horizontal stripes. The masonry is secured with concrete.
do-it-yourself paths between the beds at the dacha. Photo
Through concrete paths no weed will grow 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 off 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.
Path in the garden between the beds on personal plot can be covered with 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 fabric with curb tape, fill the prepared area with crumbs, pebbles, and gravel. Wide color scheme and has granules of different sizes marble chips. 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 different shades, rich in 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, crushed stone is used to cover the row spacing. 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; it is advantageous to use inexpensive building material to design wide, long paths.
Ideas for designing paths in suburban areas and on personal plots are primarily related to the use natural materials. A wide path made from wood cuts in combination with large stones looks harmonious in natural surroundings. To support original design tracks environmentally friendly materials and prevent the stones from spreading, a low multi-level wooden fence.
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. Extend service life wooden elements Treatment with drying oil will help.
do-it-yourself paths between the beds at the dacha. Video
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Most summer residents keep a garden not only to have the opportunity to taste fresh fruit. Many perceive it as a design element that effectively complements a country house. When organizing garden beds, owners often decorate them with slate fencing. Moreover, this material is so easy to use that, based on it, every summer resident can make a fence for their garden bed on their own.
The use of such structures allows you to keep the soil within a certain zone and at the same time gives the beds a more attractive appearance.
Asbestos-cement slabs, which are often used to make garden paths, are of interest due to their advantages, the main ones of which are high strength, resistance to moisture and fire, as well as the ability to protect crops from rodents. If necessary, a damaged piece of material can be replaced, and due to their low weight, it is not difficult to move them to any place.
The use of wooden materials is unprofitable because after several seasons of use they become unusable due to rotting. In this regard, slate beds seem to be a more preferable option due to their long service life. By installing wavy sheets around the perimeter of the bed, you can make the area look more well-groomed. Moreover, this material is quite affordable, since it is offered in every hardware store.
Usually, when choosing a place for garden beds, owners are guided by the features of landscape design. It is with this in mind that they decide on the shape that the bed will ultimately take. In this regard, the choice is quite wide: similar areas for growing garden crops can have a square, rectangular, trapezoidal or polygonal shape. You can make an attractive flower bed by choosing colored materials as the base, or regular slate, which can be further decorated unusual drawings.
Cute flowerpots or pots with flowers will do a great job as decorative elements. In addition to them, give the zone decorative properties can be done using smooth pebbles, which can be repainted in a certain color so that it matches the design of the site. Using similar techniques, you can create original style garden
When setting up a flower bed, you can use asbestos-cement sheets with waves as a fence for it. In this case, the corrugation can be placed across or along it. The process of creating a bed from slate can be represented in the form of the following stages.
The installation of corrugated asbestos-cement sheets involves certain nuances that every summer resident should know about. If it was decided to use slate with horizontal waves, then shoots of individual plants may begin to grow along the recesses. Digging the area must be done especially carefully, as there is a risk of damaging the fence through careless actions. Although the listed disadvantages are not typical for sheets with vertical stripes, they are less amenable to processing.
If you have to work with corrugated sheets, then you can make the required number of fences from them, minimizing waste. To do this with flat slate, you will have to try a lot. It is best to use 1.75 m slate to create a garden bed fencing. The process itself can be described as the following steps:
When making slate beds, it is unacceptable to drive fences into the ground, since the material will most likely break. After all, he is still not as strong as wooden fencing.
To cut slate strips, it is recommended to use a grinder. This tool can handle any material, including slate, stones, pipes, iron, etc. However, during work it is necessary to direct it in such a way that the wind blows the dust to the side. It must be remembered that asbestos-cement dust poses a certain health hazard, so you must wear safety glasses and a cotton-gauze bandage when working with slate. Cutting pieces of slate using a wood saw is considered unacceptable, since otherwise there is a risk of seriously injuring a limb.
Among the advantages of this material, it should be noted that on its basis it is possible to create fences for very long beds. Moreover, installing the sides at the same height will be quite simple, since this material can be easily adjusted according to the level. Also, asbestos-cement plates have a number of other advantages:
If desired, asbestos-cement sheets can be coated with paint of any color, which will give the area more decorative properties. All this makes them more popular wooden structures.
Having considered the advantages that asbestos-cement products have, it is necessary to pay attention to the disadvantages:
Most summer residents who are interested in using slate fencing for garden beds would like to know about the effect of this material on health. In reality, only asbestos-cement dust poses a danger to humans. The slate itself is a pressed product, and therefore it does not pose any threat to humans.
To properly arrange slate beds with your own hands, you must adhere to following rules.
If you follow the above principles, then any gardener will be able to organize beautiful flower bed.
During construction, slate beds can be given any height, but it is not recommended to go beyond 50-70 cm. The indicated values are most suitable for areas with infertile soil, since with their help you can create the most balanced soil for plants. By using this method of arranging beds, the gardener will be able to minimize the likelihood of diseases occurring in the crops grown, and therefore he will not have to treat the plants chemicals. This moment takes on special significance for each of us, because by consuming organic fruits, we improve our health.
If you create high beds from slate with your own hands, the gardener will save himself from the need to frequently dig up the site; all care will be reduced only to timely loosening of the soil. Special attention attention should be paid to the frequency of watering, since if such activities are carried out more often than required, this may lead to stagnation of water. Weeding such beds becomes an easier task, since the gardener has to bend low towards it. Such structures are ideal for growing annual plants in them, but they are not very suitable for perennials, since at some point they will become cramped.
With the help of high beds made of slate, the yield can be increased several times. Also positive effect is to protect plants from unexpected frosts. You can avoid crumbling of the beds and damage to the structure if you take appropriate measures - make a screed. This is done by making holes on opposite sides in the center, subsequently the wire will pass through them and be secured.
If necessary, additional fastening can be done, but this step must be taken if a sufficiently long fence is used. To ensure high beds remain stable, you should dig metal pipes so that 2/3 of the height is immersed in the ground.
Properly arranged beds are the key to not only a high yield, but also the most convenient care for them. Therefore, many owners often install slate fencing around the perimeter with their own hands. These designs are in demand due to their high availability and low cost. Naturally, in order to receive only the benefits of having such a fence for many years, you need to take care of them correct installation, and for this it is necessary to strengthen them so that the fence does not sag under the influence of precipitation and wind.
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Some homeowners often wonder what they can do with old slate? Considering its main use, some use it as a roofing material for secondary outbuildings, dog houses, birdhouses, etc. Slate is a rather fragile material that has a limited service life. However, you can use old slate for other purposes; for this you need to show imagination and ingenuity.
Old slate can be given a second life.
There are quite a few different uses for it, many of which are quite common. Despite this, many people choose to throw away their used material. What can be done and what to adapt used slate to is described below.
The main disadvantage of used slate is the release of asbestos in the form of dust. Some types of asbestos are harmful to health: inhaling such dust can cause lung cancer. However, not all asbestos is dangerous to humans.
Slate production process.
Slate is made from asbestos fibers, water and cement. But 2 types of asbestos fiber can be used in production:
Domestic manufacturers use only chrysolite fibers, which are absolutely safe for the human body. But European manufacturers use dangerous amphibole fibers, which are very harmful to health. And despite the fact that the sale of slate with amphibole fibers is prohibited in Europe, it continues to be produced and sold to third countries. Therefore, when purchasing roofing material, try to avoid European manufacturers. It is strictly not recommended to reuse such slate.
Only after making sure that the material is safe can you reuse it.
Do you want to make your own slate beds? Of course, many people want to arrange something similar on their site, because in order to give the site a well-groomed appearance, you need to draw the boundaries of the beds. You can create borders for beds from slate, which remains in abundance after replacing a leaky roof.
An example of installing a slate border for a garden bed
They do it in order to create coziness in the dacha, to make it easier to care for the area. If you fence the beds, you won’t have to dig up the entire area every year. An original one, created with one’s own hand, will look neat and delight the owner of the site.
The created strips for beds have the following advantages:
Original flower bed made of slate
Slate fences for garden beds will help summer residents in their intensive fight against annoying weeds. When the fence is buried in fertile soil, weeds will not be able to enter the treated soil. In areas with loose, crumbly soil, a fence can strengthen it. Creating a strip for beds is not relevant in areas with dense soil; here you can do without creating identical sides.
Wave slate is an affordable material for creating neat beds. You can use old slate for garden beds, which were going to be sent to a landfill as unnecessary. But you shouldn't make hasty decisions. 
You can give it a second life by creating matching wavy slate borders. It will look presentable if you paint it with water-repellent paint.
To create identical stripes for beds, you need to use the following available materials:
Making beds from slate is not as easy as it seems at first glance. Before installing the slate, you need to cut it with a grinder. The slate must be carefully broken into plates so that they are the same width. Next, you need to dig shallow trenches, after which you can begin to install the fence.
Creating identical neat beds occurs as follows:
In this case, it does not matter whether the borders are made of flat or wavy slate, with the exception of appearance. Flat slate looks more neat, with it the beds acquire the correct geometric shape, it is easier to saw, and the integrity of the structure will not be compromised. Therefore, you can use any of the proposed options. All those who want to simplify physical work on the land and give the site a well-groomed appearance can create such high beds of slate in their dacha.
Mounted raised beds made of slate
Thin slate has one significant drawback: at the time of distortions and heavy rains, this device needs to be adjusted.
When working with this material, you need to take into account the harmful effects of slate: it contains asbestos cement, which has an adverse effect on the soil composition. Another disadvantage of using slate is its heating from direct sunlight, which increases the evaporation of life-giving moisture from the soil. It can be easily eliminated with frequent watering.
An example of a slate border in a country house
You can decorate ordinary flower beds using. This is also a kind of strip for the beds where it is planned to grow flowers. made of wavy slate will look very nice. This material can be used in this case as well. The construction of a flower bed is similar to the creation of vegetable beds, but the shape is slightly different.
It can be round or irregular in shape, it all depends on the imagination of the summer resident himself. Here, wavy slate is more suitable than flat slate. It is very convenient to grow beautiful flowers in such flower beds, because they become inaccessible to pests, yard inhabitants, and local cats.
Original three-tier flower bed
Every summer resident sooner or later wonders how to make the beds beautiful and well-groomed with a minimum of effort. Everyone wants to work less bent over, weed less, and get a wonderful harvest. There is a way out - we need to make fences for the beds. They will help you correctly place visual accents and turn an ordinary garden into a place of incredible beauty.
In addition to the available means, you can use ready-made options for creating borders. Fences made of and border strips are considered in demand. They are based exclusively on environmentally friendly materials. Such designs are not capable of causing harm to human health, pets or crops. High-strength plastic fencing is durable, because it is in no way affected by corrosive processes.
It will last for many years, maintaining an aesthetic appearance. have different shapes, some may look as if forged from iron, others have openwork outlines. There are options for fencing that fit together like one large puzzle, or continuous frames for beds. Here you can experiment with shapes, creating vegetable beds and flower beds of various sizes. 
Also, some prefer either from material that imitates valuable species. It has many advantages over other synthetic frames - naturalness, environmental friendliness, but creating a frame for beds using natural stone is not a cheap pleasure.
A more affordable alternative to natural stone is ordinary paving slabs or bricks, and custom laying will give the flower beds a unique flavor.
You can make a unique brick edging by digging it in at a certain angle or laying it in several rows on regular cement mortar. Some people make a brick border in the form of a barrier by digging a row of bricks on the edge and installing the second one flat. An alternative to traditional brick is paving stones, but this design will have certain disadvantages - the high cost of the material and the stationary nature of the frame.
Option for arranging a garden flower bed made of paving stones
Some craftsmen take old clay plates as a basis for creating frames, outdated DVDs, CDs, old car wheel rims can turn into beautiful well-groomed flower beds with lush flowers. Here everything depends on the efforts and imagination of the summer resident himself; any unnecessary thing in the country can come in handy and find a second life. Wooden structures are considered the most affordable and environmentally friendly type of framing for flower beds and beds. The process of creating wooden frames is quite simple and does not take much time.
Original flower bed made of logs
Don’t throw away old logs and logs; they will make an excellent fence for flowers. Chocks of small diameter are suitable for it; you need to select them from other more massive ones. Chunks of equal length are cut from the available material and buried vertically along the entire perimeter of the future flower bed. To extend the shelf life of this design, the chocks can be wrapped in roofing felt or dipped in a special bitumen mastic. 
