The stunning copper roofing turret featured in today's architectural blog article is fashioned from custom diamond shaped copper roof tiles and is topped with a spear shaped copper finial turret roof cap. This lovely turret copper roofing graces and enhances this beautiful new home undergoing final stages of construction. Additional custom copper work includes copper flashing, half round copper gutters, round copper downspouts and copper leader heads adorned with copper lion head castings. Radius round copper gutter encircling the base of the copper turret roof is planned.

Today we share a few pictures of some wonderful seamless gutter system installation, copper roofing and other types of copper work in the South West Florida coastal area including Naples and Ft Myers. The corrosive salt air environment being right on the Gulf of Mexico makes copper gutter systems and other architectural copper work the longest lasting and best solution due to copper's excellent corrosion resistance, durability and weatherability. Copper is also a very green building material and all the copper can be recycled 100% at the end of it's up to 90 plus year lifespan.

Rutland Gutter Supply releases a new custom copper leader head design featuring a lion head copper casting on the front upper face, beveled sides, a scalloped diamond patterned bottom face and 3 rounded decorative bands. This new leader head, conductor head, hopper head was adapted from Rutland's LH-038 leader head and was designed for inside corner mounting. An alternative outside corner version, having the same look and features is also available for outside corner applications. Both designs can be used as rain collection or scupper boxes fed from flat roof scuppers and wall or gutter rain spouts. The custom leader head model is LH-038-IC. Rutland offers a total of 67 different aluminum or copper leader head model designs in Rutland's ever growing world's largest collection of decorative leader heads for rain gutter systems and downspout enhancement. These finely crafted TIG welded, polished seam, pure copper conductor heads are featured in high quality copper gutter systems, enhancing and distinguishing many fine homes and elegant buildings around the world as well as being eco-friendly for green building applications utilizing copper.

Leader heads, also known as conductor heads and hopper heads, number into the many thousands and can be seen in many countries around the world, especially throughout Europe. England has many examples of leader heads or hopper heads in many styles and several materials. Historic English leader head styles include Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian with historic leader head materials being comprised mostly of lead and cast iron. They are wonderful examples of craftsmanship. Copper leader heads found throughout much of the rest of Europe and cast aluminum leader heads are slowly replacing the old lead and cast iron English designs seen in the pictures below.

Conductor heads or leader heads as used in rain gutter systems are sometimes also called hopper heads, rainheads, 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 run off. You will commonly find leader - conductor heads available in aluminum and copper material. 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 downspouts and gutter systems and become a visually heightened architectural feature. Proper selection of leader heads, downspouts and gutters assuredly enhance, beautify and add real value to commercial and residential property. To provide the most impact and lasting value, a leader head's style or form should be richly pleasing, they should exude or project quality and exhibit fine craftsmanship.


Some times conductor heads (leader heads) will be made more cheaply by using thinner walls and overlapping or tabbed construction employing solder and/or rivets on the seams. While cheaper, using overlapping material on the seams along with rivets, just does not offer a nicely finished, elegant appearance. Use of tabbed construction, butting material up the seams and then closing seams using solder will look better crafted than the overlapped - riveted approach, especially if the joints are tight and solder is tinted to color match the raw material. Several additional problems may eventually present themselves with any of these approaches. If seams are merely overlapped and riveted, leaks may develop as parts of the seam open up in time. Soldered seams may also crack with age, flexing and pressures. Northern climates where ice could expand inside a leader head will split the leaderhead open when a tabbed or soldered seam gives way. The same thing can happen to crimped downspouts when the seams can bulge open from ice pressure.


A more elegant, durable approach is using thicker material and TIG welding to close up any seams and then polishing the seams. This provides not only a virtually flawless appearance and obvious fine craftsmanship, but also gives leader heads lasting strength and durability, to avoid the problems mentioned above. Yes, premium TIG welded aluminum and copper leader heads with thicker walls will cost a little more than their cheaper competition but they warrant that with their more pleasing appearance, requiring typically no repairs and little to no lifetime maintenance, with markedly increased durability and longevity. Quality TIG welded leader heads genuinely provide both real and perceived value and they truly do become one of the more striking architectural features of any commercial or residential building.

Rain gutters sometimes do not get as much thought behind their selection as other architectural features of a home or commercial building. Customary gutters often employed on buildings might even be rather drab and sometimes an afterthought. Rather than accentuate and enhance the building's architecture some gutter choices if not just dull may actually detract from the appearance of the home or building and be very unappealing. Yet barring wide overhangs and a steeply graded slope away from the building, gutters are essential for draining rainwater runoff from a roof away from the building protecting overhangs, eaves, walls or siding, windows, doors and assist keeping the foundation, crawl space or basement of the structure dry, thereby guarding against mold, rot and staining. Gutters also help prevent erosion of the top soil and landscaping around a building and shield people, walkways and entrances from sheets of falling water. Yes, becoming aware of all the available choices and features of guttering makes you a better wiser consumer. It also gives you an opportunity to choose a rain gutter system that doesn't just blend nicely into your building's architecture but actually enhances and upgrades the features, appearance and curb appeal of your real estate investment. Possibly you may start seeing guttering in a whole new light, and in planning and choosing your new gutters wisely, you are certain to be rewarded time after time again.

Rain gutters run the gamut from your run of the mill, same old - same old, aluminum K-style ogee gutters with rectangular corrugated downspouts, which are staples in some neighborhoods on those cookie-cutter homes, to the high end gutters purposefully designed to enhance a building's architectural features such as your integrated guttering or wood box gutter and those premium, elegant half round copper gutters and zinc gutters. There are still more gutter material choices including plastic or vinyl gutters, galvanized steel, galvalume and stainless steel gutters. As you might expect there is a wide range of pricing from your low end cheap vinyl gutter on up to that pricey redwood and stainless steel guttering. Cost is definitely going to be a big factor in many people's decision making on gutter choice. Assessment of your true cost extends beyond simply viewing a gutter system's initial purchase price and also includes analyzing the longevity of the guttering, plus any maintenance time and cost involved during the lifespan of the gutters such as: repairs, re-caulking, re-painting and partial or total replacement of a deteriorated gutter system. Another often overlooked cost is how the guttering choice will affect your real estate value. A poor guttering choice will detract from the building appearance and value, a typically common or acceptably sensible choice will hopefully maintain and uphold the property value and a visionary or astute choice will increase the real estate attractiveness, curb appeal and property value. A final consideration is the growing number of concerned people out there who also appreciate making the most environmentally green and eco-friendly choice.

Gutter Materials and Cost
Vinyl Gutters - Frequently a choice for your do it yourself price conscious people, these plastic or vinyl gutters oftentimes in plain white and sometimes in assorted colors are rust free, easy to trim or cut to size and are relatively cheap initially. Though 10 foot gutter sections may only run $3 to $5 at discount home outlets, with all the connectors, hangers, brackets and downspouts figured in they will cost you more like $3 to $5 per foot installed. Vinyl gutters can get brittle with age and exposure to the elements and may not have the strength to stand up to large amount of snow, ice, gale force winds and weight from a ladder or person climbing on to a roof. Vinyl also expands and contracts more than metal and can be problematic. Mostly they frequently look cheap, detract from your property's appearance and have a relatively short lifespan to boot. PVC or poly vinyl chloride gutters are not a very green or eco-friendly choice because of their short life and environmental health concerns. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) termed PVC plastic as one of the most hazardous consumer products ever created, dangerous to human health and the environment throughout it's life cycle. When it is produced or burned PVC releases dioxins, potent synthetic chemicals that cause cancer and harm the environment.

Galvanized Steel Gutters - Steel coated with zinc to inhibit rust, was a common choice, especially before aluminum gutters appeared on the scene, as galvanized gutters are fairly strong and can stand up to ladders, fallen branches and weight unlike cheaper vinyl gutters. Galvanized gutters are also stronger and less susceptible to dents and damage than aluminum. Galvanized steel gutter pricing may run only $4 to $9 per foot installed and are seemingly a economical and practical choice. Yet even thick galvanized gutters will eventually rust through despite most of them being painted. Paint grip steel guttering is still galvanized steel that has been given a phosphate bath adding some to the corrosion protection but primarily providing a surface with better adhesion for paint. There are usually many color choices provided and different qualities of paint available. Galvanized gutters have to be maintained, inspected for cuts, metal exposure deterioration and re-painted during their practical life ranging from 7 to 20 years, depending on how corrosive their locale is and how well they are maintained.

Aluminum Gutters -  The most popular choice in gutters since they appeared on the market, aluminum gutters are rust free avoiding that concern with steel, iron and galvanized gutters. Aluminum is also lightweight making it easier and cheaper to work with. Aluminum gutters typically range in price from $5 to $9 per foot installed. Exposed to the elements however, aluminum will oxidize and wear quickly so aluminum is given protective coatings and paint. Just as with galvanized gutters, aluminum gutters need to be maintained and inspected regularly. Paint coatings have improved so during aluminum gutters typical useful lifespan of 25-30 years most paint coatings usually hold up barring scratches or damage to the paint. Aluminum gutters and downspouts are not as strong as steel gutters, especially the thinner offerings and can dent easily from traffic, branches, ladders, etc. Aluminum has a high rate of thermal expansion and contraction which can sometimes present problems especially in corners and seams. Gutter sections and terminations are typically caulked and as such the caulking will also have to be inspected and re-caulked. As with galvanized steel, there are usually many standard color choices available or custom paint matching can also be done at a higher cost. To have a different look than the same old common K-style aluminum guttering with rectangular corrugated downspouts, you can also obtain aluminum gutters in a more elegant half-round gutter shape and with smooth surface versus corrugated square or round downspouts. Hidden gutter hangers can be used or better yet decorative gutter and downspout brackets and a decorative leader head will improve appearance greatly, distinguish and enhance your home. Using thicker and so called primary aluminum material will add some to the strength, better able to withstand wear and abuse but still not up to the level of copper and steel.

Galvalume Gutters - In response to some of the limitations and disadvantages of galvanized steel gutters and aluminum gutters, galvalume gutters appeared on the scene. Galvalume is steel coated with a mixture of 55/45 per cent aluminum/zinc, resulting in a metal about as strong as galvanized steel but the with long-term rust and corrosion resistance more like aluminum or 2-4 times longer than plain galvanized steel. Galvalume can also be used as is without any paint and has a bright gray metallic appearance for about a decade gradually turning a dull weathered gray for the last 2-3 decades of it's typical lifespan. Processed galvalume can also be painted different colors just like aluminum gutters and while galvalume gutters cost a little more than either aluminum or galvanized steel gutters, galvalume not only will last longer, but is much stronger than aluminum and doesn't have the temperature expansion rate issues as does aluminum. Unfinished galvalume additionally enjoys the more green and eco-friendly avoidance of any kind of painting or coating.

Zinc Gutters - Zinc gutters have been popular in Europe for decades but have been slow to take hold in the U.S.  Zinc guttering is usually made from an alloy of 99.5 percent zinc with small amounts of copper and titanium added. Similar to copper, zinc is usually utilized in it's raw unpainted state and will develop a protective patina that protects the zinc gutter from weathering and corrosion. Weathered zinc has an attractive matte gray look somewhat similar to pewter that eventaully turns a bluish gray and is increasingly being incorporated into architectural designs that promote that look. Zinc gutters when the natural patina forms properly can have a very long lifespan typically somewhere between 40 and 80 years depending on environment. Zinc gutters may run $15 to $20 per foot installed, which is much more than aluminum gutters initially, but zinc gutters have over twice the lifespan, require no paint and very little to no maintenance. Zinc gutters being a premium gutter usually have more care taken in the installation, including typically riveting and soldering the seams and corners, providing more reliability and often less leaks and water damage. Unpainted zinc gutters also do not have VOC's released into the environment from any coating or painting process which some gutters require, so with that and their long lifespan, zinc guttering is considered very eco-friendly and green. Zinc gutters main issues deal with thermal expansion, restrictive gutter forming and installation, including sensitive soldering and cold temperature (below 45 degree) working restrictions. With accommodations and extra care taken, zinc gutters are not only a viable option but are one of the better ones.

Stainless Steel Gutters- Stainless steel is a steel alloy containing chromium which gives stainless steel it's rust proof and shiny properties and is familiar to everyone as it is widely used in kitchens and for eating flatware. Stainless steel is one of the strongest guttering materials as are all the steel based types and is also one of the most durable and longest lasting with a lifespan typically between 50 to 70 years. Stainless steel gutter systems work great where the gutters and downspouts are subject to commercial, abusive and high traffic conditions. If you are not enamored of the shiny, metallic look of stainless steel or the maintenance, cleaning and polishing to keep that look, there is a copper plated stainless steel called CopperPlus having copper's changing earth tone colors and tin plated stainless steel products such as Ugitop which replace regular stainless steel's shiny look with a matte gray surface. Similar to zinc and copper, the durability, weathering ability, long life and elimination of painting and coatings make stainless steel very eco-friendly and a good value where stainless steel's extra strength is needed even with it's high initial cost of about $18-22 per foot installed. Like zinc and copper, in the long run it can be less costly than short-lived products.
 
Copper Gutters - Copper gutters have long been considered the ultimate in guttering and for good reason. Copper gutters have always been the most elegant and aesthetically pleasing and also the most durable and longest lasting of all gutter types. It is not uncommon for copper gutters to have a lifespan of 60 to 90 years, up to triple that for aluminum. Copper guttering like zinc gutters are mostly utilized in their natural, unfinished state as copper develops it's own distinctive, protective patina through the years. Copper performs great in industrial cities, coastal and marine environments. Copper's protective patina gives it the ability to ward off corrosion and it's long wearing character. Copper patina varies by climate but generally copper starts out a bright salmon copper and gradually turns brown, then shades of reddish brown, grayish brown, greenish brown then finally a variegated light pastel green after 25 some years. The rich changing earth tone color palette is one of the prized features of copper. Like zinc gutters, copper guttering is riveted and soldered, so there are rarely any issues with leaks or repairs. Copper gutters will definitely upgrade and enhance any home or commercial building and add true curb appeal and value. While copper gutters can cost $15 to $24 per foot installed new, with copper gutter's super long life, little to no required maintenance, no painting, no leaks and 100% recyclability while retaining up to 95 per cent of raw copper's value, a great case can be made for choosing copper gutters. Environmentally speaking, copper is considered one of the greenest and most eco-friendly materials available and copper's total environment cost is lower than initially cheaper materials. Total environmental cost includes the costs of raw processing, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, re-cycling and multiple replacement costs, so durability and longevity do factor in greatly. For people that want to enjoy the durability, longevity, value and environment friendly nature of copper but would prefer gray earth tones, lead coated copper is available with the same same attributes as copper other than color. For those that would prefer something other than a lead coated copper there is now also a zinc-tin coated copper option available called Freedom Gray, which retains all of copper's advantages, while providing architects, designers with a gray earth tone to work with. Lead coated copper or Freedom Gray offer advantages over zinc gutters in being easier and more versatile to form, less restictive and easier to install, while being more reliable and durable in any weather situation and longer lasting. Copper gutters may typically be seen with decorative gutter hangers, smooth seamless round copper downspouts and decorative downspout brackets and oftentimes a decorative, distinctive conductor head or leader collector box. So configured copper gutters will enhance a home to where they are seen analogous to valuable jewelry and accent pieces and always at home with the finest architecture.

Integral or Wood Gutters - Gutters integrated or built into a homes eaves were more popular decades ago as are hanging wood gutters. Both integral and wood gutters have always had problematic issues such as waterproofing, weathering, leaks, rotting, maintenance, painting or staining, durability and water damage. Oftentimes, the inside of a wood gutter and downspout was lined with a metal such as copper to protect the wood, like a gutter in a gutter. Wood gutters are really not installed so much anymore outside of restorations and wood gutters pricing can easily run from $15 to $24 per foot or more depending on type of wood, lining and workmanship involved. With integral and wood gutters, frequent inspection and maintenance are definitely recommended to help prevent leaks from causing possible water damage to roof, fascia and walls.

Although stainless steel, zinc and copper gutter installed prices appear significantly higher than for galvanized steel and aluminum gutters, this is not because raw material cost for these premium metals is so much higher. The higher installed cost for these premium gutters is primarily due to the cost of additional labor and better materials used in what is a more involved and better installation. Gutter seams and joints are most always riveted and soldered in the best installations rather than merely caulked and overlapped. This much more labor intensive operation provides stronger and more leak free joints over the lifespan of the gutter. Better work and tolerances in corners, miters and seams increases cost but results in a more trouble-free and better looking installation. This is the norm and expected by customers of premium gutters. If aluminum and galvanized steel gutters were installed in a similar fashion as zinc and copper gutters, there would be a much smaller price difference. Thicker gauge aluminum gutters with a higher quality paint job such as Kynar is significantly higher quality and also higher cost than typical thin aluminum gutters with plain baked on paint finish that are much more typical. Thicker metal and better paint result in a better gutter that withstands more abuse and lasts longer. Using better materials and more meticulous aluminum gutter installations, though at much higher cost, would lessen such commonly seen occurrences as drooping gutters, buckled gutters, badly faded gutters, misshapen or bent gutters, leaking gutters, peeling or flaked off paint. True for most any product or service, you certainly get what you pay for and the same applies to rain gutters.

Rutland Gutter Supply has the largest selection of all different types and sizes of commercial and residential gutters and downspouts in the U.S.A.  Rutland fabricates rain gutters and downspouts out of any gutter material and also produces custom styles and sizes of rain gutters upon request. Rutland Gutter Supply stocks all the essential gutter supplies, gutter parts and downspout accessories needed for a complete eavestrough rain gutter system installation of the highest quality including decorative gutter hangers, downspout brackets - downpipe straps and custom conductor leader head all provided factory direct.

Rutland Gutter Supply has now added nine additional leader heads to their large growing selection of leader head. Rutland has 64 decorative leaderheads in stock to upgrade the finest aluminum and copper gutter systems and enhance the architectural features of your home or commercial building. Leader heads are also sometimes referred to as conductor head, rainhead, hopper head, scupper box or as a rain collector box. Leader head are installed inline on the downspouts or downpipes of guttering or eavestroughs - see second picture below for example. Leader heads collect and disperse the water from rain gutters through one or more downspouts. Functionally, leader head assist in draining large volumes of water and aesthetically they truly dress up a home's exterior. Leader head installed with attractive guttering and downspouts and often in conjunction with decorative gutter hangers and decorative downspout brackets too have been described as jewelry for the home or "bling".  See the first picture below of a home with lovely half round copper gutters, decorative gutter hangers, round copper downspout pipe and decorative downspout brackets. The second picture below shows a similarly outfitted round copper gutter system but with a copper leader head also installed on the copper downspout, enhancing the beauty of the home's architectural copper work even still more. The best quality leader heads use thicker metals and have TIG welded, polished invisible seams for the longest lasting beauty.

The custom copper leader head (also known as conductor head, hopper head, rain collector box) in video below is a recreation of a cast iron leader head that adorned a church in England for centuries. Rutland Gutter Supply specializes in the highest quality of custom architectural copper work and copper gutter systems. There are over sixty-five different leader head designs now in Rutland's growing collection. View some of these custom copper leader heads and other custom copperwork, such as copper domes, copper cupolas, copper finials, copper chimney caps, copper spires, copper gutters, etc at Rutland Gutter Supply & Architectural Copper Work. Leader heads are mounted inline on the downspouts being fed from a building's gutters. Leader heads mix air in with the water flowing down through the downspouts, eliminating the back pressure or vacuum. See picture below of an installed copper leader head and copper guttering.

Custom leader heads are typically manufactured from pure copper, zinc, mill finish aluminum or lead coated copper on the finest commercial and residential gutter systems. Copper guttering and copper leader heads particularly, can last 80-100 years, require little to no maintenance, are aesthetically pleasing, they can be recycled nearly 100% and contribute to green building objectives. Leader heads add both a decorative (as seen in picture) and functional touch. Watch video below of a custom leader head that has been recreated from a centuries old one.



 

Rutland Gutter Supply is family owned and operated. Their manufacturing facility is located in beautiful Orlando, Florida. They have over 40 years of experience in the construction and sheet metal fabrication business. Rutland operates some of the most modern CNC machinery available, from computerized roll forming machines to a fully automated 4" round seamless, welded pipe machine. They have many customers globally and have installed copper gutters and architectural copperwork spanning Florida and the Caribbean.  Rutland Gutter Supply’s products are marketed and sold throughout the United States, Canada and Internationally.

Rutland’s products can be fabricated in Mill Finish Aluminum, Zinc, Lead Coated Copper, Stainless Steel, Copper, Galvanized Steel and Galvalume. They stock the largest selection of custom gutter supply components including decorative hangers, decorative brackets and pipe straps, flat and radius end caps, box mitres, elbows, rain chains, copper pipe and custom leader heads with copper castings.

Rutland’s latest line of products include fully welded, hand made 48 oz custom kitchen hoods, island range hoods, fireplace hoods and copper billiard hoods, most incorporating hand finished designs. Rutland is able to hand craft any view or scene of your choice into them as these are truly custom design hoods. Additional items available for your copper kitchen are copper pot racks, copper bowl, copper sink, copper basin, hammered copper range hoods and copper fireplace hoods.  All Rutland's copper hoods and sinks are available as custom copper hammered  designs created by artisans who can create the truly personal design touch for your "copper kitchen".

Rutland also fabricates both stock and custom copper chimney caps, copper cupolas, copper stove pipe and roof vents, copper gable vents, copper dormers, copper roof tiles, copper seam roofs, copper dome roofs, copper chimney turbines, copper roof scuppers or rain spouts, copper finials, copper spires, copper steeples, copper balustrades, copper pineapples, copper balls, copper spheres, copper dock lights, copper fish elbow downspouts and copper dragons, etc. Virtually every architectural copper work and metal fabrication has been or can be accomplished by Rutland.

 

Gutter Hangers, Gutter Hangers, Gutter Hangers . .

Rutland stocks the largest selection of gutter hangers in the country.  Rutland offers decorative gutter hangers such as their seahorse, rope, scroll, combo and acanthus gutter hangers available in cast copper and also in powder coated finished or mill finish cast aluminum. They are designed to fit Rutland’s seamless gutters ranging in half round gutter sizes from 5” to 10”.  Various size wedges from 1” to 2.5” are available in both cast copper and aluminum to properly align the gutter system to various fascia angles.

 

Rutland also stocks many different types of stamped and hidden gutter hangers, all available in a wide selection of materials and sizes. Hidden hangers are available for half round, K-style, quarter round and box gutters in a wide variety of sizes and materials including copper, aluminum and stainless steel. Rutland also stocks many roof mounted, rafter tail mounted and fascia mounted gutter hangers for both half round and K-style gutters including copper, aluminum and stainless steel. Many different sizes of these are stocked by Rutland Gutter Supply and scroll design hangers are available for fascia, roof and rafter mounting.

 

Rutland Gutter Supply’s superior selection of in stock gutter system parts, components or accessories is immense and unmatched in the U.S.  Rutland offers next day shipping on most of Rutland’s gutter supplies as virtually all gutter system components are in stock.  In addition to having the largest selection of gutter hangers, Rutland has the largest selection of decorative downspout pipe straps, available in cast copper and aluminum, as well as custom and standard pipe straps. Rutland’s selection of leader heads (else known as conductor heads-collector heads-hopper heads) is again the largest in the U.S.A and most of them are in stock and available with or without one of Rutland’s custom decorative castings incorporated. Rutland strives to have the largest selection on hand for same day shipping. Rutland also encourages it’s customers to submit custom requests as Rutland has extensive custom fabrication experience and Rutland’s facilities and operations are conducive to custom metal work.