COPPER Gutters, Downspouts, and Gutter Covers
Copper offers a character and durability that no other metal can match. Its appearance can complement any style of building, from the traditional to the modern. Its warmth and beauty make it a preferred material for many architects.
The use of copper is based upon traditional practices proven over many years. There are numerous examples of copper which have been in place one or more centuries. Copper’s resistance to the elements ranks among the highest of modern materials.
Discover The Elegance of Copper Gutters
When properly installed, few things will add “splash” to an exterior like they do. Add the fact that copper gutters will offer you years of low maintenance service and the investment begins to make great sense. Copper gutters provide an economical, long-term solution. Its low life cycle costs are attributable to the low maintenance, long life and salvage value of copper. Unlike many other metal materials, copper requires no painting or finishing.
As with any gutter system, copper gutters connect with downspouts which acquire rainwater from the roof and direct it away from the building by means of the downspouts or drainage system. Copper gutters also employ an ornamental component known as a conductor head or chief head. This is a giant field-shaped element which attaches to the exterior wall slightly below the highest of the gutters. They are wonderful examples of beauty and craftsmanship.
Conductor heads or leader heads as used in rain gutter systems are sometimes also called hopper heads, rain heads, scupper box, leader box or rain collector box. Conductor heads or leader heads provide both a functional and decorative feature to downspouts used in rain gutter systems and also when positioned below flat roof scuppers to collect their rain water runoff. You will commonly find leader – conductor heads available in aluminum and copper material.
Leader heads frequently are used as architectural features on buildings, providing both a decorative and functional purpose. Rain water collected by a rain gutter or roof scupper is fed into a leader head. Sometimes a downspout connected to a gutter system or even multiple downspouts will feed into a leader head. Downspouts, also referred to as downpipes or leaders, are the vertical pipes that carry rain water from a gutter or leader head down to the ground to drain into a water barrel, cistern, sewer or seep into the ground. Leader heads or conductor heads fed by a scupper (drain opening in a wall, parapet or edge of flat roof) are sometimes called scupper boxes. Some parts of the world also use the term rain heads when referring to leader heads or rain collection boxes.
Conductor Head shown here is the device used in roof plumbing to capture stormwater runoff from the rain guttering of a building. Architectural appeal is the most common purpose for the use of Conductor Heads
Functionally leader heads serve several purposes. Leader heads serve as a collection box for multiple gutter downspouts to empty into and funnel those into one downspout leading down to the ground. Leader heads also mix air into the conductor to help eliminate back pressure or vacuum and promote heavy rain water flow through the downspouts. Decoratively and visually, leader heads also help break up lengths of downspout providing both architectural interest and elegance or panache. Leader heads are still specified by architects and featured by builders in modern architecture for public buildings, churches, fine custom homes and especially upscale architecture, usually pairing copper leader heads with elegant copper gutter systems.
Because they do add to the cost of a gutter system, leader heads might not be installed with cheap gutter systems or specified by some builders when cutting costs and sometimes corners can affect decisions. Functionally, conductor heads collect rain water flowing from gutter and feed it out to the downspout or downpipe below. The leader head helps alleviate any vacuum back pressure or congestion in the downspout, becoming increasingly important with each story of height a building has. Cosmetically a conductor head – leader head will enhance COPPER Gutters, Downspouts, and Gutter Covers and become a visually heightened architectural feature. Proper selection of leader heads, downspouts and gutters will assuredly enhance, beautify and add real value to any property.
Professional Rain Gutter Installation MN
Copper gutters aren’t something you just buy off the shelf – they require particular expertise of a professional that is familiar with this system to measure and install them properly. Metal roller technology has made it possible to have seamless copper gutters. Seamless copper gutters are more affordable than the older more labor intensive copper systems of the past. With proper maintenance, copper gutter systems can last over 50 years.
Copper gutters, downspouts, and gutter covers may be the right choice for your application and budget. To find out, call a gutter installation expert today!