Rutland Architectural Blog - Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Copper Leader Head - Lion Conductor Head

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 head lion head conductor head new model featured by Rutland Gutter Supply

Copper Leader Heads

conductor head copper lionhead design on hopper head, scupper box for inside or outside corner use pictured here

copper leader head flat wall mount model with lion head design shown

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)

3/16/2010 3:28 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Monday, March 01, 2010

Historic Leader Heads - Conductor Heads - Hopper Heads

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

3/1/2010 1:30 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Friday, February 05, 2010

Horse Barn Cupola Construction

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 TIG welded structural aluminum frame shown here during cupola construction
Cupola Structural Aluminum TIG Welded Frame - Polished Seams

cupola has large louver vents installed for roof or attic ventilation
Large Aluminum Louvers are Inserted Into Cupola Sides

cupola domed roof and roof finial are attached to finish cupola design
Domed Roof and Roof Finial Attached On Top of Cupola

aluminum cupolas finshed in two tone paint job pictured here
Cupolas Finished in Two-Tone Paint Job

roof cupola perched on top of metal horse barn roof shown
Cupolas Are Installed Top of Horse Barn Arena

horse barn cupola installed on metal horse barn roof in picture
Horse Barn Cupola Construction Project Completed

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

2/5/2010 11:42 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Used Machines For Sale - Free Classified Ads - Trading Post

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.

gutter machine for sale - used machines or new

roll forming machines for sale for gutter forming and roof panel roll forming

2/5/2010 8:28 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

LEED Certification Green Building

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.

copper cladding exterior walls are recycled from regional sources in Penn State's SALA green building shown here

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 shown here with extensive use of copper throughout and in sweeping copper roof design

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

12/16/2009 10:21 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Green Home - Copper Building

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.