Home and Family

Rainwater guttering systems are designed to channel water away from a buildings base to protect its foundation. They also help to reduce erosion, prevent leaks in basements and crawlspaces, protect painted surfaces by reducing exposure to water, and provide a means to collect rainwater for later use.

Popular materials for guttering systems include metal, GRP, copper, zinc, plastic and timber.

Rainwater gutters collect water from the roof and drain it down a leader pipe to the bottom of the building where it is collected or directed to a drainage system. A barrel may be used to collect water from the guttering system.

A combination of the following components make up a Rainwater System.

Gutter Pipe – a half pipe positioned on the fascia board of the building to gather water as it runs off the roof. Different styles and shapes of guttering are produced depending on the size and decorative finish required. They are referred to as profiles.

Pipes – used to drain the water from the roof level to the ground. The pipes will be made up of a series of pipes and joints so it can be fixed to the building.

Hoppers – down pipes from different areas of the roof line can meet at a junction called a hopper where they are joined into a single pipe.

Accessories – such as stop ends, joint clips, running outlets and fascia brackets are needed to complete the rainwater system.

Rain gutters can be equipped with gutter screens, louvers or solid hoods to allow water from the roof to flow through, while reducing passage of roof debris into the gutter.

Other than the occasionally cleaning out most modern systems do not require any other maintenance. Water can leak down the side of the building if the gutters become blocked or clogged up. Blocked gutters can also lead to stagnant water build up which allows grasses and weeds to grow in the gutter.