A good building should have a good roof. And a good roof should have a good drain. The article will focus on the gutter, on the materials for it, the slope of the gutter and everything else that may be related to this issue.
Types of gutters
Today, there are several types of materials for drainage systems. We will name the main of them:
- metal;
- copper;
- wood;
- plastic.
Now you need to say a few words about each type of drainage system.
Metal gutter system
This is a classic that is still found everywhere in our lives. The main advantage of such a system is its durability, which is measured in decades. The main disadvantage of such a system may be its price. Metal in recent years has greatly increased in price, in addition, many cheap analogues of this material have appeared.
Copper drain
In short, it’s expensive, exclusive and once again expensive. Very rare. Such a drainage system is installed on luxurious country houses decorated in a certain style. This option is rare for the reason that we are very rarely in these houses. The shelf life of this option is practically unlimited, since copper will not rust during operation. It only needs to be cleaned occasionally of oxide.
Wooden drain
An outdated option, but sometimes it can be found in modern buildings, if their design is styled antique. Such a system is not too durable. Plus, debris and dirt accumulate in the wood gutter, for this reason the slope of the gutter from the tree needs to be made more significant than in the case with any other modern material. The desired bias can be found in this case by trial and error. Mount the trial version, if it is not enough, then make the slope of the gutter steeper. SNiP and norms will not help you in this case, they are designed for modern options, and this is clearly not the case with a wooden drain.
Additionally, it is worth treating such a drainage system with special compounds that protect against rot and mold. This will allow you to extend the life of the system for a while.
Plastic drain
This is a variant of our time. Convenient, simple, easy and inexpensive. About longevity you can not even mention: we all know that plastic can serve for centuries! Today, you can choose the plastic gutter you need in color and shape. The choice in this category is simply unbelievable. Prices for plastic gutter systems are also acceptable. This option is found everywhere in various types of buildings, starting with residential and ending with economic and industrial.
Gutter slope
This is the most important moment in the issue of arranging the drain. It is important to make the slope correct. If it is insufficient, then the system simply will not work, if it turns out to be too large, then it will not look too attractive, and the receiving funnel may simply not cope with the flow of water that will get into it. It is necessary to determine the middle ground in this matter, all the more so since you don’t need to look for anything, because there is a clear regulation on the slope of the gutter by 1 meter. SNiP regulates this issue. The norms have long been spelled out and do not raise any questions.
If the length of your gutter is less than 24 meters, then you can make a normal slope to one side, if the gutter system is longer, then its length is divided in half and two slopes from the middle are made in different directions. The minimum slope of the gutter is one centimeter for each running meter of the gutter. This is the lower limit, but there is another value in SNiP, it is considered average. This indicator is two to three centimeters of the slope of the drainage system for each of its linear meters.
For a wooden version, such a slope may not be enough, in this situation you need to start with an indicator of two to three centimeters per meter of length. If this bias is not enough, then you can add another centimeter, and so on, until you get the best option.
Importance of the issue
Why is it important to observe a 1 meter gutter slope? Norms in SNiP are not taken from the sky. Everything that is given there is the result of long experiments in practice, disputes and theoretical calculations by people who are good at building. SNiP gives minimum indicators and sufficient numbers. It is not difficult to follow these rules, therefore, problems in this matter usually do not arise.
As a rule, in almost all cases there is enough gutter on your personal site with one receiving funnel. For personal use, buildings rarely exceed 24 meters in length. This point is positive, since one receiving funnel assumes one vertical channel in the drainage system, that is, saving materials and money. Since in the event that your drain would have two receiving funnels and two vertical channels, the materials on them would take twice as much. This is a kind of money saving, and each of us likes to save without loss in quality.
SNiP on other issues of the drain
You need to understand that in SNiP you can find not only the above standards, but also something else along the gutter. The slope per meter we have already considered. Now let's talk about the installation step of the brackets of the drainage system. SNiP recommends installing brackets at a distance of 50 centimeters from each other, if we are talking about a gutter system made of plastic. If the gutters are made of metal, then the step of the brackets will be 75-150 centimeters, depending on the thickness of the material.
Mounting
Installation is simple. It consists in the correct fastening of the brackets. After their installation is simply fixing the elements of the drainage system on them. The only point that should be taken into account during installation is that you need to choose the right place for installing the gutter (so that the flowing water from the roof falls into the gutter rather than flowing in front of it or flying away for it).
After you outline the installation location of the gutter, you can conduct a little experiment. In its course, it will be necessary to pour enough water on the roof and see if it gets into the gutter. If the experience is unsuccessful, then appropriate corrections should be made and the procedure repeated. The experience needs to be continued until you get satisfactory results.
Testimonials indicate that intuition will not let you down. Most likely, you will choose the desired placement of the gutter the first time. If not from the first, then from the second for sure. This has been proven empirically by people who have already dealt with gutter systems and their installation.
How to make a bias?
At the highest point of your gutter system, you install the starting bracket. At the lowest point of your gutter, a final bracket is installed (the height difference between the initial and final brackets is calculated based on the information in SNiP). Next, a cord (rope) is pulled between the two brackets. After that, you can install the intermediate brackets, focusing on the cord (rope). Do not forget to comply with SNiP norms when installing intermediate brackets of your gutter system.
Advice
Experienced people who are not already building the first building on their site, create a slope of the drainpipe without the use of any measuring tools.
The reviews of the construction masters indicate that if it is a question of building on your site (that is, the roof is not too large), then you can slope the drainpipe using your own eye meter. But we would still recommend using specialized measuring instruments and acting within the framework of SNiP.
Gutter cleaning
If we are talking about a modern gutter made of PVC, then there is a special protective net for sale on it. It is installed directly on the gutter and protects it from foreign objects (leaves, branches and other debris). If such a grid is not provided by you, then periodically it will be necessary to clean the gutters. This procedure is simple and rarely required (usually not more than once a season). Cleaning is carried out by hand or with a rag. In addition, make sure that the vertical pipes of the system are not clogged, although this happens extremely rarely.
Finally
Today we learned what the slope of the gutter should be and why it should be just that. In addition, we got acquainted with various materials for creating a drainage system. There is nothing complicated in this matter, you just need to know the norms and observe the correct slope of the gutters of the drainage systems during installation.