Rutland Architectural Blog - Finials

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.

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.

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

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)

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.

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.