Rutland Architectural Blog

Metal Finials - Roof

Rutland Gutter Supply, Inc. — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:00:43 GMT

Rutland creates a wide assortment of custom architectural metal finials. Their newest custom metal finial design featured here has an octagonal base topped with a double ribbed bell shape, then a spear shaped finial cone with a finial ball near base of cone. This custom metal finial was crafted from pure heavyweight copper. The metal finial sections were TIG welded together, then any seams were ground and polished for a flawless, fine crafted appearance. TIG welding makes metal finials stronger, more durable and longer lasting in addition to giving them their fine, elegant appearance.

Copper Finial Design - Custom Metal Roof Finial

While the custom metal finial project highlighted here specified a copper finial, a representation of a paint-able aluminum finial with same design is also shown above. Rutland artisans work with many architectural metals including copper, aluminum, galvanized steel, stainless steel, galvalume and zinc. Copper and aluminum are the two most chosen and workable metals for finial fabrication. Copper finials are most always left unfinished while aluminum metal finial can be supplied in (unfinished) mill finish aluminum or else custom painted in any color to the client's specifications. Architectural metal finials are frequently used as the perfect crowning touch or focal point at the top of a roof or roof peaks and tops of cupolas, domes, turrets and gazebos. Metal finials are also used as decorative finials in gardens, on top of outdoor walls, on parapets, on fence posts and at building entrances. Metal finials can be scaled to almost any size and often may be sized quite large, to better be seen from distances or from the ground and provide greater presence and architectural interest. Additional architectural metal and copper finials may be viewed at the Rutland Finials webpage.

Copper Finials - Roof Top Finials

Rutland Gutter Supply, Inc. — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 06:46:19 GMT

To break up the monotony of large expanses of roof, especially non variegated roofing and oftentimes long unbroken rooflines, consider adding a roof top finial. Roof finials provide focal points of interest and accentuate your home or commercial building's roof and architecture. Finials and larger roof structures such as cupolas, domes, dormers and chimneys help to visually break up large expanses of roofing or long unbroken roof lines and make them much more attractive and interesting. Below are pictures first of plain monochromatic roofing and then pictures of more variegated roofing with roof finials and other roof structures.

Monochromatic - Non Variegated Roofing

Copper Finials on Top of Roof

Roof Finials - Roof Dormers and Chimneys

Roof finials are available in many shapes, sizes and materials. Finials can be simple, streamlined designs, contemporary designs, classic designs or very ornate and intricate designs. Finials can range from under a foot in height to 4 foot, 5 foot or even taller. Most roof finials are constructed from metal with copper and aluminum being the most popular finial materials. Aluminum finials are light in weight, lower cost and are available either in unfinished mill aluminum or can be custom painted to match or color coordinate with any building's trim or roofing. Copper finials are typically left unfinished and really dress up any architecture with copper's beautiful, elegant, timeless appearance. While copper does cost a bit more than aluminum and other materials, copper is also the most durable and longest lasting building material and requires no maintenance or painting. Therefore copper has proven to be a very cost effective material for finials, cupolas, dormers, vents, domes and other roof structures or accessories.

Copper Finials - Roof Top Finials

Roof Finial Copper - Aluminum Finial - Copper Finial

Rutland has over 50 roof finial designs available in a wide variety of sizes including both copper finials and aluminum roof top finials. Rutland also fabricates custom styles and sizes of roof finials according to customer specifications and drawings, including finials with weathervanes. In addition to roof finials, Rutland manufactures a wide assortment of styles and sizes of roof cupolas, roof vent dormers, roof domes, custom chimney caps and chimney pots. Rutland has extensive expertise in custom architectural metal and copper work and utilizes their in house CAD design, machine shop, TIG welding and professional paint shop facilities.

Copper Roof Domes with Copper Finials

Copper Roofing - Custom Copper Work

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:42:39 GMT

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.

Beautiful Palatial Home with Custom Architectural Copper Work

Copper Roofing on Turret with Custom Copper Roof Tiles

Close-up of Copper Roof Turret with Copper Finial Roof Cap

Round Copper Gutters and Downspouts - Copper Leader Head

This custom metal and copper work is being installed by Shelby Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc. from Brampton, Ontario who services the greater Toronto metropolitan area. Shelby is a full service residential and commercial roofing, siding and custom metal contractor. They reroof old style tar & gravel or install latest environmentally friendly TPO flat roofing and sloped roof materials include asphalt, cedar, slate and metal. Shelby works with all metals from painted steel to pure copper and zinc. Their custom metal working and copper work includes standing seam panels, wall siding, dormers, fascia, soffit, flashing, gutters (eavestrough), downspouts (downpipe), chimney caps and bay roofs. All photos above are courtesy Shawn Power at Shelby Roofing (www.shelbyroofing.ca)

Rutland welcomes and appreciates pictures from all of our clients including builders, contractors, architects, designers, renovators or remodelers of new construction or renovations, whether completed installations or work in progress which feature one or more of Rutland's many roofing accessories, gutter supplies, custom metal fabrication, architectural copper work and our custom copper home decor accents, copper kitchen accessories and garden sculpture products to feature in one of our blogs. Rutland customers with architectural pictures from either residential or commercial projects please send them to us via e-mail with narrative describing your project and pictures.

Rain Gutter Styles - Guttering Profiles Types

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:26:38 GMT

There are many rain gutter styles, rain gutter types or guttering profiles and shapes available. Many of the earliest rain gutters in the U.S. before the late 19th century were made of wood and were cut or carved into a variety of shapes from simple boxy channels to those having more ornamental carved facades. When metal roll forming machines were introduced in the early 1900's, metal gutters began to take hold of and eventually dominate the rain gutter marketplace. Most of those early metal rain gutters were being constructed into a pleasing half round shape, which still have that traditional, classical and distinctive look today. The early gutter forming machines were large, heavy and expensive so most metal rain gutters were made in factories until about the 1970's when light weight portable gutter machines were introduced and becoming popular. These light weight gutter machines could be carted around on trailers to work sites and produce the needed rain gutter on the spot. A portable gutter machine is typically set up to produce only one style of gutter and in usually only one size and sometimes two. Rain gutter styles were becoming standardized to just a few of the most popular rain gutter profiles offered by the gutter machine manufacturers. The ability to drain away a large volume of rain water led to standardization and predominance of different variations of a channel or boxy looking rain gutter.

Standard Rain Gutter Profiles - Styles (courtesy SMACNA)

Box gutters like in Style A above, have the largest volume for the shape and amount of gutter material used were were finding favor in large commercial, public and industrial applications by minimizing cost and maximizing water carrying capacity. Other variations of the plain industrial looking box gutter were becoming popular for residential rain gutter installation. Of these different boxy variations the Style K gutter with it's somewhat more sculpted facade became most popular and ubiquitous across American residential housing and for light commercial buildings. Consequently most of the portable gutter machine manufacturers standardized on this particular profile. This wide availability of K gutters, also known as Ogee gutters among gutter installers, also made that style of gutter the most marketed, price competitive and therefore commonly selected rain gutter choice, especially in the most universally available plain white color choice.

K Style Gutters Shown in Varying Rain Gutter Sizes

Box Gutters - Style A Box & Style D-E Beveled Box Gutter

Half Round Gutters Shown in Varying Round Gutter Sizes

Quarter Round Gutter Profile & Custom Quarter Round Gutter

Above are some of the rain gutter types which Rutland produces in sizes ranging from 4 inches wide to 12 inches in width. Most gutter installers portable gutter machines typically produce gutters in a 5" or 6" width and sometimes 7". Those gutter machines also only form one rain gutter profile, K style, half round or box for example. Instead of owning many different gutter machines, guttering contractors can also order different rain gutter styles and/or larger sizes from a large rain gutter manufacturer and supplier like Rutland Gutter Supply at a competitive price to accommodate their customers needs or preferences. Custom rain gutter roll forming machines can also be specified and purchased from roll forming machine manufacturers which can produce different rain gutter profiles. These less common rain gutter styles may be more decorative, flashy, unique and trendy although less competitive and sometimes more costly. Frequently they start to resemble some of the more ornately carved wood gutters or integral gutters with sculpted fascia, some may have appearance similar to colonial, cove or crown molding.

Rain Gutter Styles - Custom Rain Guttering Profiles

Wood Rain Gutter Profiles (available from blueoxmill.com)

Integral Gutters - Built-in Gutter System (courtesy SMACNA)

Integral Copper Gutter System (courtesy copper.org)

Integral gutters can be made from many different materials including wood, metal and concrete but often have a robust metal gutter insert or lining with soldered seams to insure a water tight gutter system as any leaks can prove very damaging and costly. These metal gutter inserts or linings can also be more easily and cost effectively replaced at the end of their useful life and also do not require as much vigilant monitoring and maintenance as do porous materials or materials which can crack or split possibly leading to leaks and water damage. For this reason, metal linings are sometimes used with wood gutters as well. Metal linings inside integral and wood gutters are not readily visible from the ground. The shape or profile of integral gutters, wood gutters and gutter lining inserts resemble metal gutter profiles including box styles and half round gutter profiles.

Unfinished rain gutter materials such as copper, zinc, stainless steel and galvalume will also greatly affect and enhance the appearance of all styles of gutters as can a judicious choice of vibrant gutter colors on aluminum and galvanized steel gutters. Decorative gutter hangers or gutter brackets, visually pleasing smooth round or square downspouts, decorative downspout brackets and elegant leader heads will also enhance the appearance of any rain gutter system. Rutland also offers embossed gutters in different available patterns and radiused half round gutter end caps to further increase the attractiveness of rain gutter systems. Radius or curved metal gutters in a variety of materials and including box or half round profiles and k style are a Rutland specialty as metal can readily be formed to follow irregular or rounded building and roof contours.

Embossed Rain Gutter and Radius Round vs. Flat Gutter Endcap

Aluminum K Gutter Style & Copper Half Round Gutter Profiles

K Style Rain Gutter Profile with Radius Gutter Sections

Round Gutter Style with Straight and Radius Gutter Sections

Box Gutter Profile with Straight and Radius Gutter Sections

Copper Chimney Caps

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:01:49 GMT

A perfect way to dress up a home or building with a chimney is with a copper chimney cap custom crafted to accentuate your home's architecture. There are endless designs of custom chimney caps possible and they can be fully functional and protective while also providing additional architectural interest to your building. A good chimney cap design will definitely make a statement and enhance your home while also keeping out rain, promoting proper draft or air flow for your fireplace or stove and screening to keep out birds and animals and serving as a spark arrestor. Below are a few examples of custom copper chimney caps which have these qualities.

Copper Chimney Cap - Domed Top - Bottom Vents and Screening

Copper Chimney Caps - Covered Chimney Top and Screen Openings

Rutland can custom build copper chimney caps or chimney pots in any size and in any shape or design. Choose from one of Rutland's many unique chimney cap or chimney pot designs or provide your own design and Rutland will custom fabricate your chimney cap to your exact specifications and drawing. Rutland uses heavyweight copper with TIG welded polished seams for enhanced durability, strength and a polished superb appearance. Rutland can also craft your custom chimney cap in thick gauge aluminum, either mill finish or custom painted and in stainless steel if you prefer. See more of Rutland's Copper Chimney Caps designs and you may also view some of Rutland's many standard design architectural Chimney Cap CAD Drawings.

Green Roofing - Cool Roofs

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:55:15 GMT

Buildings, including residential, commercial, public, and industrial consume about one third of all energy use and about two thirds of all the electricity generated. Demand for electricity in the U.S. is increasing three times faster than new power plants and lines are being built to accommodate this rapidly increasing demand. Heating and cooling costs dominate most building's energy usage. A building's roof can have the greatest impact on the energy consumption by a building so any technological advances and improvements in roofing energy efficiency and performance will greatly affect both energy usage and consequent cost savings. Energy efficiency, durability, performance, sustainability, recyclability and life cycle costs are the focus of green building. Architects, builders and consumers have been changing the way they select building materials and designing buildings. They are increasingly shifting their focus to green building materials and energy performance with so called cool roofs becoming a key focus. Cooling costs significantly affect a building's energy consumption in most parts of the country and cooling is the predominant cost in the southern states. Cool roofs can save up to 40% in cooling energy as reported by several studies including Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory Heat Island Group. Cool roofs essentially are roofs which reflect much of the sun's radiation away from a building, employ above sheathing ventilation (ASV) cooling under the roof, readily emit any heat which they do absorb back away from the building and cool quickly at night. The less solar radiation and heat entering a building's interior space through the building's roof, the lower the building's cooling costs and energy use will be.

Net Heat Flux Through Roof (courtesy coolmetalroofing.org)

Cool roofs or reflective roofs can be comprised of a variety of materials including asphalt or fiberglass shingles, clay or concrete tile, EDPM rubber or PVC roofing membrane and variety of metals as long as they can reflect away much of the sun's radiation and readily release any heat they absorb into the atmosphere. White and the more lightly colored roofing materials are the most reflective but different material composition as well as special designed and engineered coatings or paints used on them can also greatly affect reflectivity and emissivity. Some of these new coatings or paints, especially those applied to newer more advanced metal roofing, incorporate special pigments designed to provide higher reflectance of solar infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Infrared and ultraviolet radiation can contribute even more to absorbed heat energy from the sun than visible light so any type of roofing material incorporating these special reflective coatings may outperform conventional light colored materials without them. Even darker colored roofing which incorporates these special IR and UV reflective coatings will outperform older non treated darker colored roofing saving as much as 25% in cooling costs.

Reflective Cool Metal Roofing Tile (courtesy coolmetalroofing.org)

Even with the advent of newer reflective coatings, white and light colored roofing still is the best performing cool roof providing the most energy and cost savings. Consumers, builders and architects however still like the aesthetics in having varied colors and materials and many still favor darker roofing hues. Ultra violet (UV) represents about 3% of the total solar energy striking the earth’s surface. Visible solar energy amounts to 40% while infrared (IR) energy accounts for the largest percentage 57% of the solar energy spectrum and is felt as heat. Thus roof materials which can be coated with newer UV and IR reflective coatings, even the darker shades of roof color, can now be much more energy efficient than in the past. Darker shades of roofing still won't reflect near as much of the visible solar radiation as lightly colored and white roofing. Though with engineered reflective coatings they will now block a high percentage of the UV and IR radiation which actually constitute more of the solar energy radiation and heat gain than visible solar energy. In addition to solar reflectivity, heat emissivity of roofing materials must also be considered as a large factor affecting building energy usage and possible contribution towards heat island effects. Any solar radiation which is not reflected by the roofing surface is then absorbed, converted or transferred to heat energy and some of this heat can conduct and radiate down into the interior building space affecting cooling costs. If the roof material has good emissivity much of this heat can re-radiate back to the sky in the form of IR energy especially cooling off during the night and there will consequently be less heat build up. Any concentrated heat build up, especially in tight grouped urban areas leads to heat island effects where temperatures in the air above these heat islands can be up to 12 degrees hotter than normal, leading to higher air conditioning costs, higher use of energy and higher levels of ozone and smog.

Atlanta at Night Thermal (Blue=cool, green=lukewarm, red=warm, white=hot)

In addition to emphasizing high solar reflectance and emissivity properties, roofs can additionally be kept cooler, limiting or preventing heat gain or heat flux down into a building' interior space below, by promoting convection cooling underneath the roof material using above sheathing ventilation (ASV). Heat emanating from the underside of the roofing can be removed using convective air flow (balanced ventilation) moving from soffit vents or eaves up to and out a ventilating roof ridge cap. Testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed that by employing the natural convection of heated air below the roof covering, temperatures in an attic space are reduced. Air enters at the eave, is heated by the roof, and because hot air rises, it is naturally drawn up and vents to the outside. This natural convection controls heat gain and reduces the temperature in the
attic below. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory study found that dark-colored metal-shingle roofs using above-sheathing ventilation had similar heat energy flows compared to their lighter cooler colored counterparts. About 30 percent of measured reduction in heat gain was contributed by ASV. When a cool reflective roof surface was used with ASV, an additional 15 percent reduction in heat gain was achieved for 45% total. The improved summer performance of cooler roofs coupled with the reduced heat losses during the winter show cool roofs can both reduce energy usage in summer months while negating any supposed heating penalty in cooler months or northern heating dominated climates.
* (see http://www.metalconstruction.org/pubs/pdf/ORNL-TM-2006-9.pdf)

A convective air space below the roofing material can be easily set up by using a batten, cross batten or metal purlin framework on top of roof sheathing or a roof deck, on which sturdy roofing panels can be attached. Less sturdy roofing material can employ a 1 1/2" metal roof deck or else just a purlin spaced layer of OSB below the existing roof sheathing. Even darker roof materials such as weathered bare copper which does not have a great solar reflectance index (SRI), can provide good to outstanding energy efficiency results with the use of either an underneath or above sheathing ventilation approach. Additionally winter or cold weather heating performance is improved with the use of below or above sheathing ventilation as that convection air space between the roof material and lower roof deck or sheathing further acts as an insulative layer and helps to prevent heat loss and condensation. Ventilated cooled roofs work great and are energy efficient in any climate. They tend to last much longer too with less heat degradation.

Batten - Cross Batten Above Sheathing Ventilation (ASV)

ORNL Copper Roof Ventilation Test (images courtesy CDA at copper.org)

* These test results reflect using a 1½” fluted metal roof deck, ¾” OSB (plywood would work just as well), underlayment and red rosin paper underneath a standing seam copper roof. The use of a fluted metal roof deck is optional; similar results can be obtained by using other designs that provide an air space below the deck. The test roof had a 4/12 slope and faces south. The ventilated copper roof system was compared with a control roof of typical black asphalt, a typical non-ventilated copper roof assembly and two very good examples of above-the-sheathing, ventilated stone-coated steel roofs using special Cool Roof reflective coating colors. The graph above shows the ceiling heat flux crossing the attic floors of the respective attic assemblies. The light gray stone-coated cool metal roof (SR246E90) dropped the ceiling heat flux by roughly 29% of that measured for the asphalt shingle roof (SR093E89). The copper roof with the fluted metal deck further dropped peak ceiling heat flux an additional 23% of that for the coated steel shingle roof, bringing the total reduction for the copper roofing system to 50% of the asphalt control. Peak heat flux dropped an additional 1.5 Btu per hour per square foot for the copper roof as compared with the stone-coated metal roof. These results show clearly that a vented copper roof assembly will greatly reduce heat gain resulting in lower energy costs for the structure. Further, it dispels the notion that copper roofing must have high reflectance and emissivity in order to be effective in saving energy. * See Copper Roofs Are Cool

Cool roofs with their large energy saving and cost saving benefits can be realized by employing light colored roofing materials with very good solar reflective properties or roof materials using special engineered reflective coatings or most any type of roofing utilizing balanced and well functioning below or above sheathing ventilation (ASV). White or lightly colored highly solar reflective roofs employing ASV still provide the greatest energy and cost savings. It must also be stated that using higher R-values for ceiling insulation or better insulation below the roof in structures without attics will also control or limit heat gain into a building interior and consequently also lessens the heat gain differential using less reflective roofing materials or darker roof colors. Adding a radiant barrier and insulation board underneath your lower roof deck and convection space can further prevent the intrusion of heat gain from roofing into attic and living space. Additional attic vents, gable vents, dormer vents and roof vents will also reduce heat gain from roofing. More sloped roofs also perform much better and have less heat gain than flat or low sloped roofs and should be considered for any new construction. Some buildings with flat or low slope (<2:12) low-rise roofs may also be candidates for retrofitting them with a lightweight sloped roofing structure framework when re-roofing them especially with lighter weight roofing such as metal roofing. That framework could simultaneously also provide a convective roof cooling space underneath the new roofing. Resulting lower energy costs, less maintenance and no roof replacement for 50 years or longer could provide a good return on that investment. The bottom line is that when evaluating roofing energy efficiency, heating and cooling costs, looking only or primarily at roofing material properties such as SRI, reflectivity and emissivity is not sufficient to see the whole picture. You have to look at what effect the entire roofing system and structure has on heat gain, cooling load, heat loss and energy usage of the building and it's systems. The performance of the whole system must be examined in totality when the end goals are reducing energy costs and going still further, in achieving the most eco-friendly green buildings. In a subsequent blog article, the green building aspects of roofing will be discussed in more detail. Then again there are specialized roof systems such as KME's Tecu Solar System copper roofs below which are expressly designed as efficient solar heat collectors for heating a building's interior space, it's hot water and even swimming pool. Where do such technically advanced roofs fit into energy efficient roofing guidelines, requirements, ratings and green design certification?

Copper Solar System Roofs (photos courtesy KME.com - Italy)

Roll Formers - Roll Forming Machines

Mon, 16 May 2011 15:10:40 GMT

Rutland supplies a complete array of metal roll formers or roll forming machines including single panel and double panel roll formers, decoilers (metal roll uncoilers), slitters (metal slitting machines) and embossers (metal embossing machines). Roll forming is a continuous forming or shaping process in which a long sheet of metal or metal coil roll is fed through a series of metal rollers, each only incrementally performing the forming until the metal reaches it's final shape or cross-section profile when it passes the last rollers. When metal needs to be formed into an exact profile in either large quantities or in long lengths, roll former machines accomplish this task in an ideal fashion. Roll formed metal has an advantage over metal extrusions of similar shape with roll formed sections typically being much stronger and lighter with the cold metal having been work hardened. Metal passed through and shaped in roll forming machinery can also be pre-finished or painted saving an additional fabrication step and labor. Finishing labor is greatly reduced with the high volume capability of roll forming. Roll formed metal is used for many architectural or construction purposes including metal roof panels, metal roofing tile, metal wall panels or siding, metal purlins or wall studs, metal door frames, metal shutters, metal floors or decking, guardrails and many other applications.

Roll Former - Metal Roll Forming Machine

A decoiler, also known as an uncoiler, is a spindle type uncoiling machine which feeds the metal coils used in roll forming operation at an exact rate to the roll former. These metal coils can be rather large and very heavy and the large decoilers are often provided with hydraulic operation. Metal coils come in many assorted widths and lengths and also in a variety of metals including aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, galvalume, stainless steel and zinc. The metals may be in a raw state or unfinished, especially in the case for your green materials like copper, zinc and stainless steel and sometimes even galvalume which are more resistant to corrosion. Metals which are more subject to corrosive effects such as aluminum, galvanized steel and galvalume may be pre-finished or painted before passing through the roll former without the finish being damaged. The precisely shaped metal exiting the roll former machines is usually cut to pre-determined lengths by the machine. The pre-cut metal panels can then be transported to the job site and installed.

Decoiler - Metal Roll Uncoiler

An embosser or metal embossing machine can emboss or impress one of many attractive patterns into the metal and used as is or fed into roll forming machines, providing additional architectural interest to wall panels, roof panels or flooring decks. The embossed patterns can also add strength or rigidity to the metal material. Usually a decoiler is situated at both the feeding and receiving ends of the embosser machine for volume operation.

Embosser - Metal Embossing Machine

Metal Embossing Samples

A slitter or metal slitting machine cuts sheets or rolls of metal coil into exact widths when the metal material needs to be trimmed to size before being fed into roll forming machines. Decoiler machines positioned before and after the slitter can both feed and receive the metal material when long lengths are cut to size.

Slitter - Metal Slitting machine

Roof panel, wall panel and floor deck profiles or shapes which are formed into the metal material by the roll formers provide added strength, rigidity and architectural interest. The metal panels formed can be shaped to interlock with each other and an attractive roof tile look can also created by metal roll former machines.

Roofing Tile Sample Profile - Roof Panel Sample Profile

Roll Former - Metal Roll Forming Machine Video Below

See more on the different types of roll forming machinery, samples of various wall and roof panel profiles and samples of metal embossing patterns including pictures, videos, detailed information and specifications available at Rutland's Roll Formers website.

Custom Range Hoods - Kitchen Vent Hoods

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:55:20 GMT

Interior designers and especially a kitchen designer often times request a custom range hood or kitchen island hood design to accentuate their kitchen decor. Due to their large size, a kitchen range hood or vent hood, can become a focal point of the kitchen and provide an elegant enhancement or dramatic statement to all manner of beautiful kitchens. Rutland custom metal working and copper work craftsmen have created many custom kitchen vent hoods over the years, most of them premium pure copper hoods, many with hammered designs and integral 3D murals. Occasionally however Rutland also receives requests for custom kitchen hoods made from other metals including stainless steel and aluminum. Shown below is a custom range hood created from mill finish aluminum in a durable thick gauge with swooping sides and a hammered pebble design band wrapping around the bottom. All custom range hoods are created exactly to the client's specifications, dimensional requirements with their design of choice.

Custom Range Hood - Aluminum Mill Finish

Custom Kitchen Hood - Range Hood or Island Hood

Custom Vent Hood - Aluminum Thick Gauge

Below is an example of a recently completed order for a custom copper hood used as a center of the kitchen island hood. This copper hood design features an array of copper Fleur de Lis castings evenly spaced around it's base between two rounded decorative bands. This copper kitchen hood utilizes heavyweight 48 oz pure copper material in it's construction. Notice the smooth, seamless welded and polished edges for a truly elegant finish and flawless appearance.

Custom Copper Hood - Fleur de Lis Design

Copper Kitchen Hood - Custom Hood Design

Rutland creates custom built kitchen range hood designs for residential and commercial applications. Rutland works closely with architects, builders, interior designers, chefs, homeowners, remodelers and contractors to craft and deliver the perfect kitchen hood. Rutland kitchen hoods are all custom and built to meet client's specifications and incorporate customer designs. Rutland has many stock design ornamental castings which can be incorporated or Rutland's extremely talented and skilled artisans can meticulously hammer custom designs from a customer supplied illustration, drawing or pictures including kitchen artwork or murals. The large surface area of a vent hood allows many design possibilities including coordination with the kitchen decor or scheme. Rutland also crafts custom vents hoods for an outdoor kitchen, barbecue, fireplace hoods and light canopy hoods. Integral exhaust fans with integral lighting and grease filters may be ordered for any custom kitchen hood. Rutland has a CAD drawings both of a generic range hood and one of a generic island hood, which may used to specify dimensions and materials for custom vent hood orders. Those CAD drawings and twenty-six examples of kitchen range hood and island hood designs along with a brief video which may be viewed at Custom Range Hoods - Copper Kitchen Hoods

Copper Chimney Cap Custom Installation

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:57:52 GMT

Copper chimney caps provide enhanced elegance and architectural interest to fine homes and commercial buildings. The beautiful home featured in this blog received two custom chimney caps made from pure copper to nicely accent it's charming stone tiled roof deck and multi-hued clay roof tile. As the copper chimney caps transition through the many stages of copper patination or weathering, these chimney caps will dynamically coordinate with the various colors presented in the roofing tile and roof decking.

Copper Chimney Caps

Custom Chimney Cap Design

Copper Chimney Cap Installation

Custom Chimney Caps Being Delivered and Installed

The custom copper chimney caps above, also called chimney hoods or chimney shrouds, are shown being delivered to job site via flat bed truck. A crane will hoist the heavy copper chimney caps into position on the chimney top. Installers on the roof top will help manually guide the chimney caps into their exact position and fasten them down to the chimney crown. Rutland has over thirty standard copper chimney cap designs and their copper work craftsmen also create any custom chimney cap to your own design and exact specifications which may be shipped anywhere in the U.S. and around the world. Rutland also crafts custom copper chimney pots with single or multiple flue design, with or without a chimney shroud or tray. To see more copper chimney cap designs and view architectural CAD drawings of them, visit their Chimney Caps - Chimney Pot webpage.

Gargoyles - Water Spout - Rain Gutter Spout

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:05:23 GMT

Gargoyles at Sunrise

One of Rutland's clients graciously sent in some gorgeous pictures of her collection of copper gargoyle water spouts mounted at the ends of copper rain gutters. The copper gargoyles rain gutter spouts are installed on a lovely gazebo up high on a hillside overlooking the ocean. The pictures capture the dramatic view of a gazebo built at the edge of a cliff with an elegant pool situated between the gazebo and this lovely coastal home. This gorgeous property overlooking a panoramic view of the ocean dotted with small outlying islands and the lush valley floor below is ultra inviting and peaceful. The gargoyle spouts are shown off most optimally in this gorgeous setting and this photo collage has been appropriately and aptly titled, "Gargoyles at Sunrise".

Rutland copper work artisans crafted these gargoyle water spouts faithfully from original gargoyle rain spout designs created centuries ago in Europe. Rutland creates copper gargoyle water spouts which may be used at the ends of copper rain gutters in lieu of regular downspouts for a dramatic and very natural flair. Rutland also creates gargoyle water spouts for mounting at edges of flat roof parapets rather than the more garden variety of roof scupper spouts or downspouts. Shown below are non-weathered new copper gargoyle gutter rain spouts and gargoyle roof water spouts - rain scuppers.

Rain Gutter Spout - Gargoyle Water Spout

Roof Water Spout Scupper- Gargoyle Rain Spout

See more pictures of water spouts including gargoyle rain spouts and fish rain spouts and view Rutland CAD drawings of fish and gargoyle rain water spouts at Rain Water Spout

Roof Finial - Copper Finials Custom

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:21:23 GMT

Decorative roof finials are typically made out of pure copper or aluminum and provide a decorative enhancement to any residential, commercial or public building architecture. Custom finials of nearly any size and design may be fabricated by metal work artisans along with integral custom finial bases. Decorative finial types include roof finials, garden finials, fence or post finials. Finial bases for roof finials may constructed to fit or conform to the shape and pitch of the roof on which they will be mounted, providing a more streamlined, tight fitting and elegant appearance. The finial bases may also provide appropriate weather resistant integral flashing in their design. To illustrate this point, a copper finial, model FL023 custom designed by Rutland, is shown below with a custom roof finial base designed for mounting at junction of intersecting roof peaks.

Copper Roof Finial FL023 with Custom Finial Base

Finial Base Shapes for Various Roof Mounting

Rutland's architectural copper work and metal working artisans have created over 50 standard finial designs in many different styles, shapes and sizes. Rutland also is able to manufacture any custom size of finial and an unlimited array of designs provided by or specified by their clients which include architects, builders, contractors, designers, home and building owners. All of Rutland's standard metal finials and custom finials may be constructed with the base shape specified by the customer as copper finials or aluminum finials. Additional finials and spires including roof finials, architectural finials, garden finials and decorative finials may also be seen on Rutland pages featuring Finials.

Gutters Colors Chart

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:15:32 GMT

Gutters and downspouts made from aluminum, galvalume and galvanized steel are available pre-painted or may be custom painted in a large variety of gutters colors to match your building or home decor. Other architectural metal work such as roof vents, wall vents, chimney caps, cupolas, roof finials, dormer vents, chimney pots, awnings, canopies, deck railings, soffit vents, etc., may also be painted to coordinate with your home colors or building decor. Oftentimes, standard products are only available in a limited color range of colors and styles. The regular paint finish might also not be very durable and may fade, peel, chip, crack, blister or flake rather quickly or in a matter of years. You want your painted architectural metal surfaces to last under normal usage and conditions for at least about 20 years with 30-35 years even better yet. Deteriorated or damaged paint coverings not only detract from your home's appearance and lowers value, but also accelerate corrosion and wear of the underlying metal. Replacement, refinishing or repainting of deteriorated metalwork can be both time consuming and costly. Starting out with a better paint finish better protects your investment and is a far better value in the long run.

Gutter Color Chart - Regular Paint Finish

Gutters Color Chart - Premium Kynar Finish

Regular quality paint finishes for architectural metal surfaces may often utilize thermally set polyester acrylic paint and are often found on better aluminum gutters and downspouts. If properly applied with a nice thick coating, these should last for about 20 years or so without cracking, blistering, peeling, flaking or chipping providing there is no external physical damage. Any damaged or deteriorated spots should be refinished, restored or touched up immediately to prevent further deterioration. Kynar 500, a member of the teflon family, is an even better premium custom paint finish which is more durable and longer lasting than regular paint finishes. A Kynar paint finish is virtually self-cleaning and requires much less maintenance. Kynar also offers much less chalking effect, less color change or fading than regular paint finishes and Kynar offers better abrasion resistance as well. A custom Kynar paint finish may be applied to any aluminum, galvanized steel and galvalume architectural metal work including gutters, downspouts, cupolas, roof finials, chimney caps, metal dormers, awnings, roof vents, wall vents, etc. Rutland offers in-house custom Kynar paint finish as an option for their extensive selection of gutters, downspouts and architectutral metal work. Many of Rutland's products are also available in an unfinished state in mill finish aluminum, paint grip galvanized steel or galvalume, which may be custom finished on site by the local contractor, building or home owner. Sometimes galvalume gutters and downspouts are left in an unfinished state and the innate protection may provide about 40 years worth of durability and low maintenance performance. Rutland's gutter supplies, roof accessories and architectural metal work are also available in copper, stainless steel and zinc which are most always left unfinished and whose naturally protective and durable surfaces can last upwards to 70-90 plus years with little to no maintenance required.

Copper Chimney Caps - Custom Stainless Steel Chimney Caps

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 00:15:22 GMT

Copper chimney caps and stainless steel chimney caps can be fashioned in all shapes, sizes and styles by metal and copper work craftsmen. Chimneys can take on a whole new appearance with a custom chimney cap mounted on the chimney top, made from high quality pure copper or thick gauge stainless steel. Instead of a minimal afterthought, chimney caps can become an attractive focal point and provide additional architectural interest and elegance to fine homes and commercial buildings.

Custom Stainless Steel Chimney Cap

Stainless Steel Chimney Cap Ready for Shipment

Copper Chimney Top Lifted Into Installation Position

Copper Chimney Cap - Installed

Custom Copper Chimney Cap - Chimney Top

Custom high quality, heavy weight copper chimney caps and thick gauge stainless steel chimney caps not only are more elegant and attractive, they also are extremely durable, low maintenance and have extremely long lifespans proving better long term value than low cost designs. The welded, polished seams provide strength, trouble free durability and more attractive refined appearance. The larger sized heavy weight copper and stainless steel chimney caps may require several installers or else a lift to maneuver them into place. But once in place they will provide a lifetime of beauty and functional elegance. Rutland works with architects, contractors and property owners to help design the perfect custom chimney cap for your architecture. Rutland utilizes architectural CAD working drawings in the design process and can custom manufacture any size and style of chimney cap, chimney top or chimney shroud to accommodate customer specifications. Custom copper chimney caps, stainless steel and if desired custom painted aluminum chimney caps can be crafted by Rutland's metal fabrication and copper work craftsmen.

Cupola

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:37:55 GMT

Cupola is typically a smaller structure mounted on top of a larger structure such as a roof. The roof may be virtually any shape and material. Cupola are frequently seen on top of homes, public buildings, businesses and pavilions. Cupolas may also be mounted on top of structures such as dome roofs, turrets, towers, steeples, spires and gazebos. A cupola is designed to admit light and air to the structure or building below and also provide architectural interest and elegance. Functional cupola louver vents are designed to promote air flow and provide ventilation to the roof or attic space below. Cupola has also been described in architectural terms as a small domed structure on top a building which provides light, ventilation and decoration.

Custom Copper Cupola - 4 Sided Roof Cupola w/ Copper Finial

Cupolas are a very popular architectural enhancement on top of homes, gazebos, pavilions, barns, government or public buildings and businesses. Roof top cupolas may also be surrounded with a roof deck railing or widows walk for additional architectural interest. Cupolas are an attractive architectural feature wherever they are present. Cupolas also can provide substantial ventilation to the roof, attic or building space below. Cupolas may be built in various shapes including circular, square, hexagonal, octagonal or custom shapes. Cupolas typically are then topped with a domed, conical, bell-shaped or curved pyramidal, hexagonal or octagonal roof. The cupola roof is then often finished or crowned with an ornamental roof finial perched on top. Cupolas may be constructed from a variety of materials with wood and metals being the most common. Among metals, rust-free aluminum and copper are the most preferred materials. Aluminum is a light weight material and can be painted to coordinate with building wall or trim colors. Copper cupolas are typically not painted or coated, provide an elegant and distinguished appearance, will weather beautifully, are virtually maintenance-free, are a very green design, are very durable and are the longest lasting of all cupola construction materials. Any style of cupola will provide a pleasing attractive appearance and elegance to any building structure including a gazebo cupola for example, while cupola ventilation louvers provide excellent roof ventilation.

Cupola Hexagonal Aluminum w/ Horse Weathervane

Cupola designs on this page were custom manufactured by the architectural metal and copper work craftsmen at Rutland. Rutland will custom craft a cupola out of copper or aluminum in any size to your own design specifications. Cupolas can be fabricated for installation on any roof pitch and with different base shapes. Copper cupolas are made from pure heavyweight copper and have TIG welded frame. The polished, welded seams provide strength, durability and a refined appearance. Aluminum cupolas may be constructed entirely of aluminum or optionally have a copper roof. Aluminum cupolas are available in mill finish aluminum (unfinished) or optionally may be custom painted in a wide variety of colors, including two-tone. Other cupola options include louver vents for ventilation on the sides and a wide variety of decorative finials or weather vanes mounted on top. Cupolas can be shipped or delivered anywhere in North America. More custom cupola designs and standard cupola designs including 4-sided, hexagonal and octagonal may be seen at Rutland Cupolas with architectural CAD drawings also available for viewing.

Copper Home Decor - Elegant, Healthy, Green

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 14:23:59 GMT

Copper home decor is unmistakably elegant, warm, inviting and luxurious while copper decor and copper accessories are also the healthiest choice due to copper's germ killing, antimicrobial power and copper additionally is a substantial contributor to eco-friendly green design as well. Copper decor has been around forever but is becoming increasingly fashionable today and part of a natural trend in home architecture and interior design.

Copper Bath Tub (Juliana)

Copper Bathroom Sink - Copper Faucet - Handle

Copper Sink and Stonework (Milestone)

Copper Shower Enclosure & Pan - Indoor and Outdoor
(Indoor Copper Shower courtesy ExtremeHowTo.com - Frigo Design)

Copper Kitchen Sink

Copper Stove (La Cornue)

Copper Range Hood (Rutland Copper Kitchen Hoods)

Copper Kitchen Island Bar Facing (Chris Lemmen)

Copper Sinks - Copper Counter Tops

Copper Kitchen Cabinet Doors (Ikea Rubrik)

Copper Furniture (Rainbow Copper Southwest)

Copper Door Entryway (Saxony)

Copper has traditionally been used in home design for its aesthetic qualities of warmth, elegance and unique timeless beauty. Copper and most copper alloys have warmth and elegance compared to the more institutional look of say, stainless steel. Not everyone knows about the tremendous antimicrobial, antibacterial, germicidal power of copper or about copper being a very green material. As more people become aware of these uniquely copper attributes, the demand for copper products will skyrocket. Already the copper industry has been seeing increased demand for copper products over the past eight years, with a large increase in the breadth of copper products as well as the number of copper product manufacturers which supply them. Copper is the only natural material which will kill harmful bacteria, germs, fungus, mold, contagious pathogens and deadly viruses which come in contact with the copper surface. The U.S. EPA has uniquely approved copper as a germicidal agent and numerous studies have proven copper's amazing antibacterial quality. Copper starts killing germs, bacteria, viruses immediately and they are completely eliminated within hours with tremendous health benefits throughout the home, especially kitchens and bathrooms. For example E-Coli survives on stainless steel for up to 34 days while on copper surfaces it is 90% eradicated within 90 minutes, 99.9% within 2 hours and completely within 4 hours.

Copper is also one of the greenest materials ever known to man. Copper can be recycled 100% and in fact most of the copper used today in the U.S. is recycled with 4/5 of the copper ever mined around the world still in use today. Yet, we haven't even come close to tapping into all the copper deposits around the world. Copper is also one of our most durable materials and retains its excellent corrosion resistance, anti-fungal, antimicrobial and weatherability properties throughout it's extremely long life. At the end of it's long life or present application, all the copper can be reclaimed and used again and again somewhere else. Copper besides being the greenest metal is also one of the easiest metals to work with, being very malleable and can be textured, hammered, quilted, patinated, polished, rubbed and fired, giving copper the ability to evolve into many textures, hues, designs and styles, which will fit into any style of home decor, interior design or architecture.

Copper Garage Door (Windsor)

Naples - Ft Myers - Seamless - Gutters - Copper - Work - SW - Florida

Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:42:04 GMT

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.

The home in the above pictures has a very nice installation of half round copper gutters, round copper downspouts, round copper goose neck elbows, decorative copper gutter and downspout brackets and copper leader heads shown mounted inline on the downspouts directly below the gutters. The copper gutter system has already developed a warm reddish brown patina which blends in beautifully with the clay tile roof and house trim work.

The residence in the picture directly above, also has half round copper gutters including a graceful radius or rounded copper gutter curving around the edges of this lovely copper roof positioned above the entryway porch.

This two story sun washed residence shows some nice closeups of the copper half round gutters and round copper downspouts which are a fairly new installation, as you can tell by the more shiny pure copper gutter and downspout appearance. The bottom picture shows the symmetrical downspouts looking somewhat like a performance car's dual exhausts. A lovely and intricately detailed copper railing can also be seen on the 2nd floor balcony in the top picture.

The house above has an extensive array of elegant copper work including a conical copper roof on top of the distinctive protruding turret to the front right. There is a copper roof deck railing or widow's walk which can be seen on top of the home. There are also copper balcony railings and copper window shades - shutters. And of course there are also round copper gutters and downspouts to coordinate nicely with the other copper work, roof and trim.

Painted K-Style Gutters and Corrugated Downspout

Painted Half Round Gutters and Round Downspouts

The two homes in the pictures above show painted gutters and downspouts. The top picture shows painted common K-style gutters with conventional corrugated downspouts, albeit in two-tone brown gutters and white downspouts as specified by the builder. The contrasting bottom picture shows attractively painted galvalume half round gutters and round downspouts, along with decorative gutter hangers and downspout straps which enhance this home's gutter system. Aluminum and galvalume represent two of the lowest priced materials for gutters and downspouts with approximately 30-40 year lifespan providing they have a quality paint coating like Kynar. Galvalume optionally may also be left uncoated with a medium grayish appearance that weathers well and still lasts about 30-40 years. Aluminum oxidizes quickly and should be maintained with a quality coating.

All seamless gutter installations and copper work shown above were performed by the SW Florida Rutland Guttering team. They can install any kind of gutter system including half round, k-style (ogee), box, quarter round and custom styles of gutters. Their downspout options include seamless round, smooth square, round fluted and rectangular corrugated styles. Gutter and downspout material choices include copper, aluminum, galvalume, stainless steel, galvanized steel, zinc and lead-coated or zinc-coated copper (with grayish appearance). They are experienced with any size and scope of residential and commercial guttering projects and architectural copper work. You may visit their website Rutland Guttering - Architectural Copper Work to view additional pictures of their extensive residential and commercial work, also to obtain more information and get contact details. Rutland Guttering provides a comprehensive lifetime warranty on all of their residential gutter system work.

Radiused Copper Rain Gutters

Copper Wall Decor - Copper Design Interior

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:49:05 GMT

Copper has many qualities which make it an ideal interior design material. Copper has a warm, elegant, luxurious appearance and harmonizes especially well with wood, natural stone, glass as well as virtually any material and color. Copper has a timeless quality, not affected by changing styles and fads, remaining desirable and growing ever more beautiful with age. Copper comes in many hues, having many possible shades of natural patina and still more human treatment such as heat-fired and forced patination effects. Copper may also be alloyed with other metals to create even more shades of bronze and brass. In addition to many color variations, copper surfaces may appear with a wide range of textures and finishes, including polished, brushed, pebbled, hammered, quilted, patterns and even integral murals or art work created by copper artisans.

Copper Wall - Interior of St. Croix Chapel (courtesy copper.org)

Copper Wall Decor - Interior Wall Design Waterfall - by Lee Blackwell Studio

Copper Wall - Grass Image Patination from Photograph by MarcBDesign

Copper Wall - Hammered Copper Design Interior

Copper Kitchen Wall - by LiLu Interior

Copper Wall Panel Sheet Design - Patinated Flowers and Bubbles by Luvata

Copper wall decor can be a very elegant, warm and beautiful component of modern interior design. A copper wall can also be an integral part of environmentally friendly green design as copper does not require any coatings or paint, does not give off any toxic or harmful gases, lasts for a very long time, requires little to no maintenance, improves indoor air quality, is 100% recyclable and forever reusable. A copper wall is a very hygienic surface due to copper material's unique natural ability to kill off germs, viruses, mold and pathogens which can spread contagious or infectious disease. Any germs or pathogens which come in contact with the copper wall surface through touch or airborne contact are killed by copper's natural antimicrobial, germicidal and fungicidal action in a very short period of time, even the new super-bugs which are highly resistant to other measures. No other material possesses this uniquely powerful health benefit as does pure copper. Copper wall panels mounted on hard concrete backer board or structural walls may also assist in maintaining more even indoor temperatures. Copper is also one of the best materials available for blocking or shielding against electronic radiation and radio interference such as EMI - electromagnetic interference and RFI - radio frequency interference. Interior designs featuring copper including copper wall decor provide many additional noteworthy and important benefits as discussed here in addition to showcasing the natural beauty and timeless elegance of copper.

Copper Rock Pattern and Tropical Scene Copper Wall Art by Rutland

Roof Domes

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:03:33 GMT

Roof domes are one of the most visually striking and appealing architectural structures around. Domes have been around for thousands of years. Ancient cultures constructed mostly corbel or arched dome dwellings using locally available materials such as mud, clay or adobe. The earliest discovered domed structures may date from around 15,000 to 20,000 years ago in the Ukraine, constructed from mammoth bones and tusks. In ancient times people lived in such domed structures and in more modern times Native Americans constructed wigwams from curved branches and hides and much farther north, igloos from compressed blocks of snow. Pygmies in Africa used mango leaves to cover their similar dome shaped structures. Ancient domes discovered in the Middle East were used for modest structures, such as tombs. The early Romans while constructing smaller domed structures for villas, palaces, baths and tombs also constructed very large, advanced true domes over large interior spaces such as temples and public buildings. True domes are traditionally considered to be a self-supporting hemi-spherical shape structure or roof. Half a hemispherical dome is called a semi-dome and other variations of that are generally called false domes. All of the different types of domes essentially still have a curving or rounded top. Over hundreds of centuries domes have been constructed from a large variety of building materials including mud, clay, stone, brick, wood, concrete, metal, glass and in recent times even plastic. Next we look at some early, historic or notable domed buildings and feature especially those with copper roof domes.

Pantheon - Rome, Italy
(photo credits: courtesy of uncp.edu/home/rwb/lecture_med_civ.htm)

While much earlier domed structures have been discovered as noted above, the Pantheon in Rome, Italy was one of the earliest buildings with a large roof dome, that is still in existence today, situated above ground and structurally stable. The Pantheon is considered by many to be the grandest dome in existence and still nearly as magnificent today as when it was constructed 19 centuries ago. The Pantheon at 142 feet - 43.3 meters inside diameter and height, was the largest dome ever built for about 1700 years and is still the world's largest un-reinforced concrete dome in existence. The Pantheon, originally built in 27 BC, was destroyed in both 80 AD and 110 AD and rebuilt both times. From it's last completion in 126 AD it still stands today as a monument to grand architecture. The Pantheon's concrete dome used to be covered with copper plates which in turn were finished with copper or bronze tile. The Pantheon, originally a pagan temple to all the Roman Gods, was taken over by the Catholic Church and consecrated by Pope Boniface IVI in 609 AD as a church dedicated to St. Mary and the Martyrs and informally known as Santa Maria Rotunda. The beautiful copper tiles adorning the dome's exterior were stripped off and stolen by Constans II in 663 AD to be carted back to Constantinople. Then almost a thousand years later, Pope Urban VIII had the original copper plating removed, yielding about 200 tons of copper sheets and 4 tons of copper nails, which were subsequently used mostly to construct cannon or bombards and remaining for assorted church projects. Large amounts of fine marble on the Pantheon's exterior were also unfortunately removed and used elsewhere over the centuries.

Florence Cathedral - II Duomo - Florence, Italy
(photo credits: MarcusObal - CCbySA, courtesy en.wikipedia.org)

The largest roof dome built in Western Europe since the Pantheon is Brunelleschi's octagonal brick roof dome for the Florence Cathedral or II Duomo in Florence, Italy, completed in 1436. This double dome, with seperate inside and outside shells, is still the largest masonry dome ever built, constructed with bricks and mortar, 42 feet from face to face. Duomo of Florence has eight vertical stone ribs with red tile roofing in between. Slightly smaller in diameter than the Pantheon and Florence Cathedral is the dome at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Italy. This double walled dome with inner hemispherical dome and outer vertically ovoid shaped dome, was completed in 1590 and remains today the tallest dome in the world, rising to a total height of about 452 feet from the ground. The drum or base of the dome alone is over 65 feet tall rising to 240 feet from the ground. The style which St. Peter's Basilica introduced became known as Baroque architecture and had a large influence on subsequent designs and buildings. St Peter's Basilica influenced other famous domed buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral in London, which in turn heavily influenced the United States Capitol Building dome, which similarly inspired many subsequent state capitol domed roof buildings. Mounting a cupola or lantern on top of the dome became popular in medieval times to admit light, provide venting and also serve as added visual interest on both the outside and inside.

St. Peter's Basilica - Vatican City - Rome, Italy
(photo credits: Wolfgang Stuck, courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org)

Modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Basilica of St. Josaphat shown below is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin landmark, featuring one of the largest copper dome roofs in the world and is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Another Basilica, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels, Belgium had it's initial construction begin in 1905, then was interrupted by two world wars and was not completed until 1969. This church with it's sturdy brick and concrete reinforced structure, features a large copper roof dome and two slender towers with smaller copper roof domes. A landmark in the Brussels skyline, the apex of it's green patinated copper dome roof rises up to 292 feet - 89 meters above the ground.

Basilica of St. Josaphat - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(photo credits: Sulfur - CCbySA, courtesy en.wikipedia.com)

Basilica of the Sacred Heart - Brussels, Belgium

(Markus Koljonen - CCbySA, courtesy commons.wikimedia.org)

For thousands of years, architects have designed domes made from a wide variety of materials and colors. No other style of roof creates such a feeling of openness, spaciousness and attractiveness. Copper has been the metal most frequently specified by architects. Copper domes make a most memorable and visually arresting statement in any building design, whether it is governmental, religious, commercial, residential, cultural, industrial or institutional. Copper roof domes add an unsurpassed air of richness, sophistication and natural beauty, while also providing more than a century or even centuries of durability along with very low required maintenance. A sampling of buildings with copper dome roofs from around the world continues below.

Berliner Dom Am Lustgarten - Berlin, Germany

(photo credits: Von Schrader Bernd, courtesy fotocommunity.de)

Opera Garnier - Paris, France

(photo credits: courtesy wikimediacommons)

Perth Museum and Gallery - Perth, Scotland

(photo credits: Paul McIlroy - CCbySA, courtesy geograph.org.uk)

Waterfront Hall - Belfast, Ireland (large copper saucer dome)

(photo credit: Architect Robinson and McIlwaine, courtesy copperinfo.co.uk)

Macon Auditorium - Macon, Georgia (largest true copper dome)

(photo credit: Architect Robinson and McIlwaine, courtesy copperinfo.co.uk)

While domes have historically been seen on government capitols, courthouses, churches, temples, museums, auditoriums and stadiums, roof domes have also found favor on many types of commercial buildings including hotels, resorts, pavilions and farm structures and ever increasingly in residential architecture as well. Roof domes continue to be featured and incorporated into modern architectural design as dome roofing provides both functional and visual benefits. Roof domes provide a feeling of spaciousness, allow high sculpted ceilings and a distinct feeling of sophistication, elegance and luxury. Dome roofs will elevate and distinguish a building's appearance and directly increase it's value as well. Many different styles of roof domes can readily be adapted and incorporated into modern homes and commercial properties of quality and distinction.

The Rainbow Hotel Domes - Torquay, Devon UK

(photo credits: Derek Harper, CC-by-SA courtesy of geograph.org.uk)

Late 1800's Dome Roof Home - Logansport, Indiana

(photo credits: labontebuddy43, courtesy esperanto.wunderground.com)

Rancho Adolfo Camarillo - Gazebo Copper Roof Dome
(Salvaged from Mary Magdaline Church)
(photo credits: CA1S.org, courtesy pbase.com)

Residential Copper: Dome Roofs, Dormer Vents, Flashing

(photo credits: Union Jobs Clearinghouse, unionjobs.com)

Copper Dome Roof - Domical Vault - Rutland Construction

Sandals Resort Caribbean - Dome Roof Work by Rutland

Residential Copper Dome Roof - Construction by Rutland

Copper Dome - Hexagonal - Under Construction - Rutland

Frame Construction for Copper Tile Dome Roof - Rutland

Copper Polygonal Roof Dome - Pineapple Finial - Rutland

Conical Roof - Large Copper Dome Roof - Pyramidal Roof
(all constructed by Rutland Architectural Copper Work Craftsmen)

Rutland Architectural Copper will custom build or fabricate any style of metal roof dome, including hemispherical domes, semi-domes, arched domes, corbel domes, polygonal domes, octagonal domes, hexagonal domes, ovoid or oval domes, saucer domes and other dome variations to architect's, builder's and customer's specifications. Rutland fabricates roof domes from heavy weight copper panels, custom copper tile and copper sheets. When a copper tile roof dome is desired, Rutland will construct sturdy framing including a layer of waterproof membrane over the sheathing. Rutland can custom build roof domes from a variety of metals including pure or coated copper and produce polished, very strong TIG welded joints or seams for a very attractive seamless look. Rutland also fabricates ancillary roof dome accessories such as cupolas, finials and vents. Copper is the ideal metal for roof domes and other architectural metal structures due to copper metal's excellent workability, very long life, durability, natural corrosion resistance, weatherability, environmentally friendly, recyclability, green building material, sustainability, natural beauty and timeless elegance. Rutland Roof Domes

European Copper In Architecture Awards

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:43:19 GMT

The European Copper in Architecture Awards are biennial awards which recognize excellence in design for European architectural projects incorporating copper roofing, copper wall cladding and other copper architectural design elements. The 15th iteration of the awards will officially be launched in September 2010 for architectural projects completed between April 2009 and May 2011 with the judging and presentation of awards occurring in 2011. The previously concluded 14th European Copper in Architecture Award competition celebrated the use of copper in architecture in all of it's forms and selected the best in contemporary copper architecture from across Europe. Some of the European Copper In Architecture award winners are described and shown below.

Archeology Museum of Vitoria, Spain -Overall Award Winner
(photo credits www.copperconcept.org and www.copperinfo.co.uk)

The Archeology Museum in Vitoria, Spain was overall European Copper in Architecture Award 14 winner. The Archaeology museum shares a courtyard with the historic Palace of Bendana. The building facade is comprised extensively of copper alloy cast bronze and glass. The effect has been characterized as an ageless fortress in an urban setting which reveals more of itself as you enter the courtyard. The architects of the project Mangado y Asociados S L describe the building as "a compact jewel box concealing the treasures that history has entrusted to us".

Mediaplex Complex 22@, Barcelona, Spain
(photo credits Alejo Bagué, courtesy www.copperinfo.co.uk)

The Mediaplex Complex 22@ in Barcelon, Spain was a highly commended award winner and is comprised of two contrasting main elements. The factory is a horizontal block adjoining a 19th century factory building and is comprised of smooth, opaque, perforated panels of copper. The tower utilizes copper faced screens over it's vertical grid of glazing providing shade. Both architectural elements make extensive use of copper, use copper as a unifying material and share common proportions.

Housing at Frederikskaj Copenhagen, Denmark
(photo credits www.copperconcept.org and www.copperinfo.co.uk)

Housing at Frederikskaj Copenhagen, Denmark was a commended award winner and is a residential project of 152 light, airy and spacious owner occupied apartments or condos located directly on the harbor. The architect who see the building akin to a luxury ocean liner docked at port, used materials with a nautical heritage including textured and smooth copper, hardwood windows and glass in a thoroughly modern design. The beautifully detailed but understated copper cladding provides solidity in concert with the concrete frame and blends well into the nearby commercial area.

Copper Architecture Awards

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 16:30:02 GMT

Each year the North American Copper in Architecture Awards acknowledges and spotlights selected North American building projects for innovative and exceptional use of architectural copper. The architectural copper awards program highlights a wide scope of projects which highlight craftsmanship, attention to detail, and architectural vision. Copper has historically long been used for its great natural beauty and finish, it's durability and performance, copper's long service life and recyclability. Copper is still today a superior building material and also one of most eco-friendly and green building materials, which is being utilized and adapted for an ever wider variety of contemporary and cutting edge building and architectural applications. Three of the twelve copper in architecture award winners are described and shown below.

Waipolu Gallery and Studio, Oahu, Hawaii
(photo credits Nic Lehoux, Vancouver, BC - Courtesy Copper.org)

The Waipolu Gallery above uses copper wall cladding and copper roofing which were chosen for this project as copper will perform well over a very long time and with very little maintenance in a very corrosive ocean side location. Copper's beauty and fluidity compliment the modern art contained within the structure. The copper provides a softer contrast to the other more linear materials used. Excellent workability or malleability of copper was advantageous allowing easy re-working or shaping on site. The building architects also like there will be changes in copper's patina or color over time, producing an ever evolving work of art. The studio with it's stainless steel, glass and concrete linear space is joined by a floating glass bridge to the copper clad gallery. The glass bridge rises above a limestone staircase which connects the building's three levels.

Mark Olsen Residential Project, Holladay, Utah
(photo credits David Daniels of David Photography - Courtesy Copper.org)

The Mark Olsen Project exhibits excellent old world craftsmanship, with a copper roof and other architectural copper features such as copper finials, copper gutters and ornamental downspouts with copper conductor heads, copper crown molding, fascia and soffit, copper chimney top shroud and extended copper window box. This stately home has exquisite detailing and exudes quiet elegance from it's naturally weathered copper features. 16,000 pounds worth of hand crafted architectural copper work are used for this home's architecture. The copper roof is comprised of diamond shaped interlocking copper shingles, copper ridge vents and flashing. Of note, no sealants were used, only traditional craftsmanship and installation techniques were employed along with some soldering work on the copper gutters providing very long term durability with little to no maintenance required.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Charleston, SC
(photo credits Steven of the Churches of Charleston Project
& Jeni Rone of Sea Star - Courtesy Copper.org)

One hundred fifty years in the making, the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston, South Carolina has at long last been restored after being completely destroyed by fire in 1861. A soaring neo-gothic style copper spire, which had long been planned, was finally realized this past spring. The stunning beauty of the copper spire with it's gold leaf finished copper cross can be seen across the Charleston skyline and out to Sullivan Island. The cathedral's tower was finished with a stone veneer and at it's top there are four copper clad archways with copper torch finials. The copper spire with gold-leaf copper cross finial is perched on top at center of the copper arches. The 200 square feet of gold leaf which covers the cross will last at least 40 years without touch-up while the crowning copper art work comprised of arches, finials, spire and cross at the peak of the cathedral will last and stay beautiful for generations to come.

Copper Castings Designs - Copper Decorations - Copper Ornaments

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:49:42 GMT

Rutland offers several copper casting designs which may be used as copper decorations or copper ornaments. These lovely pure copper designs will enhance any outdoor architectural copper work including copper leader heads, custom chimney caps, roof dormers, copper plaques, copper planters, garden sculpture, light hoods, copper wall and column cladding. Inside the home, copper designs or decorative copper castings will dress up copper home decor and copper kitchen accessories such as range hoods, kitchen island hoods, light canopies, fireplace hoods, farmhouse sinks, apron sinks, bathroom or kitchen backsplash, copper wall coverings and wall art decor.

Copper Leader Head with Lion Head Copper Casting

Copper Castings - Copper Designs - Copper Decorations

Copper Ornaments - Copper Designs - Copper Decorations

Copper Decorations - Copper Designs - Copper Castings

Copper Range Hood with Copper Design Fleur de Lis Castings

In addition to regularly stocked copper casting designs shown above, Rutland's copper craftsmen will create custom copper castings designs from your own drawings, pictures, crests, symbols, motifs or designs such as the custom Texas Longhorn design below. These copper casting designs may then be incorporated into any outdoor or indoor architectural copper work, copper kitchen or home decor. Rutland's copper artisans will also meticulously create, restore or recreate heirloom, antique or historic copper designs, crests, sculptures or plaques. The standard casting designs shown above are also available in mill finish cast aluminum for use with aluminum conductor heads and other aluminum architectural features. Visit Rutland's Copper Castings - Copper Designs webpage for additional information, sizes and specifications on these pure copper designs.

Copper Conductor Head with Custom Longhorn Design

Decorative Gutter and Downspout Brackets

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:32:44 GMT

Dress up ordinary gutters and downspouts with decorative gutter brackets and decorative downspout brackets. Stamped or hidden gutter hangers and standard downspout straps or bands will do the job and yet decorative gutter and downspout brackets will enhance your seamless rain gutter system giving it a more elegant, appealing and distinctive look. Your gutter system can become one of the more attractive architectural features of your home.

Copper Gutter with Decorative Seahorse Gutter Brackets

Gutter Bracket Acanthus - - - - Gutter Bracket Rope Design

Gutter Bracket Seahorse - - - Gutter Bracket Scroll Design

Copper Gutter with Acanthus Style Gutter Brackets

Downspout Bracket Seashell Design - Downspout Bracket Lion Head

Downspout Bracket Pineapple Design - Downspout Bracket Fleur de Lis

Downspout Bracket Maple Leaf - Downspout Bracket Clover Design

The decorative gutter brackets, gutter hangers, downspout brackets and downspout pipe strap designs shown above are available in pure heavyweight cast copper and either mill finish (unfinished) or powder coated cast aluminum. The decorative downspout brackets shown above are available for 3" to 6" round downspouts or 3" x 4" square rectangular downspouts. Most of the decorative gutter hangers shown above are designed for 6" to 7" half round gutters except for the scroll design which is available in sizes for 5" to 10" wide half round gutters. Rutland has pineapple and lion head leader head designs to coordinate with the pineapple and lion head downspout bracket designs. Further information is available from Rutland's Gutter Supplies page.

Downspout Bracket - Florence Scroll Design Downspout Pipe Straps

Gutter Hanger Combo - Traditional Bead Stamped Hanger Design

Pineapple Downspout Brackets and Leader Head

Architectural CAD Drawings

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:52:39 GMT

CAD is an abbreviation for computer aided design and is sometimes also referred to as CADD, or computer aided drafting and design. CAD is used to create technical drawings for printed distribution or electronically by computer file. CAD is used in many industries to design almost any kind of product, proving very useful in rendering different shapes and configurations for new product concepts from perfume bottles to automobiles to space ships. CAD is also being used to create computer animation or special effects for movies, web sites and advertising. Architectural CAD drawings provide multiple or three dimensional views of individual architectural structures or whole buildings. Construction, engineering and architectural CAD show multiple views or images of objects exactly to scale and like manual drafting they may specify dimensions, materials, tolerances and attachments. Architectural CAD working drawings provide useful, detailed information for all phases of architectural design, planning, building material requisition, construction details and installation.

Rutland regularly works with architects, builders, general contractors, designers, renovators and LEED green builders to supply them with CAD drawings and specifications of Rutland products and also to create custom designs for their building projects. Many of Rutland's wide array of architectural products already have an architectural CAD drawing PDF file available for viewing, downloading or printing. Architectural CAD drawings may be requested for any of Rutland's other products or for custom architectural designs based on your own requirements and specifications. Rutland is also able to work from your own building CAD drawings or blueprints to design custom gutter systems and architectural features such as cupolas, chimney caps, finials, spires, copper domes, turret roofs, gazebo roofs, dormers, roof vents, wall vents, louvers, chimney pots, awnings, deck railings - widow's walk, fire pits, copper kitchen hoods, sinks, canopies, leader heads, historical restoration work, etc. View some of the over 250 Architectural CAD Working Drawings and Construction Details already available from Rutland, manufacturer and wholesale supplier of architectural copper work, gutter supplies, building decorative metal fabrication, roof structures, copper kitchen decor, copper sculpture, copper home decor and natural stone products.

Rain Spout - Gutter Spout

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 22:00:23 GMT

Before downspouts were implemented, rain spouts used to throw water off a roof top with parapet walls or directly from rain gutters mounted around the edges of a roof line. Ancient rain spouts typically took the form of lions, eagles or mythical creatures. Then some grotesque creatures such as gargoyles, griffins, centaurs or chimeras became common centuries ago. Today downspouts are typically used to drain rain water from flat roof openings or from gutters, away from building walls and foundations. You will still see rain spouts and gutter spouts implemented occasionally, as unique or distinctive architectural features of homes and buildings, especially those located in warmer climates.

Rain Spout Gargoyles on Notre Dame Cathedral
(photos courtesy Wikipedia Media Commons - CC by SA)

Rain spouts which spew water from flat roof openings are also commonly referred to as roof scupper spouts. Roof scuppers are used to provide an outlet through parapet walls (low walls) on flat and built-up roofs to allow drainage of excess water. They can be used in conjunction with gutters and downspouts to divert the flow to the desired location. Installed scuppers may direct water into gutters or directly into a scupper box or leader conductor head connected to a downspout. When neither conductor heads nor gutters are used to catch the water, roof scupper spouts are installed which should extend past the exterior surface of the building to avoid wetting of the building's walls. A roof scupper can simply be a round or square opening in the low wall or parapet which typically encircles a flat roof. Plain pipe can be inserted into these roof openings or a more decorative piece such as a gargoyle rain spout - roof scupper spout may be used. Other types of roofs which have gutters installed along the horizontal edges of the roof, might have openings along the sides or at the ends or corners of the gutters, to which rain spouts also may be attached in lieu of downspouts. These rain spouts may be simple funnel outlets or be more decorative such as the popular fish rain spout - gutter spout or gargoyle rain spout shown below.

Fish Gutter Spout - Rain Spout

Fish Gutter Rain Spout - Matching Copper Fish Downspout Extension

Rain Spout - Copper Gargoyle - Gutter Spout

Rutland fabricates custom rain spouts such as the gargoyle and fish gutter rain spouts and fish downspout extension elbow above or the gargoyle rain spout - roof scupper below out of pure heavy weight copper. The gargoyle rain spout above is intended to mount at the ends or corners of a gutter system. The custom fish gutter spout above may be ordered for either k-style or half round copper gutters in 6 inch, 7 inch or 8 inch gutter sizes. The fish downspout extension elbow shown above may be adapted for use with 3 inch or 4 inch copper downspouts. The gargoyle roof scupper rain spout below is intended for mounting into a 4 3/16" roof scupper opening. Rutland creates a large array of unique architectural copper work and assorted metal fabrication. Rutland's custom copper craftsmen will take your decorative or architectural concepts and turn them into reality, according to your specifications from your sketches, drawings, descriptions or pictures. Additional pictures, CAD design drawings and specifications are available for Rutland's custom Rain Spouts - Gutter Spouts and roof scupper spout.

Rain Spout - Gargoyle - Roof Scupper Spout

Finials

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:51:42 GMT

A finial can be thought of as an architectural finial, which simply is a decorative or ornamental architectural piece usually mounted at the apex or very top of any architectural structure. Finials can also denote the decorative ornaments, knobs, balls, terminations or tops to posts, poles, rods, furniture or lamps. In typography, finials are the curves terminating type font strokes. This blog concentrates on architectural finials which may be placed on top of a roof, gable, tower, turret, pinnacle, steeple, spire, arch, dome, gazebo, canopy, cupola, chimney cap, wall, garden structure or other architectural device. Finials are used decoratively to emphasize the apex, peak, ends or corners of these architectural structures. Finials also provide heightened architectural interest, flourish, elegance, majesty and provide the crowning touch to distinctive architectural structures, fine homes and distinguished buildings.

Copper Finials - Outdoor Roof - Garden Finials

Finials are usually thought of as the ornament or decorative piece mounted at the very tip of related architectural structures which are all taller than wider, such as pinnacles, turrets, spires, steeples and towers. These various architectural structures are somewhat similar or related, primarily differing in size, scale, location, shape or historical context. Often one of these structures is placed on top of another and the transition between them may either be obvious or be fairly seamless. Finials mounted at the very peak of these structures have historically been a cross, star, ball, spear, cone, needle or may have been something more elaborate or ornate. Tall finials fitted with an extension and insulated may also be utilized as a lightning rod. Architectural devices such as finials have sometimes been scaled up in size to where some finials start to resemble and perhaps becomes a small spire or pinnacle.

Octagonal Finial Spear - - Hexagonal Finial Ball Aluminum - - Scrolled Copper Finial

Pinnacles are simply defined as small decorative turrets or spires historically located at corners of a roof, parapet, buttress, tower, pier, gable or elsewhere. Pinnacles are largely an ornamental structure, usually round in shape like most turrets or else tapering like a spire and are terminated at their peak by a pyramid, small spire or finial. Pinnacle is also described as an architectural ornament forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret and used on parapets at the corners of towers and other locations. Pinnacles while decorative also help promote the loftiness or towering majesty of a building structure.

Finials - Octagonal - Pyramidal Base with Finial Balls - Finial Cones

Spires are simply any slender, pointed architectural structures on top of buildings or other structures such as towers. Spires can be conical, pyramidal and octagonal in shape terminating in a point or else have a decorative finial perched on top. Many centuries ago, spires originally were a simple, four sided, squat, pyramid shaped roof capping on top of church towers. Spires evolved towards ever slimmer and much taller forms with a more organic connection to the tower below. Early spires had crockets or steps at their edges for ease of maintenance by steeplejacks. The word spire is derived from the Anglo Saxon word for spear. In fact many modern spires can be even more pronounced spear or needle shaped than their pointy predecessors. Spires may convey several symbolic attributes. Pointing at the heavens, they can have a celestial or religious connotation which is why they were popular on top of cathedrals and churches. Spires provided a spectacular visual culmination to churches while being a symbol of heavenly aspiration. Spires also connote the religious order's or building patron's wealth and prestige. A spire's spear shape can also be symbolic of martial power, might and strength or in public buildings of civil power and hope. Reaching to the skies, spires can also be symbolic of aerospace, outer space and the future. Modern spires include the Space Needle in Seattle and the extremely tall spires located on the tallest buildings or skyscrapers in the world. The planned Freedom Tower in New York will be topped with a spire. Spires are never out of fashion and continue to be used in modern architecture. At the very top of spires you often will find a decorative or ornamental finial. Modern day finials have taken on many forms or shapes with unlimited designs and the pointy, spear shaped finial designs are reminiscent of spires. Some pointy finials have increased in size and scale and are perhaps considered smaller spires and called spires by some.

Finial Square Tapered - - Pineapple Finial Copper - - Octagonal Finial

Steeples are tall mostly ornamental towers usually topped with a spire and finial. Steeples usually comprise a series of stories, each typically diminishing in size and topped off by a small pyramidal roof, cupola or oftentimes a spire. Steeples are very common in Christian churches and the use of the term typically connotes a religious structure or church steeple. Steeples may be free standing towers or else are incorporated structurally into the entrance or center of a building, such as a church or temple. Steeples usually taper towards a point at the top, are surmounted or topped by a spire, or are themselves simply a large spire. Steeple design was possibly originally influenced by obelisks and pillars dating back to ancient Egyptian architecture. Obelisks are simply four sided tapering towers or pillars ending in a pointed or pyramidal top. Obelisks were historically monolithic, meaning carved out of a single stone and were used as monuments placed at the entrance to temples.

Cathedrals with Turrets, Spires, Pinnacles and Finials
(photos courtesy Aleister Crowley and Georges Jansoone - CC by SA)

Turrets are simply small attached towers or tower shaped projections from a building. Typically most turrets are round with a conical or other pointed roof though sometimes a domed roof. Some turrets are square or octagonal in shape. Turrets are usually topped with a pinnacle, spire or decorative finial. Turrets are always smaller structures attached to the edge of a building compared to towers which are larger and invariably start from the ground. Turrets can extend out from the sides or corners of a building via corbels or extend up from the roof top effectively adding another story. Rounded turrets also provide contrast to angled lines of a building.

Assorted Turrets - Copper Finials - Conical Octagonal Copper Roof

Towers are slender buildings characterized by great height, always much taller than their width or length. Often very tall towers taper from story to story towards their top and often terminate in a pyramidal roof or pointed spire, usually octagonal or conical. Many church towers and public building towers were designed to incorporate a spire. Towers symbolize prestige, supreme power, authority, majesty and might, similar to what steeples and spires convey.

Roof Top Finials - Copper Domes with Copper Finials (weathered)

Modern day finials come in all shapes, designs and sizes to enhance any style of current architecture. Finials add a decorative, crowning touch to most any architectural structure including roof peaks, domes, turrets, towers, steeples, spires, chimney caps, cupolas, gazebos, canopies, landscaping - garden walls and posts. View 50 different finial designs including weathervanes, pineapple finials and ornate finials at Rutland's Copper Finials webpage. Rutland also provides CAD design drawings and specifications for all of their standard finials, located on each individual finial model's webpage. Rutland finials come in many different sizes; many of Rutland's larger finials are 3 to 6 feet in height and still larger finials and spires may be constructed. Rutland's architectural copper work and metal fabrication craftsmen will fabricate any of Rutland's standard finial designs in a number of different sizes, different base shapes and will also custom manufacture finials and spires to your own architectural design and exact specifications.

Cupolas with WeatherVane Finials and Copper Ball Finial

Finial Assorted Base Shapes (may be specified for any Rutland Finial Design)

Chimney Caps with Copper Finials

Copper Finial Video on YouTube

Roof Vent - Attic Ventilation - Gable Vent - Copper

Sun, 01 Aug 2010 19:50:36 GMT

Roof vents provide ventilation for the space underneath a roof. If an attic is present, roof vents, soffit vents and gable vents also provide attic ventilation. Roof ventilation and attic ventilation are necessary to help remove moisture in the air that may damage wood, insulation and other building materials underneath the roof, susceptible to damage or deterioration from moisture or condensation. The air conditioned living space underneath your roof or attic is usually at a much different temperature than the airspace underneath the roof or in the attic and can lead to condensation forming from humidity rising up from the living space below or especially in summer months from humid outside air. Winter attic ventilation must be sufficient to remove moisture vapor rising from the living space to the attic. In general, ventilation adequate for summer cooling is more than adequate for winter ventilation. Constant air movement or ventilation can help keep the building materials under a roof or in the attic dryer. In hot summer months, a cooler attic or space underneath your roof will also help keep trapped super heated air from pushing down into your living space and will promote more efficient cooling of your living space below. Attics or spaces under a roof can reach temperatures of 150 to 160 degrees F during a summer day, although outside air temperatures may only be 95 to 97 degrees F. The cooling load for a home air conditioning depends on the difference in temperature between the inside and outside air, and reduction of roof space or attic temperatures from 155 degrees to 105 degrees F will result in a significant reduction in cooling load. In a home with poor ceiling insulation, heat movement through ceilings may account for 30 percent or more of the total cooling cost. Heat movement through well insulated ceilings may still account for 12 to 15 percent of the total cooling cost. Roof shingles, roofing tile and other roof structure materials benefit from optimum roof ventilation, which can help prevent deterioration from this excess heat and lengthens the life of roofing. Natural cross ventilation for roofs is typically supplied with high mounted roof vents such as ridge vents or domed pot vents and low mounted roof edge vents or soffit vents, typically mounted in the overhangs (soffits or eaves) of a building. The cooler air enters through the low mounted soffit vents and exits through the high mounted roof vents, providing cross ventilation. Heated air becomes less dense and rises and wind movement around and over a home creates areas of high and low pressure. Natural cross ventilation utilizing this chimney effect and wind movement is the most common and energy efficient method of achieving lower attic temperatures and moisture control. Air powered turbine vents can provide increased ventilation over regular vents.

Roof Vent - Copper Domed Pot Vent

Turbine Roof Vent - Copper Soffit Vents

A rough rule of thumb to figure out much roof ventilation is needed is to take the square footage underneath your roof and divide that by 300 (for new homes with good vapor barriers). That gives you the square footage of total ventilation opening or net free area required. About 60% of that total ventilation opening should be for low mounted roof vents or soffit vents and the other 40% for high mounted roof vents. For example say a home has dimensions of 40 feet by 75 feet and 3000 square feet of space under the roof. Divide 3000 by 300 to get 10 square feet of ventilation space or opening needed. 60% of that 10 square feet or 6 square feet should be low mounted or soffit vents and 40% or 4 square feet should be high mounted roof events. If there are no soffits or overhangs on a building then roof vents alone may be used but the recommended square footage of roof ventilation doubles. So in this example of a 40 foot by 75 foot, 3000 square foot building, 20 square feet of roof ventilation without soffit vents is suggested rather than 10 square feet with soffit vents. Older homes or those without good vapor barriers should use 150 (instead of 300) to divide into the total home square footage to get ventilation area. Local building codes specify the minimum attic ventilation requirements and while you should always at least meet building code requirements, a larger total roof ventilation area usually will provide even better performance.

Dormer Roof Vent - Arched and Triangular Copper

In addition to or otherwise in lieu of soffit vents, low mounted dormer roof vents may also be employed for their decorative touch and functional roof and attic venting.opening area required. Gable vents or attic vents such as the ones pictured below, whether they be round, octagonal, square, arched or triangular in shape also contribute to cross ventilation for roofs and attic spaces. A cupola mounted right at a roof's peak provides excellent roof and attic ventilation while also providing visual appeal and architectural interest. Roof dormers can be one piece metal dormers with flashing and louvers such as the copper roof dormers shown above or can be custom built dormers such as the one below. These roof dormers typically have a louvered vent opening similar to gable vents or wall vents and contribute to and provide some of the roof and attic ventilation

Dormer with Copper Vent and Copper Panel Roof

Attic Vent - Gable Vent - Copper Round and Octagonal

Cupola Roof Vents - Octagonal and Square Copper

Rutland supplies a large assortment of metal roof vents, attic vents, gable vents and soffit vents. These roof and attic vents are available in elegant, durable, eco-friendly pure copper or other metals such as aluminum and paint-grip steel. Rutland carries many in stock standard sizes and also offers custom designs and custom sizes to meet project specifications. Dormer roof vents for roof ventilation with integral flashing are available in any size and cupolas which may be used for roof and attic venting are available in both standard and custom sizes with mounted finials and weathervanes available as a cupola option.

Green Building Materials - Copper - Natural Stone

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:06:54 GMT

Copper and natural stone make ideal green building materials for both the exterior and interior of all buildings, including commercial, public and residential buildings. What is green building? Simply put green building means the construction, renovation or remodeling of houses, public and commercial buildings so they are more durable, environmentally responsible, energy efficient and healthier for their occupants throughout the building's lifespan or life cycle. This is basically accomplished by designing and constructing buildings that last a long time, are more efficient, use less energy and water and are healthier spaces to occupy and live in. Historically, well designed and constructed buildings have delivered short term goals of utility, economy, durability and comfort. Green building really just takes the next step in building even better homes, commercial and public buildings by improving on their long term durability, quality, efficiency, high performance, human health, environmental impact, life cycle cost and sustainability. A building's total life cycle cost includes it's design, siting, construction, operation, maintenance, repairs, replacements, renovation, deconstruction, salvage, disposal and recycling. Green building materials typically include: renewable plant materials such as quick growing straw, bamboo and wood from sustainably managed forests; materials which are non-toxic, reusable and recyclable such as dimension natural stone, recycled stone and recyclable metals. Eliminating construction materials and interior finishes which have emissions of toxic gases such as formaldehyde and VOC's improve a building's indoor air quality and is healthier for occupants. Moisture control and eliminating biological or organic sources of mold, bacteria, fungi and pathogens will also promote healthier air and living space. Implementing green building techniques reduces negative impact on human health and the environment during multiple phases including the production of building materials, building construction, occupation, building operation and maintenance of a green design building. While many green buildings cost a premium which averages just less than two percent initially, green building will typically yield a financial return or savings of over ten times that initial premium during the life of the building. Green building simply saves money, protects the environment and provides healthier living spaces. The strong case for green building is abundantly clear considering the positive impact on human health, our environment and our finances.

Copper Mining Quarry and Natural Stone Quarry

Natural resources such as copper and natural stone are mined or quarried and minimally processed natural materials as opposed to artificially manufactured materials, faux or simulated materials. Pure copper and natural stone share many green building material qualities: they are mined or quarried directly from the earth and minimally processed using environmentally conscious techniques; all waste material can be used or recycled; they require no external finishes or chemical treatments; they generate no harmful emissions or byproducts; they do not promote growth of mold, germs or other harmful pathogens; they are healthy, hygienic and non-toxic; they promote more even indoor temperature and healthier indoor air quality; they are moisture and corrosion resistant; they weather extremely well naturally; they are not flammable materials; they are not damaged by water; they do not break down, decompose, decay or deteriorate like previously living organic materials and most man made materials; they age beautifully and gracefully as natural patina formation, discoloration, pitting, dents or cracks enhance character and natural appearance; they require little upkeep or maintenance; they are extremely durable, outlasting the owner's lifetime and the building's lifespan; they are salvageable, reusable, absolutely recyclable and retain their value extremely well. Copper and natural stone are two of the oldest, most durable building materials used by mankind and countless buildings and structures incorporating natural stone and copper architecture stood for centuries. Copper and natural stone were used because they were abundant resources found directly in the natural environment, required minimal processing and were fairly easy to work with. Today spending even a little more for natural, earth friendly, durable materials has proven cheaper in the long run because they won’t have to be replaced as often, maintained as much and can be recycled. Considering on building materials life-cycle cost, rather than focusing solely on initial cost can yield some eye opening results.

LEED Gold Penn State SALA and City Center LEED Gold in Las Vegas

We spotlighted the Penn State Sala building above in a previous blog for it's heavy use of copper (over 80,000 pounds) helping it achieve it's U.S. Green Building Council Gold LEED certification and remarkably at no additional cost over conventional building. The recent City center in Las Vegas also received LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council for six of it's buildings, including Aria, Vdara, Crystals, Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas and Veer Towers. That made City Center one of the largest sustainable green building developments in the entire world. The immense project entailed collaborative involvement by eight renowned architecture firms. Green building material selection, included extensive use of natural stone for interior spaces and exteriors of the buildings. While other green materials were considered, natural stone provided the architecture with a natural textured, tactile feel and the richness, warmth, comfort, earthy look and colors they sought. The Aria building encompasses 70,000 square feet of natural quartzite stone cladding in a varying thickness mosaic pattern on it's exterior walls. Inside the buildings, different uses of natural stone were employed including a mosaic stone, stacked stone, flat honed or polished stone, to provide contrasting looks and changes in texture. Everyone involved with the project was happy with the results and the buildings continue to garner positive feedback and compliments. See additional pictures of City Center and information on it's green building features in the Stone World article Stone Contributes to LEED Certification for New Las Vegas Landmark

Architectural Copper Work and Natural Stone Wall Masonry

View additional natural stone pictures of genuine natural stone installations at the Rutland Minstone website, encompassing natural stone tile flooring, natural stone walls, natural stone patios, garden stone paving, landscaping, slate roofs and stone columns. Slate, travertine, quartzite, limestone, sandstone and flagstone tiles, wall veneer panels and pavers are some of the featured natural stone applications. With large advances in mining, processing and shipping technology, use of natural stone has grown from use primarily only in major buildings and large expensive estates to becoming a staple in homes and buildings of every size and budget today. There has been a drastic reduction of genuine stone prices over the last decade or so. Around the world there is now an enormous inventory of natural stone and even more is being discovered every day. A combination of many technological advances and this very plentiful supply have combined to make natural stone very affordable and price competitive with man made materials, while having better green building characteristics and life cycle cost benefits. People have embraced the beauty and elegance of this unique, all natural material for their floors, wall coverings, kitchens, baths, outdoor landscaping and paving. Consumers prefer natural stone because it is the real thing which can not be duplicated in a laboratory or factory but is nature's very own genuine product. Natural stone is created by nature in many thousands of color variations with no two natural stone pieces exactly the same. Nothing approaches the uniqueness, durability, wide applicability of genuine natural stone and pure copper. From the beginning of time to far into the future, copper and natural stone have always been excellent green building materials while having natural beauty, grace, warm richness and timeless elegance.

Copper Elbow Downspout Extension Gooseneck

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:00:37 GMT

Rutland has the capability to fabricate a custom copper downspout elbow - downspout extension gooseneck. These one piece gooseneck offset elbows or downspout extension elbows are less prone to leaks than three piece downspout elbow extensions and are also much more visually appealing especially in attractive round or square downspout styles. These custom downspout elbow extensions - gooseneck offset elbows with one piece design are further enhanced by seamless TIG welded construction, offering smooth unbroken surface or sight lines, best durability and strength. Gooseneck downspout elbow extensions are most often used with roof overhangs or to merge multiple gutters into one downspout or leader head.

Round Angled Downspout Elbow - Square Angled Gooseneck - Square Arched Elbow

Copper Downspout Extension Elbow Radius Square Gooseneck Design

Copper Gutter - Downspout System with Round Downspout Gooseneck Elbows

Custom Downspout Elbow Gooseneck Design

Rutland custom manufactures custom gooseneck downspout elbow offsets and extensions to the requirements of the architect, builder, contractor or property owner. The shape, angle, arch, radius, length and height may all be customized and specified. These downspout elbows and extensions may be specified in round, square or rectangular downspout styles in a variety of materials and with any dimensional size. Rutland's one piece custom gutter downspout elbow gooseneck extensions look fantastic by themselves or coupled with one of Rutland's many stylish leader heads - downspout conductors. Rutland gooseneck downspout elbow extensions additional information including CAD design drawings - custom construction specifications may be found on their Downspout Extension Elbow Gooseneck webpage.

Copper Downspout with Sculpted Elbow Gooseneck Offset

Downspout Diverter

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:51:50 GMT

Rutland has released three new models of downspout diverters - rain collection diverters. In addition to the existing 3"x4" corrugated rectangular model, Rutland has now added a seamless round downspout diverter, a seamless square downspout diverter and a crimped round downspout diverter to it's offerings. All of Rutland's custom downspout diverters are available in standard downspout sizes including: 3", 4", 5" or 6" round (smooth or crimped); 3" or 4" square (smooth); 3"x4" or 4"x5" rectangular (corrugated); other custom sizes are also available. Rutland's downspout rain diverters are available in either aluminum or pure copper. These corrosion resistant all metal heavier gauge materials ensure excellent durability, weathering ability and long life. All downspout diverter models feature a simple yet very reliable metal two-way valve or valve flap, that promotes maximum rain water flow without restriction and provides decades of trouble-free performance. Aluminum rain diverters are available in mill finish aluminum (unfinished - paintable) or else may be ordered pre-painted in one of Rutland's many gutter - downspout colors. Copper rain diverters are available in heavier gauge pure unfinished copper or may even be ordered in a custom pre-patinated finish to better match existing weathered copper gutter systems.

Additional information on Rutland's downspout diverters may be viewed on their Downspout Diverter - Rain Diverter webpage, including CAD design drawings of their various downspout diverter models. Rutland Gutter Supply also supplies all the downspout extensions, downspout elbows, downspout offsets, downspout goose-necks, downspout funnels, downspout strainers, downspout clean-outs, downspout brackets, downspout adapters and other downspout parts you require to properly install a downspout diverter - rain barrel diverter. Downspout rain diverters can be used for rain water harvesting or rain water collection in a rain barrel or in one of many different shapes and styles of water storage tank. Diverted and collected rain water is used for many purposes including gardening, irrigation and washing. Rain water is free, naturally soft, without the sediment, hardness and chemicals found in regular tap water or in well water, is usually healthier for plants and also cleans well without leaving typical hardness spots or scum left after washing. Downspout rain diverters are eco-friendly and also integral part of green design.

Downspout T-Adaptor - Inline Downspout Cleanout - Elbows

If you wish to add optional first flush capability to your downspout diverter, a downspout T-Adaptor with an appropriately sized bottom extension connected will do the job. First flush routes the first flow of rain water away from your rain barrel or water storage tank and eliminates much of the contaminants lying on your roof such as dust, dirt, pollen, insects, residues, bird and rodent droppings. Larger debris should be filtered by a combination of gutter screens, downspout strainers and a downspout cleanout located upstream (higher) from the diverter. The downspout cleanout either box or inline types, allows you to more easily empty out filtered debris and minimized servicing of your T-Adaptor's first flush extension or standpipe. The T-Adaptor extension will be capped on the bottom and have very small (pin-hole) drain holes near the bottom which allows the water to gradually drain out, perhaps routed over to a planted area. During a rain shower the bottom portion of the T-pipe extension will first fill with the rain water until the level reaches the horizontal outlet then subsequent rain water will exit the T-adaptor and drain into your water tank or rain barrel. Recommended first flush rain water diversion is at least a gallon of water per 100 square feet of rain collection area. For example: say you are using 4 inch round downspout pipe, then you would need a 18 inch length of extension pipe per gallon while 6 inch downspout pipe only requires about 8 inches extension length to hold a gallon. If your one downspout services say 400 sq feet of roof area, the first flush T-adaptor extension would need to be 32 inches in length using 6 inch diameter pipe or 72 inches (12 feet) in length using 4 inch round downspout pipe. Depending on how often it rains, amount of debris accumulation and how well you filter out debris and sediment upstream, you will need to occasionally remove the bottom cap of your first flush extension, to clean out accumulated debis or residual sediment to keep the bottom drain hole open and unobstructed. The pinhole drain hole(s) should be located higher than absolute bottom of the capped extension to prevent residual sediment from quickly clogging the small drain hole(s).

Natural Stone Tile Flooring - Natural Stone Wall Veneer

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:04:55 GMT

Natural stone products are the focus and specialty of Rutland Minstone, a natural stone wholesale distributor and newest member of the Rutland group of companies. Rutland Minstone is wholly a natural stone importer - supplier and is the sole wholesale stone distributor for the United States, North America, Caribbean and South America for manufacturer Minstone. Minstone is the source of the highest standards in pure rock, slate and genuine natural stone, mined directly out of the ancient hills around Beijing, China. Natural stone products now available through Rutland include: stone tile flooring; natural stone wall veneer; flagstone patio pavers; garden stone walls; landscaping stone; walkway stone paving; stone columns; cobblestones; stepping stones; random slate pavers; roof slate tile; castle stone; bar stone mosaic tile; stone tile mosaic floor and mosaic wall; bullnose tile for stone steps and stairs; slate tile flooring and slate wall; travertine tiles and tumbled tile; limestone tile flooring and limestone wall; sandstone tile; quartzite tile; antique stone wall cladding; stack stone wall panels; fireplace stone veneer; interlocking stone corner and stacking stone wall panel system.

Natural Stone Mining and Processing

Natural stone products are very versatile as stone can be used equally inside or outside. Natural stone is very durable, easy to maintain, weathers well and natural stone is also beautiful, elegant and timeless design wherever it is used. Natural stone tiles can be used on all interior walls and floors including kitchens, bathrooms and showers, especially low water absorption slate tile. Stone fireplace surrounds or stone veneer walls have always been particularly popular. The natural stone wall cladding that is used on interior walls can also be used on a building's exterior walls and on stone retaining walls and stone columns. Natural stone tile patterns and mosaics lend attractiveness and heightened architectural interest to walls and floors anywhere. Natural stone tile mosaic patterns and stone wall systems have been developed that allow builders, designers, landscapers, architects and property owners to create the most visually pleasing and stunning genuine natural stone, rock and slate profiles. Natural stone thin veneer is a lighter weight, easier to install, more affordable genuine alternative to full stone veneer and makes natural stone wall coverings a viable option for any project by architects, builders, designers and re-modelers.

Natural Stone Fireplace Surround

Flagstone Patio Pavers in Sunroom

Black Slate Tile Flooring

Rutland Minstone genuine natural stone products can be applied to virtually any structurally sound surface inside or outside and are designed to be easily and quickly installed. This enables you to quickly get professional looking results and a richly elegant appearance. A system of interlocking stone wall veneer panels, stone mosaic and tile patterns presents a very cost effective application of fantastic rock, slate and natural stone effects for new and existing homes, commercial building projects and landscaping work. Rutland Minstone supplies pure rock, slate and natural stone products for builders, architects, contractors, interior designers, landscapers, re-modelers, homeowners and property owners. Minstone has over 25 years experience providing pure rock, slate, limestone, travertine, quartzite, sandstone and flagstone products which meet the highest international standards yet are available at the most competitive wholesale pricing. Rutland provides natural stone imports at wholesale distributor direct prices and offers natural stone shipping throughout the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Mexico and South America. Rutland has over 40 years experience in construction, roofing, guttering, architectural copper work and metal fabrication with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Rutland has extensive experience with international shipping and is a global wholesale supplier of product. Visit Rutland Minstone's Natural Stone Products website or peruse their Natural Stone Catalog for additional stone products information and to view many more pictures of Minstone natural stone installations and Minstone products.

Garden Stone Wall - Landscaping Stone - Ledgestone

Rain Water Collection - Downspout Diverter

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:50:50 GMT

Rain water collection or rain water harvesting is becoming more and more popular these days as people become more aware of the many benefits and possible uses of diverted rainwater. Instead of allowing rain water falling on a roof top to drain in limited spots around the perimeter of a home's foundation or else be channeled into the sewer system, rain water can be collected in rain barrels, conserved and put to good use. Assuming your home already has a gutter system and downspouts, rain water collection systems can be fairly simple and relatively low cost or they can be very elaborate systems which run into thousands of dollars. Collected or harvested rain water can be used to water plants, gardens, lawns, house plants, for cleaning or washing and to distribute rain water to sheltered or protected areas which don't normally get much water. Rain water is naturally soft and free of fluoride, chlorine and other additives found in tap water and is healthier for plants and the lack of hardness improves cleaning and washing. Rain water is perfect for washing your car leaving no hardness spots. There can be savings too on the purchase of city water if significant rain water is collected and used instead.

How much rain water can be collected? Even very small roofs, say for example a 1000 square feet roof is capable of collecting up to 600 gallons of rain water run off with 1 inch of rain accumulation. Quick rule of thumb to estimate how much water falls off your roof with a 1" rainfall, is to multiple the square footage of your roof by 3/5th. Most rain water collection involves some variation of a rain barrel or storage tank and those average about 55 gallons in size. They fill up surprisingly quickly with a decent rainfall.

What do you need to get started? To collect rain from most roofs, you usually need to have a gutter system with downspouts. Flat roofs with low retaining walls require roof scuppers or rain spouts feeding scupper boxes and downspouts. If you don't yet have a gutter system then get one not only to harvest rain water but to protect the walls and foundation of your building from water damage. Now assuming you have a gutter or roof drainage system with downspouts, you need to splice into, attach or insert a downspout diverter or rain water diverter into one or all of your downspouts. A downspout diverter simply put has a two-way valve which can either divert the roof rain water flowing through the downspout into a rain barrel, storage container or tank or otherwise allow the rain water to exit the downspout normally.

Downspout Rain Diverters Copper & Aluminum Shown With Reliable 2-Way Valve

Virtually any style. type and size of gutters and downspouts will work. Downspout rain diverters are available for rectangular corrugated downspouts (shown above), smooth square or rectangular downspouts and round downspouts in virtually any durable gutter downspout material such as aluminum, copper, zinc, galvalume or stainless steel. Rusty steel gutters and downspouts should be refinished or replaced though to prevent staining. There is no reason to use plastic downspout diverters or rain collection system parts. Plastic gutters and downspouts may detract from your home's appearance and are not as strong or as durable with temperature extremes, UV radiation and such as metal gutters and downspouts. Among metal gutters and downspouts, copper gutters are the most attractive pick, for copper requires no finishing, coating or paint, copper requires no maintenance, copper weathers beautifully with it's own built-in natural corrosion protection, copper is the most durable architectural metal lasting nearly a century and copper is 100% recyclable when it finally is replaced. This also makes copper the greenest, most environmentally friendly choice. Copper is also unique in that it possesses remarkable natural antimicrobial and fungicidal properties which are a great attribute for gutter and rain water collection systems. The small traces of copper salts present in the runoff water are also needed and healthy for plants and vegetation as well as for humans and animals.

Downspout Strainer - - - - - - - Gutter Screens Pictured

To keep large debris from clogging up your gutters, downspouts and entering your rain collection it is advisable to at minimally use a downspout strainer at the top of each downspout and better yet gutter screens or gutter guards to catch even smaller debris from entering. An inline downspout cleanout or cleanout box may be also be used to filter larger debris and are designed to be serviceable closer to the ground. Some sort of basic filtration or screen may also be used at the input to your rain barrel, container or storage tank. Screening or filtering placed inside or over all exposed openings and sealing or caulking any gaps also helps prevent mosquito breeding. The rain downspout diverters pictured above are designed to present no restriction and allow full flow downs throughout the downspout system. Some types of diverters and also use of rain barrel screening with very tight mesh or foam filtering can restrict your water flow and cause excessive back pressure or backup where eventually your gutters might overflow. Using larger diameter downspouts and downspout conductor head reservoirs inline high up on the downspout can help alleviate this and maintain flow.

Downspout Cleanout Box - - Inline Cleanout - - Downspout Elbows

Storage tanks, containers and rain barrels come in hundreds of styles, shapes, sizes and materials. They can range from costing virtually nothing such as old discarded metal or food grade plastic barrels or large containers to ornamental urns with decorative planters on top, architecturally attractive lined wooden containers, faux granite or terra cotta and even hidden tanks underground or low profile tanks under a deck. Use your own personal preference as to the look, shape, size and materials for your rain water collection container as long as you ensure the top is enclosed and other exposed openings such as the overflow outlet are screened to keep out mosquitos, bugs, wildlife and domestic small animals. Unless they are already present, the rain barrel or tank container should allow you to cut openings to attach or insert your downspout pipe and plumbing fittings such as a faucet to which you can also attach a water hose.

Rutland Gutter Supply is one of the largest downspout gutter suppliers in the world and can equip you with virtually everything you need to set up your rain collection system such as downspout diverters, downspout extensions, downspout brackets, downspout elbows, downspout offsets, downspout goosenecks, downspout adapters, downspout strainers, downspout clean-out box, downspout conductor leader heads and gutter screens. Visit Rutland's downspout diverter - rain diverter web page to gather more ideas, explore the links or just get started collecting rain water. Rain barrels or storage containers can be such stylized and very individual choice, you should decide what kind of look you want or prefer and easily obtain your choice from many local sources. Plumbing fittings for hose attachment, screening and caulking for your rain water container are all available from any hardware or home improvement store. This has been a general overview of rain water collection. In future blogs we will go into more detail on rain water collection system installation, sophisticated underground water tanks with pumps and water lines, filtering and disinfecting the rain water for potable use, rain water conservation benefits and useful ideas on constructing your own custom rain barrels or decorative water tanks.

Gutter Installation - Copper Work Florida

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:20:42 GMT

Today we give a shout out to Rutland Guttering in Florida. Rutland Guttering is an affiliated sister company to Rutland Gutter Supply, providing extensive product installation services while operating from several regional offices located across Florida. Rutland Guttering performs seamless rain gutter installation and architectural copper work throughout the whole state of Florida, including all types and sizes of commercial gutters and residential gutter systems. Rutland Guttering has extensive expertise with both commercial and home gutter systems as well as outdoor copper work. They also perform gutter service, gutter repairs, gutter system design, gutter inspections and the occasional gutter cleaning for larger gutter systems. Rutland Guttering's residential seamless gutter installations provide homeowners with complete lifetime warranty protection. Rutland Guttering provides complimentary gutter system evaluation, free gutter quotes and copper work estimates at the customer's own site. Rutland Guttering assists builders, contractors, renovators and architects with gutter design and architectural copper work planning utilizing Rutland's expertise and in-house CAD gutter design and architectural drawing capability.

Rutland Guttering provides their residential and commercial customers with truly the largest selection of gutter styles, gutter materials, gutter sizes, gutter types, gutter colors and architectural copper work selection throughout the state of Florida. Gutter types include common K-Style or Ogee gutters, elegant half round gutters and quarter round gutters and more commercial box gutters to accommodate heavy rain water volume. Unlike most gutter companies, Rutland Guttering has the fabrication capabilities to make a large range gutter sizes from 5" to 12" wide as well as custom sizes to accommodate any seamless guttering project. Rutland also offers a wide range of gutter downspout material options including aluminum, copper, galvanized steel, galvalume, stainless steel, Freedom Gray - zinc coated copper and zinc. Rutland's decorative architectural copper work includes but not limited to: cupolas; roof finials; chimney caps; chimney pots; dome roofs; turret roofs; gazebo roofs; roof caps; door and window awnings; copper deck railing or roof widows walk; wall vents; soffit vents; roof vents; copper dormers; copper gutters; outdoor copper accents; garden sculpture; copper canopy; copper fire pit bowls and covers.

Rutland Guttering maintains a large fleet of architectural copper work and seamless gutter installation trucks along with well trained installation crews. Rutland has at it's disposal a large scale metal fabrication facility including custom paint shop.

Rutland Guttering has installed seamless rain gutter systems and expansive array of architectural copper work throughout the state of Florida and across the Caribbean for over 15 years. Rutland Guttering has extensive experience with all types and sizes of residential homes, businesses, churches, hotels, public and commercial buildings. Rutland Guttering also lends it's expertise to precise historical preservation and restoration work. Wherever or whenever local installation contractor resources are either unavailable or otherwise unacceptable, Rutland Guttering crews are also available to travel across the U.S. and even world wide depending upon the scope of the project. Rutland can drop ship all required products and materials ahead of time, waiting for installation crew arrival to any remote location. Visit Rutland Guttering's "Seamless Gutter Installation - Architectural Copper Work" website for contact and additional information.

Copper Leader Head - Lion Conductor Head

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:28:20 GMT

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.

Copper Leader Heads

Shows adapted custom inside corner design variation of leader head

Rutland's custom leader heads as well as Rutland's other architectural copper work such as cupolas, chimney caps, dormer vents, kitchen range hoods, island hoods and backsplash, may incorporate optional decorative copper castings on one or more of their faces to further and enhance their ornamental appearance.

Examples of Decorative Copper Casting Designs - Ornamental Copper

CAD design drawing of Leader Head LH-038-IC below:

Leaderhead_038_inside_corner.pdf (274.55 KB)

Historic Leader Heads - Conductor Heads - Hopper Heads

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:30:29 GMT

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

Horse Barn Cupola Construction

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:42:27 GMT

Cupolas are a very popular architectural enhancement on top of horse barn roofs and riding arenas. Roof top cupolas are also popular features on homes, gazebos, pavillions, public buildings and businesses. A cupola may be built to be accessible from the inside and thereby provide a lofty perch for viewing pleasure of the surrounding area. Often such cupolas are encircled by a widows walk or roof deck railing. Usually cupolas are chosen for their heightened architectural interest and also to provide substantial ventilation to the roof, attic or building space below. Cupolas may be built in various shapes including circular, square, hexagonal and octagonal. Cupolas typically have a curved conical, bell-shaped or pyramidal domed roof and are often crowned with a ornamental roof finial perched at the very top. Cupolas may be constructed from a variety of materials with wood and metals being the most common. Among metals, rust-free aluminum and copper are the preferred material. Aluminum makes for a generally light weight, manageable cupola design and the aluminum is usually painted to color coordinate with the underlying building's wall and trim colors. Copper cupolas are most always left uncoated and provide the most elegant and distinguished appearance, weather beautifully, are the most maintenance-free, eco-friendly green choice, most durable and longest lasting of all cupolas. Cupolas provide a pleasing, very attractive elegance to any building while cupola ventilation serves as an excellent roof vent.

Rutland's architectural craftsmen hand made several custom large cupolas designed for a massive horse barn riding arena. Structural .063 aluminum was used, with large aluminum louvers in the four walls, a swooping bell-shaped pyramidal domed roof and topped with a finial ball and spiked cone. All joints or seams were TIG welded and polished, which provides the most strength, durability and refined, pleasing appearance. One very large cupola would perch in the center of the horse barn arena's expansive roof line and two slightly smaller cupolas would sit to either side of the larger one. The cupolas would help break up the roof line, provide a high degree of architectural interest and attractiveness and supply substantial ventilation of the underlying roof space. The cupola sides were painted a bay brown to coordinate with the stained wood walls of the riding arena and adjacent horse barns. The cupola's roof was painted hunter green to match the green metal roof on the horse barns. Below are pictures showing the progression of the cupola construction from structural framing to final installation shots on top the horse barn.

Cupola Structural Aluminum TIG Welded Frame - Polished Seams

Large Aluminum Louvers are Inserted Into Cupola Sides

Domed Roof and Roof Finial Attached On Top of Cupola

Cupolas Finished in Two-Tone Paint Job

Cupolas Are Installed Top of Horse Barn Arena

Horse Barn Cupola Construction Project Completed

Obtain more information on roof top aluminum cupola designs and copper cupolas at Rutland Architectural Cupolas.

Used Machines For Sale - Free Classified Ads - Trading Post

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:28:28 GMT

Rutland Trading Post offers free classified ads for the guttering and metal roofing community. Guttering and roofing professionals who wish to buy, sell or trade new or used gutter machines, downspout pipe machines, metal roll slitter machines, decoilers, seamless gutter bending machines, downspout elbow machines, metal roof panel roll forming machines and other types of gutter equipment or gutter tools are invited to place online free classifieds at Rutland's Trading Post. Rutland's website offers substantial traffic in daily website visitors of fellow guttering and roofing professionals and their companies giving Trading Post free classified ads high exposure to qualified buyers and sellers.

Rutland Trading Post classifieds allows free ad posters to select from many different listing categories, upload up to 10 pictures for each ad listing and provide detailed descriptions of up to 7,500 characters to fully describe their equipment. Ads may also incorporate links to online images or videos on other websites including YouTube. Free ad posters may submit up to 15 listings, set them to run from 15 days to 90 days and may also sign in at any time to revise their ads, renew them or cancel them. Trading Post classified listings offer advanced search capabilities by keywords, category, date, city, state, zip code, distance, make and model. E-mail alerts may be set up to provide a heads up when ads are posted that match what buyers are looking for. Buyers can also subscribe to RSS feeds to receive up to date listing additions and changes. There is also a Trading Post Forum for guttering and roofing professionals to initiate or join in beneficial discussions and technical exchanges with their peers. All that is required to post classified ads or participate in the forum discussion boards is to provide a user name, e-mail address and password. E-mail addresses can be protected or hidden as all replies to ad listings or to forum posts are through a blind system, which automatically forwards responses from ads or posts. If however posters wish to share their e-mail, phone, address, business website, etc. that information can be made available in classified ad listings. Classified ad poster account information may be revised at any time. Rutland Trading Post respects it's users privacy and their e-mail addresses will not be sold or shared to outside companies or lists. No account is required to review or reply to ads.

Please visit and check out Rutland Trading Post Classifieds and avail yourself of the many beneficial features of this free service.

LEED Certification Green Building

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:21:12 GMT

LEED or Leadership in Energy and Environment Design is a third party certification and building rating program for building performance across several key areas. LEED attempts to measure a building's performance and sustainability across such areas as: optimizing energy efficiency as well as use of renewable energy; efficient and sustainable use of building materials and resources, including reuse, renewability, recycling and durability; innovation of design, incorporation of high recycled and regional content; water conservation; ensuring infrastructure and limiting neighborhood and environmental site impact; indoor air and environmental quality, including occupant comfort; reduction in CO2 emissions; efficient operation with low or reduced maintenance and energy costs. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED is a voluntary certification which strives to verify and promote sustainable high performance buildings or communities with less environmental impact, improved livability and long term savings. While LEED is still evolving, incomplete and not nearly perfect, building rating systems, certification and verification are raising our awareness and expectations for building performance and helping shift the construction market and demand toward healthy sustainable building, our long-term well-being and environmental responsibility.

Penn State SALA Building - Recycled Copper Cladding

Copper used in green building materials and strategic building components contributes to high environmental and building performance in many areas, most of which qualify for credits towards LEED certification of a building. For example Pennsylvania State University's School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) used over 80,000 lbs (35,000 kgs) of copper in its construction and it was the first building to achieve a gold LEED certification at no additional cost. Most noticeable is the pre-patinated, 95% recycled copper cladding used for the exterior walls as shown above. This green building project used copper extensively for copper's green properties: high recycled content; local or regional availability; durability; high rate of recyclability at end of building's useful life; low or non-existent maintenance costs for copper; workability of copper. To maximize these benefits, in addition to wall cladding, copper was used for all soffits, sun shading and even on ceilings of large atriums. Looking at long term cost factors also ensured copper's prominent role in this green building project. Copper's legendary durability is measured in generations rather than years or decades with little to no maintenance required throughout it's lifetime. Virtually 100% of the copper can be recycled upon eventual demolition or replacement of the building and recycled copper maintains 95% of the value for new mined copper. Copper also has the best heat and electrical conductive properties of any viable metal as well as superior resistance to corrosion. Copper's many attributes are reflected in copper's contribution to green building high performance with 13 possible LEED credits across 3 performance areas. Copper's aesthetic qualities also ensure green building architects achieve attractive, visually appealing green LEED designs without sacrificing any efficiency, performance or environmental objectives.

Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center - Extensive Copper

Copper, Green Building and Green Certification Links:

Building Green: How Copper Can LEED the Way
http://www.copper.org/environment/green/casestudies/building_green.html

Canadian Copper Association – Green Building
http://www.coppercanada.ca/greenbuilding.htm

North American Copper in Architecture Awards
http://www.ccbda.org/NACIA2009/main/naciamain.html

North American Initiative on Copper Architectural Applications
http://www.ccbda.org/architectural.htm

European Copper in Architecture Awards
http://www.copperconcept.org/

Copper Building Products – International Site
http://www.copperinfo.com/cproducts/building.html

U.S. Green Building Council – LEED Certification
http://www.usgbc.org/

Green Building Rating Systems - Worldwide
http://www.worldgbc.org/green-building-councils/green-building-rating-tools

BREEAM: Environmental Assessment Method for Buildings Around The World
http://www.breeam.org/

Reference Source for Environmental Products and Services
http://www.greenbooklive.com/

Green Guide to Specification - Best Environmental Performance with Life Cycle Analysis
http://www.bre.co.uk/greenguide/podpage.jsp?id=2126

Features of ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_homes.nh_features

EPA Indoor Air Quality - Indoor airPLUS Program
http://epa.gov/indoorairplus/construction_specifications.html

Green Home - Copper Building

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:33:24 GMT

Green, green home, green building, going green, sustainability and LEED are all catch phrases that seem to be catching steam and quickly building momentum these days. What does go green and green building specifically mean? Green building is the philosophy, design and implementation of the most efficient use of resources, that are both environmentally responsible and positively affect our health throughout the building's entire life cycle. The building's life cycle starts with siting, includes design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and then finally demolition. The total long term environmental cost of all building components is calculated and factors into green building design. Green building extends traditional building's short term concerns of economy, utility, durability and comfort with long term goals of sustainability, high performance, human health and environmental impact. The environment is impacted by the production and consumption of materials, natural resources, energy, water and land. Our environment is adversely altered by the building's inhabitants generation of waste products, water pollution, air pollution, heat and noise. Ultimate effects may include harm to human health, degradation of the environment including the atmosphere and loss of natural resources. Green building's goal is to reduce or eliminate any adverse health and environmental impact for every kind of building including residential, public, governmental, religious and commercial.

Copper Mining

The whole field of green building is literally exploding and there is so much information already available out there on many of the aspects involved with green building. Today's blog is just an overview that defines what green building is and there will be a subsequent series of articles that will cover in more depth the many aspects involved. We will also closely examine and feature the role of copper in green building and green homes. Copper homes, copper building and copper architecture play an important part in virtually all green building designs, including some or all of the following: plumbing, wiring, solar panels, windmills, tankless water heaters, external wall siding, roofing, guttering, roof structures, flashing, chimneys, fascia, vents, duct work, healthier copper kitchen designs, even outside door and window cladding. Copper usage in fact can contribute upwards of 13 points in various areas towards LEED green building certification.

St. Croix Chapel (picture courtesy Copper.org)

Copper Kitchen Art Work - Range Hoods

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:21:18 GMT

Copper Kitchen describes kitchen design utilizing copper work either extensively or strategically to achieve a very elegant, warm, hospitable and decorative kitchen. Kitchen copper usage may include copper hoods, range hoods or island hoods. Also kitchen copper sinks, copper countertops, copper backsplash, copper light hood canopy, copper pot racks, copper sculpture, copper accents, copper pots and pans. Even copper clad appliances, wall copper vents, copper fixtures (lights and fans) and other hardware such as cabinet and door handles, wall switchplates, etc. Given the sheer elegance, warmth and beauty of copper, it is near impossible to overuse copper in kitchen design, especially with the endless hues of copper available, from it's gleaming raw state to countless variations of patinated copper. Decorative kitchen design to personalize a kitchen, establish a design theme or create a designer kitchen may incorporate the use of kitchen art, such as kitchen wall art, kitchen murals and other themed kitchen artwork, including standalone accent pieces. Almost every copper kitchen has a copper range hood or island hood which has a large surface area ideal to incorporate copper art work into your kitchen design. You may view your copper hood, copper backsplash and copper kitchen sink as a blank canvas to which you can add your own unique design, personal expression or promote a kitchen design theme.

Copper Kitchen Hood "A Blank Canvas"

Copper compared to other metals not only offers more warmth, luster and elegance but copper is especially amenable to being worked into many different shapes or designs. Copper may also easily be sculpted or hammered into custom art work including personalized or themed murals. Copper design work may involve simple accents placed subtly around a larger smooth copper surface, or a uniformly patterned surface such as a hammered copper pebbled look or using variegated copper hues created through patination or firing. A raised, textured three dimensional design or copper kitchen mural provides endless possibilities of personalization as well as the timeless elegance and enjoyment of your kitchen's copper work of art.

Copper Wall Art Work - Two Different 3-D Scenes

Copper Hood with Tuscan Design (Grapes)

Hammered Copper Hoods - Pebbled & Rock Pattern

Copper Range Hoods with Copper Art Murals

Copper art work or murals may be recreated from almost any design, drawing, illustration, painting or picture you provide, by true copper working artisans. The intricate detail these coppersmiths can sculpt into your copper hoods, copper sinks or copper backsplash is truly astounding, while your appreciation of their timeless beauty will last for generations of lifetimes.

Copper Island Hood with Ski Lodge Artwork

Copper Kitchen Sink with Artwork

Copper Farmhouse Sink with Mural

* Pictures shown above are courtesy of Rutland Architectural Copper Work, whose copper work artisans individually create by hand each of the copper hoods, copper sinks and copper art work shown above. The copper kitchen hoods are all fashioned from heavyweight 48 oz pure copper that are available in gleaming new copper appearance or also in various shades of copper patina. Rutland specializes almost exclusively in custom design copper work, each handcrafted one at a time with many being "one of" unique designs from customer's specifications. Rutland also creates custom copper sculpture and copper kitchen decor accent pieces to coordinate your overall decorative kitchen design. See additional copper range hoods created by Rutland.

Copper Sink, Copper Hood, Copper Counter Tops

(Photos courtesy http://design-ties.blogspot.com/2009/03/hooked-on-copper.html)

In addition to copper hoods and copper sinks, a copper backsplash is another copper surface that can be given a copper art work treatment along with other independent or themed hanging copper wall art. Copper counters or countertops usually preferrably have a smooth surface or are lightly patterned such as a pebbled look, quilted or tile design. Blending different hues of patinated copper together may create a very appealing used look that also wears very well. Part of the great allure and beauty of copper, somewhat similar to distressed or antique wood, is the ever changing character, warm hues and gracefully aging beauty that natural pure copper provides.

Copper Kitchen Hood Art Work HGTV Video

Copper Gazebo Roof

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:24:08 GMT

Gazebos are an outdoor pavilion or tent like structure which are usually round, square or octagonal in shape. A gazebo is a familiar sight, found just about anywhere, in parks, gardens, back yards, on a lake or seashore, outdoor restaurants, etc. Gazebos are usually roofed but open on the sides, sometimes with railings or balustrades and sometimes screened in. The gazebo floor might be grass, stone, concrete, brick or raised wood deck. The gazebo's base or deck and the optional railing usually follow along the bottom outline of the gazebo roof (round - square - octagonal - etc). A gazebo is oftentimes free standing in an open area or can be attached to another building or connected by decorative wall or path. Gazebos are popular spots, especially in warm weather, to rest, entertain, eat, relax and socialize. A gazebo provides shelter, shade and often seating and tables. Gazebos are unusually appealing structures and provide a most attractive and ornamental feature to a property's architecture and landscaping. The most common gazebo is built out of wood with ordinary roofing shingles used on the roof. A simple metal or copper roof cap with finial might be found on top. A gazebo upgrade might involve a small cupola perched on top of the gazebo roof, once again with a roof finial crowning the very top. The ultimate gazebo roof is a copper roof made from copper tile or copper panels. A copper gazebo roof may be conical in shape, bell shaped, octagonal, pentagonal, pyramidal, domed or any number of different shapes.

Copper Gazebo Roof - Bell Shaped - Bermuda Style

Copper Gazebo Tile Roof with Copper Roof Cap and Finial

Copper Roof Tile - Alternative Diamond Shaped

A copper roof cupola can be positioned on top of a gazebo providing additional architectural interest and can functionally help vent hot air out the top. A simple, rustic or ornate copper roof finial can crown the very top of the gazebo or cupola. Copper clad columns, copper fixtures and copper railing or balustrade provide additional sheer elegance to a copper gazebo. To make a copper gazebo even more inviting on cool evenings, a copper fire pit with or without copper vent hood would coordinate nicely. A copper gazebo roof, copper cupola, copper finial, copper balustrade (or copper railing) not only have divine aesthetics and AWESOME looks but will last a LIFETIME.

Copper Cupola with WeatherVane and Copper Railing

* Photos above courtesy Rutland Architectural Copper Work, whose copper artisans created the copper gazebo roofs, copper cupola, copper finials and copper deck railing shown above. Even the copper tile shown above is custom handmade and hand cut copper roof tile. See additional pictures at Copper Dome - Copper Turret - Copper Gazebo Roof.

Copper Gazebo Screened and Weathered Copper Gazebo on Ocean
Contrasting Styles of Copper Gazebos (Photos courtesy This Old House)

Chimney Cap - Decorative Metal

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:25:05 GMT

Chimney cap, chimney vent, chimney pot, chimney cowl and chimney shroud are all various structures on a chimney top added to the top of your chimney pipe, chimney flue, stove pipe or even chimney crown. The chimney crown is the flat top of a chimney usually finished with cement or mortar and is ideally sloped to shed water. A fireplace chimney is typically constructed from brick, clay, masonry, metal or fireproof material. Often times there is just a metal chimney pipe or chimney flue that is encased in a fireproof material or else is double wall insulated shielding adjacent flammable building materials. Chimney vents or stove pipe vents vent fireplaces, wood stoves and heaters and provide proper draft. The chimney vent opening might be nearly flush with the chimney crown or else the chimney pipe or chimney flue will protrude out. Stove pipe chimney vents are also found protruding out of the top of roofs. Chimney pots positioned on chimney tops, look like small smoke stacks and functionally extend the length of a chimney. Chimney pots may therefore improve a chimney's draft inexpensively. Whether it is a metal chimney vent, masonry chimney or chimney pot or other chimney material, there is a need to have some sort of termination or cap on the chimney top, to keep rain, birds and critters out of your chimney, chimney pipe or chimney flue. Without a chimney cap, rain water might run into your fireplace, stove or heater and additionally leaks from seams or cracks in the chimney might also damage adjacent walls and ceilings. Also build up of rain and moisture inside your chimney often produces a pervading chimney or smoky smell inside your home. Birds, raccoons, squirrels and other small animals might enjoy the warmth of your chimney, set up home there and clog it with their nests or bodies. So chimney caps often have screening, mesh or lattice work to cover openings. Chimney caps may also protect a chimney crown by shedding rain water and ice. Chimney caps with metal mesh or screening may also perform as a spark arrestor to protect adjacent roofing, walls and ground areas from sparks or embers that may exit from a chimney. Finally, chimney caps may also be purposefully designed to control, preserve or improve upon a chimney's draft. Many chimney caps are made of metal including stainless steel chimney caps, copper chimney caps, aluminum chimney caps and the ever common black painted galvanized steel chimney cap. Standard type chimney caps have a simple sloped roof to block most of the falling rain and mesh sides to block birds, small animals. Some employ tighter screening to also neutralize sparks. They are designed to simply clamp on to round, square or rectangular chimney flue pipes with screw fasteners. Round versions may also provide protection for exposed chimney pots. More expansive, elaborate chimney caps, such as chimney hoods or chimney shrouds, provide a decorative architectural feature and protect more of the chimney top crown.

Common Black Painted Steel Chimney Cap

Assortment of Chimney Pots (including capped & screened examples)

Single and Multi-Flue Copper Chimney Pots with Chimney Top Shroud

Chimney pots are most often seen in Tudor architecture and sometimes with Colonial, Victorian and Row Houses. Chimney pots were usually made from clay (terra cotta) but now are also made from metals. New pure copper and weathered reddish brown copper chimney pots are shown above, along with stainless steel and mill finish aluminum pots. Chimney pots are often open at their top, and while a separate protective chimney cap for use on top of chimney pots can be used, even better, a cleaner design like the ones pictured above with their own integral cap and screening. New chimney pots create a certain architectural style or may replace worn out or broken chimney pots to preserve that look. A chimney pot or variation thereof may also be used when you wish to extend the height of your chimney to improve upon insufficient chimney updraft. Some chimney hood or shroud designs also increase effective chimney height.

Chimney Vent - Directional Chimney Cowl - Turbine Vent

Shrouded Copper Dome Chimney Vent

If you experience too much downdraft into your chimney from consistent high winds or substantial amounts of air deflect off of adjacent walls, tall trees, buildings or hills, then you may need to limit or block excess air being pushed down into your chimney. Passive shrouded chimney cap devices exist that work to limit deflected air or high winds from being driven down into your chimney. They work to block winds from the top and sides, allowing air out only from vents near or on the bottom. There is also a directional chimney cowl - chimney cap, which rotates to align with the wind, to block it and prevent a downdraft of air into your chimney pipe or chimney flue. A turbine chimney vent spins with the wind to draw air upwards and counteract downward air pressure. A downdraft problem may be severe enough that extending a chimney using chimney pots or chimney shrouds or using other passive draft enhancers may still prove insufficient. In this case, there are sources of chimney fans available, which mount inside your chimney and induce upward drafts using variable speed motors and paddle fans.

Chimney Hoods - Chimney Shrouds - Chimney Caps

Copper Chimney Caps - Custom Decorative Metal

Chimney caps serve important functional purposes, yet may also provide a very decorative and distinctive architectural feature to your home. Your chimney top and chimney cap are typically at the very highest point of your home and where better to make a crowning statement to distinguish and accentuate your home.

* The pictures above of custom chimney caps, chimney pots and chimney vents, provide courtesy of Rutland's architectural copper and metal work craftsmen. If you can dream or imagine it, Rutland's accomplished coppersmiths and custom metal fabricators can create it. View more of Rutland's many Chimney Cap Designs.

Custom Copper Chimney Caps

Differences among Leader Conductor Heads

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:53:40 GMT

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.

Copper Conductor Heads - Leader Heads with TIG welded construction

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.

Mill finish aluminum conductor head - leader head with welded construction

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.

Weathered Copper Leader Conductor Heads with Round Downspouts

Copper Duct Work Can Improve IAQ

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:12:39 GMT

Ductwork in commercial and residential forced air heating and air conditioning systems circulate air throughout your building in the process of heating and cooling. Any biological pollutants, contaminants, pathogens, bacteria, microbes and viruses present in the air circulating around the HVAC system are breathed in and also settle on surfaces in all the rooms. Exasperating this problem in newer buildings is the fact that most are constructed to be more sealed or tighter for energy efficiency which in turn reduces fresh air exchange or ventilation. The same pollutants and disease causing organisms become concentrated and readily multiply. Also typically air duct work is a friendly, hospitable place for fungi, bacteria and mold to grow and spread. Like most living organisms, they require temperatures between 40-120 degrees F, food and moisture, conditions which are present in commercial and residential heating and A/C duct work. This can result in poor IAQ or indoor air quality, some times referred to as sick building syndrome, not only having possibility of making us sick but understandably promoting allergic reactions and exasperating asthma conditions.

To reduce our exposure to such biological pollutants and contaminants at home, at work and in public places, we need to attack this increasing problem on several fronts. Increasing or providing adequate fresh air ventilation can help reduce the concentration and trapping of these bacteria and pollutants. Reducing humidity or moisture levels to less than 50% or even 30% will help prevent condensation and disrupt growth of microbes, bacteria and mold. Of course reducing the sources of biological pollutants and even destroying or eliminating those present is paramount. Methods tried to reduce and eliminate circulating biological pollutants include cleaning of air ducts and decontamination of air ducts using chemicals, biocides, fungicides and ozone. Unfortunately duct work cleaning has not been proven to be effective. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in fact not only has stated that air duct cleaning has never been shown to actually prevent health problems but EPA also does not recommend that air ducts be cleaned except on a as needed basis. Regarding decontaminating heating and A/C systems including duct work, the EPA has stated that there is an unresolved controversy over the necessity and wisdom of introducing chemical biocides and ozone into duct work. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists made an even stronger statement saying that application of chemical biocides as opposed to removing microbial growth and settled biological material is considered unacceptable. Still the fact remains that unhealthy biological pollutants and microbial growth are circulating around and residing in our duct work and it is imperative that something be done to reduce and eliminate it.

Beyond increasing fresh air ventilation and reducing moisture or humidity levels to help control biological pollutants and growth, there is considerable growing interest in deploying copper material for use as duct work. Copper has already been well documented and proven to destroy harmful bacteria, germs, microbes, pathogens, molds, fungi and viruses which come in contact with copper surfaces. Copper is also EPA approved as an antimicrobial agent after exhaustive tests confirmed it's effectiveness. Plus copper is inherently much safer than widespread use of ozone and chemical biocides - germicides whether liquids, sprays or aerosols. Copper and strong copper alloy materials are already proving effective in reducing the existence of biological pollutants, biological growths and bioaerosol contaminants in A/C duct work. Copper is quite an order of magnitude better than materials historically and commonly used for duct work such as galvanized steel, aluminum and stainless steel. While copper will not cure all IAQ problems and continuing studies will quantify it's measurable improvement in indoor air quality, it is known that usage of copper duct work will improve IAQ and is a positive step in the right direction. While we are waiting on definitive EPA approval for performance and health claims of copper duct work, builders and remodelers might also consider copper for it's elegance, beauty, richness, longevity, durability and corrosion resistance which are all much greater than any other material. Not coincidentally, these are the same reasons we have seen copper's ageless popularity for use in building architectural features and also increasingly in copper kitchens and copper home decor.

Copper Duct Work photos courtesy of Revere Copper Products

Copper Fire Pit - Copper Fire Bowl

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:43:05 GMT

Fire pits have been around for thousands of years probably dating back to man’s discovery of fire. An outdoor fire pit can simply be a pit dug into the ground to help contain and concentrate a fire for use in heating such as a camp fire, or to cook out or frequently in today’s world just for the ambience when socializing or entertaining. With technological advances, fire pits progressed to more elaborate structures comprised of stone, brick and/or metal. These modern fire pits or fire bowls, especially ones made of metal, are often shaped like a bowl and usually accompanied by a fitted fire pit cover or fire pit lid. A firepit with an integral stand can also be some what mobile. Today an outdoor fire pit is frequently used in a pool area, as a patio fire pit, outdoor room fire pit and also as a garden fire pit. There are many variations of fire pits and materials used to construct a fire pit. Metal fire pits with integral stands or set into a fire pit table are particularly easy to set up and start using. Copper fire pits or copper fire bowl as seen below are considered the premier metal choice for a fire pit. A copper fire pit, especially with matching pure copper fire pit cover, has a very elegant appearance, does not need painting, has excellent corrosion resistance, is extremely durable and weathers pleasingly with copper patina's timeless beauty.

Copper Fire Pit

Copper FirePit - Custom Crafted and Ready to Ship

The 100% copper fire pit shown above has a bowl shape which helps to concentrate and focus the fire and heat. This copper fire pit also has a fitted cover using a copper mesh screen which helps to contain stray sparks and also helps reduce possible wind impact that might fan the fire or flames out of control. A copper fire bowl or fire pit can be free standing with it’s own legs or stand. A copper fire pit can also be set into a properly sized cut out on a table that is insulated or fireproof. A permanent stand or fire pit table can also be constructed from bricks, stone or concrete as shown in the pictures of an installed copper fire pit table situated pool side below.

Outdoor Copper Fire Pit Table Installed Poolside

Copper Patio Fire Pit with Matching Fire Pit Cover

The popularity of a backyard outdoor fire pit is on the rise as a fire pit creates charming campfire ambiance in an outdoor room, on a patio, poolside or garden area. The circular design of a fire pit allow seating of friends and family 360 degrees around the fire pit to enjoy the cozy warmth and hospitable, congenial atmosphere of a blazing fire, especially on those cool, chilly nights. An above ground fire pit is also much safer than an in ground version, as there is little likelihood of falling in. Situate your fire pit on a sturdy, stable stand or foundation. Fire pits securely set into bricks, stone or concrete are not at risk of being knocked over. Please be careful not to over fill your fire pit with wood or coals, use a fire pit cover and always use safe lighting procedures. With safe usage, you will find yourself frequently gathering around your outdoor fire pit, possibly even more so than with an indoor fireplace.

* Custom 100% copper fire pit - copper fire bowl with 30 copper fire pit cover as pictured above, manufactured by Rutland architectural copper craftsmen, available world-wide in any size, with or without stand through Rutland Architectural Copper Work in Orlando, Florida

Architectural Restoration - Historic Preservation with Copper

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:18:56 GMT

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.

Gargoyle Rain Spout - Roof Scupper

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:32:47 GMT

Gargoyle has been defined as a water spout which projects from a roof gutter and is designed to drain or throw the rain water away from the walls of a building. Gargoyle water spouts or rain spouts preceded downspouts which drain water from rain gutters into a drain down pipe or downspout and have a horizontal downspout extension at the bottom end of the downspout that carries the rain water away from the foundation. The word gargoyle comes from the French word gargouille which means throat in English. The words gargle and gurgle also come from the same roots as gargoyle. Gargoyle was also derived from the Latin word gurgulio which means both throat and gurgling, which is the sound of water passing through a gargoyle rain water spout.

Gargoyles have been around over 4000 years dating back to ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. Water spouts in the likeness of eagles, lions and other creatures, some mythological, were very common. Water spouts then began to resemble grotesque or monstrous creatures and were often positioned at each corner of the rooftop. Mythical creatures such as the chimera, centaur and griffin especially, resembling a lion with a curved beak like head and wings, were frequently the models for gargoyle water spouts. There is some speculation that griffins themselves were the early portrayal by sculptors of what a protoceratops dinosaur might look like, as protoceratops fossils had been discovered in ancient times. People's primeval dreams and fantasies could easily conjure up such monstrous images and they actually took delight in both the creation and viewing of such grotesque sculptures. Gargoyles beyond their function as rain water spouts also were believed to protect their building against evil spirits and imagined monstrous beasts. Gargoyle wings supposedly allowed them to also protect the whole surrounding area. Once drainpipes or downspouts were introduced in the 16th century, there was no longer a practical need for gargoyle rain water spouts, yet builders and architects continued to utilize them in their designs primarily as sculptures and carvings serving a traditional, symbolic, religious, folklore or decorative purpose.

Original Gargoyle Water Spouts From Castle

Gargoyle rain spouts like the one pictured above were usually positioned at the roof corners of buildings attached to gutters and extending out several feet to throw rain water away from the sides of a building. On a flat roof without gutters, a low wall commonly encircles the rooftop and several openings are cut into the bottom edges of this wall to allow rain water to drain off. These openings are called roof scuppers. Roof scuppers may extend out from the sides of a building thereby also functioning as rain spouts and the gargoyle rain spout above combines the functions of rain spout and roof scupper. Roof scuppers or drain outlets might also empty rain water directly into a wall mounted scupper box, rain collector box, leader head or conductor head below the scupper opening. A downspout drain pipe connected to this collection box, then carries the rain water down to the ground. Throwing rain water off the roof of a building using rain spouts and especially gargoyle water spouts was more prevalent centuries ago, whereas using downspouts or rain chains to drain away rain water are more commonly used today. Gargoyles today of course can be seen and admired in historic architecture and yet gargoyles still maintain a persistent attraction even in some modern architectural designs and decorative accents.

Copper Gargoyle Rain Spout - Roof Scupper

Rutland Gutter Supply & Architectural Copper Work fashioned the gargoyle rain spout pictured above, out of pure copper as a recreation of centuries old gargoyle water spouts which were restored from dilapidated gargoyles taken from the castle pictured above. Rutland Gutter supplies the largest selection of gutters. downspouts and leader heads in the U.S.A. and also the occasional gargoyle rain spout or gargoyle roof scupper to spew rain water, while also providing a distinctive decorative touch. As far as warding off evil spirits and monsters, who knows maybe some bit of that too.

Widows Walk - Roof Deck Railing

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:14:28 GMT

An architectural widow's walk can be described several ways including: a balcony on a roof; a roof enclosure; roof railing; roof walk; roof fence; flat roof deck and railing; railed rooftop observation platform. A widow's walk, flat roof deck or observation platform on the roof of a house, enclosed by a railing or balustrade is sometimes formed by truncating the top of a hip roof. A widow's walk, roof walk or sometimes referred to as a captain's walk was typically found on a coastal house, originally designed as a lookout for observing vessels at sea. The name widows walk derived from the wives of fishermen or mariners, who would gaze out over the ocean, from their rooftop balcony watching for their husband's safe return. Tragically, the ocean would sometimes take the life of the seamen, leaving their wives as widows. Their widows would then frequently pace and gaze out to sea from their rooftop platform wishing beyond hope that their loved ones would miraculously still return home and thus the name widow's walk was coined. Beyond their use as viewing platforms, widows walks were also frequently built around the chimney of a residence, creating easy access or passage to the chimney.This was done to allow home owners, in the event of a chimney fire, to pour sand down their burning chimney, to hopefully prevent their house from burning down. Widows walks might also surround a cupola or turret projecting from a rooftop.Widow's walks can also be seen as a decorative architectural accent, distinctive and eye-catching on stately homes today, even on many homes far inland from the sea. Pictured below are sections of a widows walk made from pure copper. Depending on the layout of the roof platform to be enclosed, one to four railing sections might be used to enclose the roof deck forming a pen or enclosure.

Copper Widows Walk Roof Railing

Decorative Widows Walk Corner Finial

Rutland's architectural copper work artisans crafted the widows walk seen in the pictures above from copper, hand forming the pieces and welding them together. The separate railing sections are designed to bolt together at the installation site and attach to the roof structure. View additional architectural copper work.

Galvanic Corrosion of Dissimilar Metals

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:35:19 GMT

Galvanic Corrosion is an electrochemical process which occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact with each other in the presence of an electrolyte, most commonly being moisture and oxygen. For example rain water and salt water make especially good electrolytes. An electrolyte could be any non-metal matter that will conduct an electric current and are predominantly liquids or moisture. Every metal has been rated for nobility and then placed on galvanic scales according to nobility. Basically nobility is a measurement of the resistance to corrosion, especially of one metal contacting another metal. Metals that are the least noble means they are very anodic, electropositive or high potential and will corrode most easily. Whereas metals that are the most noble, means they are highly cathodic, electronegative or low potential and will be the most resistant to corrosion. The most corrosive effects will occur between metals from the opposite ends of the galvanic scale or ranking of nobility. This difference in electrical potential between two or more metals causes galvanic corrosion. Dissimilar metals in contact with each other in the presence of an electrolyte causes current to flow through their points of contact at the expense of the metal with the higher potential or less nobility. The much less noble metal is gradually consumed in the Electro-chemical reaction and will deteriorate or wear away as the metal ions migrate away from the very anodic metal to the more noble cathodic one. The more noble metal's corrosion resistance actually increases from this transfer of ions to it from the less noble metal, while the other metal is gradually getting consumed. Below is an abbreviated galvanic scale showing ranking of the most common construction metals from the least noble up to the most noble in a normal construction setting where both moisture and oxygen are present.

Galvanic Scale (Nobility of Common Metals)*
Least Noble
Aluminum
Zinc
Galvanized Steel
Iron
Stainless Steel – Active
Tin
Lead
Brass, Bronze
Copper
Stainless Steel – Passive
Titanium
Most Noble

Electropotential of Various Metals
High
Aluminum     +1.30
Zinc            +0.76
Chromium     +0.60
Iron            +0.44
Nickel        +0.22
Tin              +0.13
Lead            +0.12
Copper         -0.34
Silver           -0.80
Platinum       -0.86
Gold            -1.10
Low

Since dissimilar metals in contact with each other in the presence of oxygen and moisture will result in the less noble metal being corroded or eaten away the more noble one, contact between dissimilar metals should be avoided. For example, copper as one of the most noble of metals should be kept separated from less noble metal such as aluminum and galvanized steel. If contact between dissimilar metals cannot be avoided, their surfaces should be insulated as much as possible at the least with a non-metallic, non-conductive coating, such as bituminous or zinc chromate primers or paint. Separating the dissimilar metals with tape, gaskets, waterproof membrane, sealants or other non-conductive material that does not absorb and hold moisture can be used effectively. Care must also be taken to avoid the liquid wash run off or discharge from the drains from noble metals to less noble ones. For example rain water run off from a copper roof going into aluminum gutters and downspouts will result in traces of copper salts in the run off wash accelerating corrosion of the aluminum. Additionally, the use of galvanized nails, screws, flashing or drip edge on copper roofing or copper gutters should likewise be avoided as such less noble fasteners and metals will corrode rapidly. While rain water is a good electrolyte so too is high humidity or moisture laden air especially when it contains a high concentration of corrosive acids as is typically found in larger cities or near industry. In industrial or heavily populated areas, harmful electrolytes are formed by the absorption of gases by rain and fog to form acids and salts, while in coastal areas a saline electrolyte is formed by the combination of salt with the moisture laden air.

As copper has one of the highest galvanic numbers or nobility of construction metals, copper will not be harmed by contact with any of the common metals. However, copper will promote corrosion of other less noble metals if placed in direct contact with them. Copper can be used most appropriately with lead, tin, lead-tin solder or stainless steel under almost any circumstance. The primary metals of concern in terms of galvanic corrosion contact with copper are aluminum and zinc. Large differences in the thermal expansion rate between copper and these metals may cause additional problems. Also avoid using copper and some brass fasteners with aluminum, zinc and most ferrous metal. Paints or coatings that are used for isolation must be compatible with both of the dissimilar metals. The bituminous or zinc chromate primers and paints can be used between copper and aluminum surfaces. These same coatings or a red lead primer can also be effective in separating copper from iron and the other ferrous metals such as galvanized steel or mild steels.

Another type of corrosion called erosion corrosion is caused by the flow of acidic water concentrated into a very small area. While especially true for the least noble and most corrosive of metals, but capable of affecting all metals, acidic water allowed to concentrate on a small area, for example rain water from a large area like a roof diverted towards a flashing, valley or gutter can cause erosion corrosion. Also acidic water or liquids pooling on metal surfaces or trapped without air circulation between roofing or sheathing can quickly corrode the metal. Solution is to eliminate such pooling, maintain air circulation underneath metal roofs or between inert roofing material and drip edge, valleys and flashing. Another solution is to use replaceable reinforcing insulative strips between the inert materials and metal. Raw zinc and aluminum especially are susceptible to prolonged contact with acidic moisture, as for example the underside of a zinc roof. But care should be taken even with copper and stainless steel. Copper and zinc possess a superior property in that both will gradually develop a long term protective patina that helps guard against such corrosive effects for a very long period of time providing initial safeguards are exercised such as drying out provisions or temporary coatings.

Example of the protective patina that formed on these copper dome roofs

*Note: Galvanic chart rankings involving sea water immersion and low oxygen conditions will vary somewhat - the more typical nobility given here is for land based construction.

Rain Gutter Reviews - Gutters Cost

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:36:18 GMT

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.

Rain Chain

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:31:54 GMT

Rain chain or "kusari doi" in Japanese, have been used for centuries on Japanese homes, temples, public and commercial buildings as a functional yet lovely alternative to our traditional rain gutter downspouts. Rain chains have also been incorporated for their decorative beauty into many tranquil Japanese rain chain gardens. Today rain chain have become more well known outside Japan and increasingly prevalent around the rest of the world. Rain chain used in rain water drainage are typically hung from a roof's rain gutters or roof scupper box (leader head), taking the place of downspouts or gutter downpipe. Rain chain like the name implies can be as simple as chain links or a variation of chain loop styles. Rain chain can also be a visually pleasing string of cups or funnels, most often shaped like flowers or bells and hollow with open bottoms. Pictured below in order of left to right, top to bottom, are the simple link rain chain, single loop rain chain, rotated double link rain chain (or double loop), Japanese rain chain bells, Tulip rain chain, Bluebell flower rain chain, Lily rain chain and a rustic Scalloped rain chain. All the rain chains pictured here are fashioned from heavy weight pure copper. Copper Rain Chain is the preferred choice for it's timeless elegance, aesthetics, weathering ability, durability and natural beauty of copper's ever changing patina throughout the years.

Rain Chain Links, Chain Loops, Double Link and Japanese Bell Rain Chain

Tulip Rain Chain, Bluebell Flower Rain Chain, Lily Rain Chain and Scalloped

Copper Rain Chain Basin

Rain chains can drain directly on to the ground beneath them, or on a small patch or pit of landscaped gravel or pebbles to which the rain chain is anchored with a weight. Often times the rain water from rain chains is directed into a decorative rain chain basin underneath the rain chain. A rain chain basin or catch basin can be any suitable container. Ceramic, terra cotta, stoneware pots or copper basin - copper bowls are frequently used. A weight at the end of the rain chain or a hook in the basin are used to keep the rain chain centered above the catch basin. Some people use rain water for gardening or other uses such as washing their hair.

Rain Water Flow Through Rain Chains

A rain chain is a visual and aural delight and the look and sound of the swirling, falling water can be mesmerizing and relaxing to watch during a rain shower. The lovely sounds they make with water splashing and cascading through them will vary with the type of rain chain but generally encompass a soft bell-like tinkle or splash with light raindrops to a soothing, small roar of sound like river rapids in a heavy downpour.

Rain Chain How To Installation Diagram
Click above to view preferred rain chain mounting

Rain Chain Funnel Outlet Reducers
"Used to reduce size of opening in gutters to match rain chain"

Copper Gutter With Rain Chain Funnel Taps Installed
"Demonstration picture shows assortment of rain chain"

It is important to have the right amount of rain chain funnel installed on a length of gutter so an individual rain chain is not overloaded by heavy rain water flow, especially when using smaller width rain chain or links. How many rain chain funnel you use depends on several factors including: how long your gutter section is; diameter of your gutter outlets and rain chains; how heavy your normal flow of rain water is.

Roof Scupper Box Rain Gutter Leader Head

Water from a rain gutter outlet or from a roof scupper can empty directly into a leader head or rain collector scupper box and you can then attach a rain chain directly to the leader head or scupper box outlet. Outlet size on leader head and rain collector scupper box can be custom sized typically from 4 inches down to 2 inches to match the desired diameter for use with your rain chain. You can install a bolt across the bottom of the leader box outlet about an inch from the bottom opening and then attach the rain chain directly to this bolt. If your are not using leader heads, then mount rain chain using hidden gutter hangers and U-bolts.

Leader Head

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:47:24 GMT

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.

Copper Gutters - Copper Downspouts - Decorative Brackets

Copper Gutter System with Copper Leader Head Installed

Rutland also is involved frequently with restoration work of historic buildings and will re-create original leader head with new copper leader head preserving the original design. See picture below showing a very old original leader head design taken from a building with the new restored leader head replacement right along side of it. Rutland can also craft custom leader heads for you from your own design and specifications, fabricated with your metal of choice. You may view fifty-five leader head - conductor head designs on the web page at Rutland Leader Heads and additionally you may also view Rutland's nine new leader head designs below.

Old Historic Leaderhead - New Restored Leader Head

New Rutland Leader Head Additions

Leader Head shown with Copper Gutter System and Copper Roof

There is also a YouTube Video featuring Leader Head LH057 available on Rutland's earlier blog Copper Leader Head Restoration Project

Gutter - Gutters - Guttering - Rain Gutters - Seamless Gutters - Eavestrough - Roof Gutter - Gutter System

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:37:52 GMT

To many people these words or phrases, Gutter, Gutters, Guttering, Rain Gutters, Seamless Gutters, Eavestrough, Roof Gutter and Gutter System all mean pretty much the same thing. The first thing many people think of when they hear one of these terms and specifically the word "gutters" are the narrow ducts or channels running along the eaves or bottom edges of a roof, which collect rain water and direct or divert it into a drain or downspout to be drained away from their home or some other building. This connotation or meaning is also what predominates the search results for most of these terms. Upon a closer look, we see the word gutter while often used to refer to the rain gutter running along a roof edge, it can also be a street gutter, which is slight depression which runs along the edge of a city street or curb, carrying rain and street water over to a drain or sewer. Gutter can also be the trough, channel or groove on the edges of bowling alley lanes that collect all those gutter balls. Table shuffleboards have similar gutters on their sides to collect pucks. In word publishing, printing and design, a gutter is the blank or empty space between facing pages or where pages come together and sometimes the space between columns and rows on a page or screen. Gutter can also be the ditch that runs along the side of a road. In stamp collecting it is the empty space between rows of stamps. Gutters in barns dug in the ground behind the animals collect and carry away excrement. The word gutter also frequently used with the phrase "in the gutter" might reference something that is morally questionable or distasteful. The word gutter derives or comes from the Anglo-Norman "gotere", Old French "gotiere", newer French "gouttiere" and the original Latin "gutta" or plural "guttae".

Gutters - Guttering - Rain Gutter System

What is interesting is that search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN (Bing), AOL, Ask, Dogpile, Excite, etc. give a different order of search results when you enter each one of these search terms separately. It does not seem that search engines know that gutters, guttering, rain gutters, eaves troughs and gutter systems are the same thing as are rain troughs, rain collectors and rain channels. Websites and web-pages emphasizing or optimizing for one of these keywords are usually then not optimized for the others and so you get significantly different search result placement across the various search engines for each of these words or phrases. Many people already view search engines as frustrating and annoying to use due to their increasing emphasis on returning mostly paid advertisements in top positions in their search results rather than prioritize and list results genuinely based on merit, usefulness and content. Individuals and companies can pay to get listed highly in the search results whether or not they are worthy or deserving to be highly considered or whether they offer commensurate relevance to the researcher or not.

Paid listings tainting search results is nothing new but it has been getting worse each year to where some search engines and directories have become predominantly commercialized and no longer all inclusive. Then to compound the problem with search result accuracy and validity are search engine optimizing games played by website marketing people who optimize or manipulate their website names and web-pages primarily to get listed highly in search engine results for a particular keyword or search term. For example emphasizing the terms "rain gutter", "guttering" or "gutter systems" versus just "gutters" which is the most often used term to describe essentially the same thing, might give them an edge in search result placement over websites/web-pages that emphasize "gutters" or just "gutter". Search engine users get mixed results from their searches depending on what term they enter even if they mean the same thing. For example, companies offering guttering are providing the same exact thing as companies offering gutters and still other companies offering gutter systems or rain gutters or even new gutters (hey aren't most gutters sold new?). Yet enter each of these terms or phrases separately into search engines and you may get drastically different sets of results as well as the order of placement.

Just something to think about the next time you are searching for something and you want the most genuine, worthwhile, unbiased and untainted results. One strategy you can try is to search for whatever you are looking for using different synonyms, syntax or phrase variations. Try out different search terms, ignore the paid listings and repeat your search across multiple search engines, which will deliver better results and give a bigger more accurate picture. Meanwhile we hope for better, smarter search engines that can recognize essentially the same terms, synonyms or meanings and give back more consistent beneficial results. Of course we can always wish for an intelligent, free, unbiased search engine to miraculously appear, one that can not be bought, manipulated, fixed, greased, swayed or else biased in any way yet will always return fair, just, even-handed, reliable and completely accurate results. That may seem a tall order and unrealistic but it is not too much to ask for and the world does deserve that and all would benefit.

Gutter Garden - Copper Gutter Garden

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:54:57 GMT

Gutter gardens are receiving much buzz over the internet and are a good approach to generating fresh produce or a colorful display of flowers around your home. A gutter garden is especially ideal when space is at a premium or if you wish to have a tidy and more ergonomic gardening setup. Nothing is better tasting and more satisfying than freshly picked produce for that awesome salad, fresh salsa and a plethora of other healthy vegetable dishes. Gutter gardens are essentially akin to planters that hang from your house at a convenient height and are typically fashioned using some form of home guttering to serve as your planter. This article discusses and compares several types of commercially available gutters that are good options for use in a gutter garden. Then we will explain exactly which components you will need and how to assemble your very own gutter garden. I do not know who first came up with the idea for a gutter garden, probably someone a long time ago and it was never publicized. Now with power of the Internet word gets around. I did find an article from Martha Stewart Living dating March 2006 that called them "Garden Pots" and they used copper gutters stacked in several tiers to form their gutter garden. They were growing hanging ivy in them to form a living screen off of a porch, but could just as easily be growing flowers or produce in them. Hanging your gutter garden as they did with chains is another option to mounting on a wall, just make sure your chains, anchors and supports are all robust and secure.

From Martha Stewart Living - March 2006
"Surprising Garden Pots: Copper Gutters"

Re-using old guttering or buying cheap aluminum or plastic guttering are tempting options but may perhaps not be the best option. It is recommended you stay away from any kind of painted, rusted guttering or lead coated guttering for obvious health reasons if you are growing produce. Many plastics have unhealthy emissions and plastic gutters can also break down from the weight, UV sunlight and trowel work. It is best to use a gutter made from a pure metal that does not have any chemicals or paint applied, does not corrode or rust over time, is durable, long lasting, naturally weathers well, is aesthetically pleasing and is a genuinely attractive feature of your home. Steel and aluminum are relatively low priced but most varieties require some type of coating to resist rust and corrosion and coatings oxidize, scratch, are not durable, long lasting and mostly unhealthy too for a gutter garden. Galvalume is a zinc-aluminum coated steel that is a better candidate than either steel or aluminum alone, combining the corrosion and rust resistance of zinc and aluminum with the strength of steel but with an industrial looking gray metallic appearance and you would probably be tempted to paint this material. Three even better choices for your gutter garden are zinc, stainless steel and copper. Everyone is familiar with the appearance and attributes of stainless steel and it is a viable option. Stainless steel does not rust providing it's surface is not damaged and it is generally considered a healthy, sanitary material. Stainless steel's shiny appearance may be attractive or it may not blend in or complement your home's exterior. Pure zinc is a viable, healthy option that is durable, weathers well and zinc develops an attractive protective, grey patina that is somewhat pewter like though zinc is priced higher than galvalume and stainless steel. Then we have pure copper which may be the best choice for a multitude of reasons: copper has proven itself for centuries to be the most durable and longest lasting metal; copper weathers extremely well, forming a protective attractive patina; requires little to no maintenance; copper is attractive, aesthetically pleasing, elegant and complements most home decor well; copper is EPA approved antimicrobial, germicidal, antibacterial and fungicidal; copper is a key nutrient for plant life; copper is considered eco-friendly and is a green building material. These are all attractive and most desirable traits for use in your gutter garden. Copper although being our highest rated choice also has the highest initial cost of all the metals and metal alloys mentioned above. Copper's many and unique advantages, help justify it's premium cost, especially considering the relatively short lengths required for most gutter gardens, which put copper gutters' premium price within reach and affordability.

Copper Gutter System Installed

Once you have decided on the material for your gutter, you will then likely choose between three common styles of gutter: K-style gutter, half-round gutter and box gutter. A box gutter will give you the most volume with which to garden with, and as it's name suggests, it has a rectangular box appearance or if you like a plain box planter. K-style gutters are probably the most common residential gutters used in the U.S. and are somewhat boxy as well, though with a angled stepped front for a little more pizzazz. Half round gutters do look just like they sound, like half of a round cylinder or pipe and half-round gutters also have the most elegant appearance of all the various gutter types. There are also quarter round gutters which also are very attractive with their curved front. Quarter round and K-style gutters are generally available from 5 inches to 8 inches wide, half round gutters usually from 5 inches to 10 inches wide and box gutters are usually manufactured to size. Custom widths are also available through Rutland Gutter Supply. Compare the different appearances of K-style, box gutters, half-round, quarter round and embossed gutters, all pictured below.

K-Style Gutters

Box Gutter & Beveled Box Gutter

Half Round Gutters

Quarter Round Gutter & Custom 1/4 Round Gutter

Embossed K-Style Gutter & Half Round Embossed Gutter

In addition to choosing the material and style of gutter for your gutter garden, you will also choose the type of gutter hangers you will use to hang your gutter garden and the end caps used to cap off and finish the two ends of your gutter garden. There are several styles or types of gutter hangers available. So-called hidden gutter hangers are very commonly used and are called hidden because they are mostly not seen from the ground in a roof gutter system. Hidden hangers may not be the best choice for your gutter garden since they are positioned across the top of your gutter, they may obstruct or at least inconvenience your gardening work. A fascia mounting, squared-off gutter hanger with a front lip as pictured below may be better for box and K-style gutters while one of the decorative gutter hangers pictured below would prove ideal for the rounded gutters. A gutter spring clip holds the gutter in place when resting on a decorative gutter hanger and works well should you wish to remove the gutter easily for any kind of maintenance in another spot. You would use a gutter hanger every few feet to hold up the weight of your gutter garden, generally every three feet at least or every 2 feet if you also happen to live in the snow belt. You will also need to use so-called gutter hanger wedges, if your home's walls have an angled slope, to keep the gutter garden aligned perpendicular. Gutter hanger wedges are available in several sizes to address a variety of slopes in your home's siding or fascia. Installers typically use nails or screws to fasten gutter hangers and gutters to your home's wall or fascia. I would recommend a screw's added holding power recognizing a gutter garden's weight. Your choice of gutter end caps include flat end caps for all the various styles of gutters or also available for the half round guttering are radius end caps, which give your gutter garden ends an attractive and graceful rounded appearance. The gutter end caps are attached by both riveting and soldering them to the gutter. If choosing copper guttering for your gutter garden, it is recommended you use all copper materials for the guttering, gutter end caps, copper rivets, gutter hangers, hanger wedges and bronze or stainless steel screws. This is to maintain a uniform matching appearance and avoid corrosive effect of dissimilar metals. Below are pictures of various types of gutter hangers, gutter end caps, gutter spring clips and gutter hanger wedges.

K-Style Gutter Flat End Cap & 1/2 Round Gutter Flat End Cap

Gutter Radius End Cap

K-Style & Half-round Hidden Gutter Hangers

Decorative Scroll Gutter Hangers

Decorative Seahorse & Rope Gutter Hangers

Squared-off Fascia-Mounting
Gutter Hanger w/Front Lip

Gutter Hanger Wedges

Gutter Hanger Spring Clips & Copper Rivet

Hanging Copper Rain Chains - Single & Double Loop

After you have decided on the exact style and material for your gutter garden components, measure the exact lengths of guttering you need and keep in mind that you can go with a double or triple decker design if you desire. Your gutter garden should be in a location where it will receive the amount of sunshine recommended for what ever you are planning to grow. After the components have been ordered and they have been delivered, you are ready to attach the guttering for your gutter garden to your house. Measure and mark off the locations for your gutter hangers, to keep them evenly spaced and horizontally level. If using hidden hangers place them evenly spaced across the top of the guttering and attach to the wall with screws and use wedges if necessary. If using a squared-off box hanger or the decorative rounded hangers, attach the gutter hangers to the house siding with screws using appropriate sloped wedges if necessary, lay your gutter on the hangers and attach the hanger spring clips between the gutter hanger and guttering. Now you are done and can fill up your gutter garden with gardening soil or some composite mixture of garden soil, peat moss, manure, fertilizer and moisture retaining granules. Plant your seeds, seedlings or plants, water and enjoy your garden!

Additional Tips:
Avoid applying any chemicals or paint to the inside of your gutter garden for healthier plants and produce. If you absolutely must paint to achieve a desired color match, then do so only on the outside surface. Stainless steel will need to be cleaned and polished occasionally to keep it's appearance while zinc and copper weather naturally and keep their beautiful, elegant appearance throughout their lifespan. Copper can be waxed regularly or even coated with a clearcoat or lacquer if you wish to keep the shiny new copper appearance but again do not apply any coating to the inside to avoid chemicals and to take full advantage of copper's natural germicidal, antimicrobial and fungicidal properties. Also any wax or coating is temporary and needs to be re-applied. The natural copper patina however needs little to no maintenance When copper weathers there is a natural patina that forms on it's surface which serves as a protective coating and the patina does not affect copper's antibacterial properties. The copper patina changes color with age, progressing from a shiny salmon color, to reddish shades of brown, brown, greenish brown and finally a light green pastel color. The outside patination process can also be accelerated if desired by applying selective accelerants. Copper is revered and prized for it's graceful, elegant appearance and gradually changing color throughout it's very long lifespan. Approximate copper weathering color chart is illustrated below. If you desire drainage for your gutter garden, you may either choose to drill a few small holes sparsely across the entire length or have your guttering fabricated with rain chain style taps every few feet along the length.

Resource:

All types, styles and sizes of gutters and gutter materials discussed above can be obtained from Rutland Gutter Supply as well as all of the associated gutter parts and gutter accessories you will need for your gutter garden. Rutland carries the largest selection of gutter supplies in the USA with all the gutter accessories to match. Rutland also does custom metal fabrication and architectural copper work and ships all of it's products globally all over the world. If you like the general idea of a gutter garden but would prefer to have a custom sized planter made for you, Rutland can custom fabricate virtually any size and style copper planter you desire.

http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/06/hanging_gutter_gardens.html

Wall Gutter Garden Pictured by Suzanne Forsling, Juno, AK

Copper Dome Construction

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:41:54 GMT

Today's blog will take a simplified look at custom copper dome construction. Copper domes are typically constructed with the surface consisting of some variety of either copper tile or copper panels. For this example we will be using copper tile for our custom copper dome roof. Copper roof tile can be purchased from a manufacturer and in this particular case we will be using hand-made copper tile, hand-cut from copper sheets. Diamond shaped hand made, hand cut, interlocking copper tile are shown below - there are approximately 136 per square (100 sq ft).

For the framework we will be using aluminum tubing, plywood sheathing and waterproof membrane. We begin by precisely cutting square aluminum tubing to size and bending the tubes using a roll forming machine to form the base and the many vertical support cross members. A partially completed aluminum frame is shown below.

After all the aluminum framing tubes have been fully welded together, we then cut plywood sheathing panels to size, to fit precisely between the aluminum cross members and stretch from base to top. We affix them to the aluminum vertical support framework. See partially completed plywood sheathing work below.

After all the plywood sheathing panels have been securely fastened in place with self-tapping screws, we then apply to the partially completed dome a self-sealing waterproof membrane, taking care to completely seal the dome. After the membrane is in place, we draw guidelines and begin carefully attaching the hand-cut copper tile to the dome and to each other. The copper tile have been designed to interlock securely with each other and we use copper ring shank nails to fasten them to the plywood.

Now this copper dome project is nearly completed as we attach the last of the copper tile to the very top of the copper dome roof. When all the copper tile have finally been attached, we are ready to crown the top of the copper dome with a copper finial. Copper finials come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and designs. They can be simple like the first photo below or more elaborate as in the 2nd picture below.

Copper Tile Dome with Copper Ball Finial

Standing Seam Copper Panels With Snap Lock & Copper Finial Pineapple

Although this project may have been over simplified here, it was actually extremely labor intensive, benefiting from knowledgeable construction and metal fabrication expertise. Copper dome construction is very precise work and it can be very exacting just keeping each copper tile perfectly lined up straight and in perfect alignment with each other. All pictures provided herein and this copper dome project very beautifully accomplished by the skilled team at Rutland Copper Gutter Supply & Architectural Copper Work
Also check out our How To article on eHow.com "How To Construct a Copper Dome"

Copper Leader Head Restoration Project

Thu, 21 May 2009 17:53:33 GMT

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.

Copper Leader Head - Restoration Project Video on YouTube

Copper - EPA Approved As Antimicrobial Agent

Tue, 05 May 2009 15:56:16 GMT

With a solid body of evidence showing copper's broad spectrum of antimicrobial efficacy and copper's ability to inhibit the most important pathogens challenging public health today, including MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli (E.coli), Legionella pneumophila (Legionnaire's disease bactera) and Influenza A viruses. Clinical trials examining copper's antimicrobial potential and role in fighting pathogens, transmissions of germs and Influenza A viruses such the bird flu and swine flu epidemics are being undertaken in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan and South Africa.

The EPA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has approved the registration of copper as an antimicrobial agent to reduce harmful bacteria linked to potentially deadly microbial infections, following a year of comprehensive testing in an independent US laboratory. The tests showed that 99.9% of bacteria on a copper surface were eliminated within 2 hours of exposure. Typically this type of registration has previously been granted to liquids and gases falling under the sanitizer and disinfectant categories. Copper's mechanical and aesthetic properties makes it an ideal choice for use in all products or surfaces offering us the benefits of copper's antimicrobial power.

A concise reference article to download is "Copper: essential for life" and a reference website page entitled "Antimicrobial Copper". Increased use of copper is indicated not just for commercial or public buildings and outside public fixtures but in the home copper's logical uses are plentiful including the bathrooms and in a copper kitchen. You can enjoy copper's aesthetic appearance throughout your home, while enjoying copper's natural health benefits with it's proven germicidal, antibacterial and antimicrobial power.

Copper Effective At Stopping Spread of Germs

Sun, 03 May 2009 16:44:13 GMT

The need to prevent the spread of germs has always been a major concern. Research indicates that a copper surface is more effective at preventing the spread of germs than stainless steel. Copper has a 2000 year history of antimicrobial applications in a multitude of cultures. More recent research has sought to determine uncoated copper's effectiveness in stemming the proliferation of infectious disease. At the University of Southampton in the U.K. research studies have shown that many common disease causing microbes such as E. coli, Aspergillus niger (black mold) and Influenza A, die within hours on copper surfaces. The Influenza A family of viruses includes the problematic Avian flu and swine flu strains and copper can help contain a flu. Even deadly antibiotic resistant bacteria associated with infections such as MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) die within 1.5 hours on pure copper. On stainless steel and plastics, typically used for food-processing hardware, pathogens survived unabated for days, sometimes more than 30 days. There is enough solid evidence to put man’s oldest metal to work throughout the world to help protect us from infectious disease. Tested copper alloys, such as brass or bronze also offer increased protection over non-copper containing materials such as stainless steel, painted surfaces, wood and plastics, although not nearly as effective as pure copper surfaces.

Some fairly common and obvious uses in the home for elegant yet functional copper home decor include copper kitchen sinks, bathroom copper sinks, copper bar sinks, food prep sinks, copper basin, copper vanity sink, copper door knobs, copper handles, copper range hoods, copper planters, copper pot racks, copper bowls, copper sheets or copper tiles for making copper countertops and copper sink backsplashes, copper tabletops, copper chair arms, copper wall plates and switches, copper light canopies, copper ceiling fans, copper vents, copper louvers, copper cookware, etc. There are germ killing copper facades available for refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers, ice-makers, ovens and ranges. There are copper-plated kitchen appliances, copper vases, copper sculpture, copper accent pieces, copper planters, even copper flowers. Copper bathroom fixtures and copper kitchen appointments may be the most obvious places to most benefit from and utilize copper's antimicrobial power, yet manufacturers are now focusing in on all home furnishings and furniture as well as laptop, remote control and cell phone cases. The ceiling for new copper surfaced products is sky high, especially considering copper's aesthetic qualities, durability, long lifespan and green copper work as eco-friendly too.

For more detailed health information regarding the necessity of copper in the human diet and medicinal purposes, I will heartily recommend starting out with these two excellent articles: Copper and Human Health and Copper in Human Health.

Gutter Hangers - Focus on Gutter Brackets

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:53:59 GMT

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.