Historic Leader Heads - Conductor Heads - Hopper Heads

Rutland Gutter Supply, Inc. — 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

Leader Head

Rutland Gutter Supply, Inc. — 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

Rutland Architectural Copper - Gutter Supplies - collector box

Historic Leader Heads - Conductor Heads - Hopper Heads

Leader Head