Rutland Architectural Blog - rainheads

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

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

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