Probably everyone knows the proverb "Water sharpens the stone." Indeed, indeed, flowing down from the roofs, it exposes the walls and the foundation to destruction. To get rid of this unpleasant fact, drainage systems are used. In fact, the gutter is a canal, which is the main element of water disposal. Serves to collect rain and melt water from the roof of the structure and drain it in the right direction. Designed to protect the foundation of the building and its walls from water damage.
Very often, when ordering a project for a building, as well as when repairing a private house, homeowners and repair crews focus on building reliable walls, heat insulation, and heating systems, disregarding stormwater discharge. The absence or malfunction of the system leads to the destruction of the facade cladding of thermal insulation. There is a risk of flooding the basement, violation of the strength and reliability of the foundation, which leads to its subsidence and fracture.
Installation of a drainage system is more convenient to make before the improvement of the roof. However, if necessary, this can be done after completion of the roofing. This article talks about the design of drainage systems and phased installation.
Elements of a drainage system
The entire design of the drainage system includes a small list of elements:
- cast gutters;
- pipes;
- water intake funnels;
- knee 900 and 450;
- transitions;
- connectors
- brackets for fixing on a bearing surface;
- plugs for gutters and funnels.
The gutters that receive water from the roof are subdivided in form into:
- semicircular;
- rectangular;
- curly.
It should be noted the differences in diameter, manufacturing material, color scheme.
Sizing the drainage system
It is very important to correctly calculate the dimensions of the pipes and gutters used. If the drainage capacity is underestimated, then with a good rainfall the water will not be drained in full, and will begin to overflow. The gutter, the dimensions of which are correctly selected, will fulfill its purpose and let the necessary amount of waste water pass.
To simplify the task of choosing the right size, you need to know the standards on which the choice depends. Knowing the surface area of the roof, it is not difficult to make a choice of the diameter of the gutter and pipe. According to experts, the sizes indicated in the table of used water intake trays from the roof area are considered optimal.
Pipe diameter | Gutter diameter | Roof area |
75 mm | 90-100 mm | up to 30 m 2 |
87 mm | 100-120 mm | from 30 m 2 to 50 m 2 |
100 mm | 120-150 mm | from 50 m 2 to 125 m 2 |
110 mm | 150-190 mm | over 125 m 2 |
As for the length, it must be taken into account that gutters should cover the entire perimeter of the building along the roof slopes. Given the standard dimensions of the gutter - 3 meters, and drainage pipes 3-4 meters, they will have to be mounted from separate elements: trays, connectors, corner turns. The exception is custom-made systems. In this case, the dimensions will not be standard.
Having determined the parameters, it is not very difficult to calculate the required number of pipes and gutters in length. To calculate, you will need:
- Building height (distance from the ground to the eaves). This is necessary to calculate the length of the pipe, given that the total height must be reduced by 30 cm. This is the distance from the ground to the drain elbow.
- The length of the trays for each individual roof slope.
- The surface area of individual slopes. For different areas, you can use different sizes of drainage elements, which will save money. Each area is easy to calculate by multiplying the length by the width. For the roof of the composite configuration, you will need to calculate the area of each figure and add the results. It must be remembered that correctly calculated parameters of the elements used will give a positive result during the operation of the system.
The choice of a drainage system according to the material of manufacture
When choosing a system according to the material of manufacture and color, it is worth considering all the options, and choosing the most optimal one for yourself. Gutters are manufactured by industry from various materials.
Plastic drainage systems
Plastic gutter is represented by a wide variety of polymers. These are unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (nPVC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP). These types are characterized by such qualities:
- good resistance to mechanical stress (bending, stretching, twisting);
- high resistance to color loss (fading);
- corrosion resistance;
- resistance to aggressive environment (alkali, acids, salts)
Elements made from such materials do not require additional and periodic painting. Many manufacturers guarantee a service life of ≈ 50 years.
Gutter (galvanized)
Until recently, galvanizing was widely used due to its affordable price and ease of execution. These elements can be manufactured not only in industrial conditions. Specialists in tin, popularly called tinsmiths, easily produce such structures in their workshops and garages from sheets of galvanized steel of various thicknesses. In this case, a rather simple home-made equipment is used: scissors for metal, rollers, a bending machine, a rolling machine for stiffening ribs on products. Galvanized gutter was in great demand.
But this material has a number of disadvantages. Zinc spraying is easily damaged by inaccurate processing. Scratches, possible damage during bending, in the place of drilling holes for screws, rivets or fastenings. If the zinc layer is disturbed, the base metal becomes easily vulnerable to environmental influences. It corrodes and rots. There is a need for replacement. Over time, paints appeared, the use of which not only improved the appearance, but also increased the anti-corrosion properties. The color gamut has expanded. Metal gutter is significantly inferior to plastic.
Polymer Coated Steel
This material is used more than others in the manufacture of parts for drainage systems. It has better (than plastic) strength characteristics, has a longer service life (compared to galvanizing) due to the many protective layers available. Modern systems are available on the basis of steel, which is used in the manufacture of metal tiles. The raw material is hot-dip zinc-coated cold-rolled steel coated on both sides with plastisol and painted in the RAL color palette. An interesting fact is that among many different colors, manufacturers have preferred brown and white, but are ready to custom-make in another color. Used new types of dyes give color saturation, brightness, resistance to fading and discoloration.
Zinc titanium
The basis of such products is an alloy of light metal with a shiny surface. Under the influence of the atmosphere, a light blue patina appears on this surface (a film that appears on the surface of a zinc-titanium product with prolonged exposure to oxygen). Recommended for use in difficult climatic conditions. The service life of zinc-titanium alloy elements is 50 years or more.
Copper
The durability and uniqueness of copper is undeniable. It is an upscale roofing material. Found application in the manufacture of drainage systems. Manufacturers of roofing materials claim that roofs covered with copper can last more than 400 years. Work with such products is allowed at all times of the year, not taking into account the temperature regime. But at the same time, the condition must be observed: the fastening of the gutter, like other parts, must be copper or made of stainless steel. This precaution precludes the occurrence of electrolytic vapors leading to the oxidation of copper and its destruction. For copper, contact with galvanized surfaces and zinc-titanium is not permissible. Over time, copper products change color. In the first ≈ 5 years they turn black, then green and after 30 years they acquire a steady green color. All changes in color in no way affect longevity.
Since zinc-titanium and copper are considered very expensive materials, maximum care must be taken when working with them. Therefore, it is better to entrust this work to professionals.
Mount the drainage system
For fastening pipes to the wall of the building, clamps with pins are used. A hole for the dowel is drilled in the bearing wall, a pin is screwed in and a pipe is fastened with a clamp. Mounted on the wall through a distance of ≈ 2 m.
The gutter can be fixed in several ways. The simplest is fixing on a windshield that was previously mounted and lined (for example, plastic) with a bracket. Another method is to attach a long hook for the tray to the rafter. But this must be done first, before covering the roof with roofing material. During installation, it is necessary to perform a slope for the drain within 2-5 mm per 1 linear meter.
Cost calculation
In terms of preparation for installation, there is another important point. This is a calculation of the cost of the entire drainage system, including consumables and installation costs. The best option in this situation is to contact the organization or company specializing in this type of work. It is only necessary to provide all measurements in advance, on the basis of which the specialist will calculate the total cost of the planned project.