Rutland Architectural Blog - architecturalRestoration

Monday, March 01, 2010

Historic Leader Heads - Conductor Heads - Hopper Heads

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.

Windsor Castle (Lead) Leeds Castle (Lead) Canterbury (Cast Iron)

These examples of historic leader heads are taken from famous castles and from Canterbury all in England. Many earlier leader heads were made from lead and had intricate designs. You can see the rose of England on the Windsor Castle leader head and a swan on the Leeds Castle leader head. Later leader heads were also made of cast iron like the Victorian design shown above at Canterbury. That same Victorian design is repeated on Canterbury's downspouts and downspout brackets.

City Of Canterbury, England - Stamped 1775

Windsor Castle City Canterbury Leeds Castle

Windsor Castle - Leader Head and Figurine Rain Spouts

Town of Windsor Windsor Castle

Historic leader heads in the town of Windsor, England

Example of historic leader head faithfully replicated using copper

Rutland's architectural craftsmen are able to take any historical leader head or architectural heritage conductor head or hopper head design and faithfully recreate it using copper or aluminum. A heavy-weight unfinished, pure copper, TIG welded copper leader head reproduction is of the highest quality, it will weather beautifully, blend in well with most historical building architecture, endure maintenance-free for many decades to come and also is an eco-friendly green choice for historical preservation or architectural restoration - renovation work.

Note:
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 rainheads when referring to leader heads or rain collection boxes. 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, leaderheads 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. Historical leader head reproductions are very popular as are more modern designs. An assortment of sixty-seven historical and modern leader lead designs can be seen at Leader Heads- Conductor Heads by Rutland

3/1/2010 1:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

Disclaimer | | Trackback

Monday, August 31, 2009

Architectural Restoration - Historic Preservation with Copper

There are many older buildings with very distinctive architectural features which after a length of time those features may deteriorate, crack, crumble or corrode. For architectural, historical and preservation reasons these worn out building features, when repairs are not feasible, are frequently restored with replacements maintaining an acceptable likeness in form, texture and color and possessing a long lifespan. Being ecologically green, sustainable, low maintenance, with excellent weather-ability and having low total environmental cost are all very positive objectives to observe in architectural restoration or historic preservation. Copper has historically been commonly used for architectural building features for it's elegance, durability, weather-ability, long life and pleasing earth tone patina. Copper's character allows it to suitably replace not only original copper work but also original cast iron, lead, other metals and virtually all types of masonry including stone, terra cotta, etc. Copper will naturally develop a protective patina cycling through shades from raw copper's salmon color to various browns to bluish greens then finally to a grayish light green over the course of the many decades or centuries of it's long life. Copper can be painted any color, or coated to maintain it's original color or even pre-patinated to a dark brown or it's final light green color. It is best environmentally to avoid any paints, coatings and chemicals and just allow nature to run it's course with it's own pleasing array of changing colors. Following are before and after pictures of some of the architectural restorations which have been performed by Rutland's Architectural Copper Work shop using pure copper replacement material.

Original Gargoyle Rain Spouts

Replacement Gargoyle Rain Spout

Old Balustrade - "Ornamental Railing with Balusters"

Original Baluster and Replacement Copper Baluster

Leader Heads - Original with Replacements

Garden Sculpture Restoration

Rutland's architectural copper work artisans are able to faithfully restore, reproduce or recreate historic architectural features and many sculptures. Rutland's craftsmen also regularly perform custom metal fabrication or copper work which perfectly model an architect's or client's unique designs or drawings and manufactures to the exact size, finish and other specifications that are requested.