Rutland Architectural Blog - Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday, December 11, 2009

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)

12/11/2009 12:33 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Copper Kitchen Art Work - Range Hoods

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 range hood CAD drawing ready for design copper art work to be rendered

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 art work with ski lodge copper design shown here

copper wall art work ranch theme for copper kitchen hoods or kitchen wall art shown here

Copper Wall Art Work - Two Different 3-D Scenes
copper range hood Tuscan kitchen design pictured here

Copper Hood with Tuscan Design (Grapes)

Hammered Copper Hoods - Pebbled & Rock Pattern
copper hoods - kitchen island hoods with copper designs island tropical and southwest cactus themes shown here

copper hoods - kitchen island hoods with copper designs island tropical and southwest cactus themes shown here

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 hood range or custom island hood with ski lodge resort theme pictured

Copper Island Hood with Ski Lodge Artwork
copper kitchen sink with copper art work mural pictured

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

11/24/2009 10:21 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Copper Gazebo Roof

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 roof conical shape with copper roof cap and copper finial pictured

Copper Gazebo Tile Roof with Copper Roof Cap and Finial
copper roof tile diamond shaped handmade copper tile shown here

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 roof cupola with weathervane and copper deck railing for gazebo pictured here

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 with screened in walls and door and copper cupola pictured here

copper gazebo roof with weathered copper patina shown here on ocean shore

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

11/17/2009 10:24 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Friday, November 06, 2009

Chimney Cap - Decorative Metal

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.

plain black painted standard steel chimney cap pictured

Common Black Painted Steel Chimney Cap

chimney pot assortment in copper, stainless and aluminum shown, some with integral rain caps and screens

Assortment of Chimney Pots (including capped & screened examples)
copper chimney pots shown, single and multi-flue chimney pots with chimney hoods or shrouds

copper chimney pots shown, single and multi-flue chimney pots with chimney hoods or shrouds

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 cap, directional chimney cowl vent and chimney turbine vent shown

Chimney Vent - Directional Chimney Cowl - Turbine Vent

chimney vent cap - copper dome shroud design pictured

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 hood and chimney shroud shown here

Chimney Hoods - Chimney Shrouds - Chimney Caps
copper chimney caps with decorative and ornate shapes and chimney cap design shown

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.

copper chimney top with magestic columns and ornate copper chimney cap pictured here

Custom Copper Chimney Caps

11/6/2009 10:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Differences among Leader Conductor Heads

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.

tall copper conductor head with TIG welded polished joints pictured here

copper leader head with welded polished seams shown

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.

aluminum leader conductor head with TIG welded polished seams and curved front shown here

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 copper downspouts pictured here

Weathered Copper Leader Conductor Heads with Round Downspouts

10/21/2009 12:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Copper Duct Work Can Improve IAQ

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

10/21/2009 9:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Friday, October 09, 2009

Copper Fire Pit - Copper Fire Bowl

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 ready to ship to customer

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.

copper fire pit installed as an outdoor patio fire pit installed pool side

Outdoor Copper Fire Pit Table Installed Poolside
copper fire bowl with matching fire pit cover shown mounted in fite pit table

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

10/9/2009 2:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Monday, August 31, 2009

Architectural Restoration - Historic Preservation with Copper

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

Original Gargoyle Rain Spouts

Replacement Gargoyle Rain Spout

Old Balustrade - "Ornamental Railing with Balusters"

Original Baluster and Replacement Copper Baluster

Leader Heads - Original with Replacements

Garden Sculpture Restoration

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

8/31/2009 11:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Gargoyle Rain Spout - Roof Scupper

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.

gargoyle water spouts originally mounted on a centuries old castle pictured

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.

gargoyle rain spout roof scupper pictured here in pure copper

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.

8/28/2009 9:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Widows Walk - Roof Deck Railing

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
widows walk roof balcony corner railing shown here

Decorative Widows Walk Corner Finial

widows walk roof enclosure railing end section pictured here

widows walk roof balcony deck corner section shown in this picture

widows's walk roof copper deck railing long copper work section shown here

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.